John berger
analyses the manner in which men and women are culturally represented. in "Ways of Seeing" Berger
claims that the representations of men and women in visual culture entice
different "gazes", different ways in which they are looked at.
He states that ‘men act women appear. Men look at women.
Women watch them selves been looked at.’ The woman is usually posed in a way to
please the viewer, her gaze is meant to entice the viewer, and this notion is
the same in modern day advertisements and photographs. Berger comments that a
woman unconsciously acts in a way knowing she is being viewed. Women are
constantly being surveyed, not only by men but by other women, and by
themselves.
Berger states that women were ‘depicted in a different way to men-because the “ideal”spectator is always assumed to be male and the image of the woman is designed to flatter him’ and that images are the most powerful communicator
we have. There are things we cannot describe in words but that images can
illustrate.
Women and sex are used
profusely in advertisement since it appeals to both women and men and it is clear that the men want the women and the sex and the
women want to be the women.
This study looks at and compares how
women in the media industry are used for the exact purpose that female nudity
was used in traditional oil paintings. To be looked at, desired, envied and to
be seen as desirable women, not only by men but also by women.
This theory links in closely with my song because at the start of the song the boy is picturing women to be sexual objects and imagining this great sex scene in his head however once he actually meets a girl and spends a lot of time with her, only then does he realise that they are not just something men use for pleasure and fun, in fact they are people and are equal to men and only then does he realise that she is his 'inspiration' and a lot more than the conventional 'sex object'.
The 'Uses and Gratifications' model represented a change in thinking, as researchers began to describe the effects of the media from the point of view of audiences.
The model looks at the motives of the people who use the media, asking why we watch the television programmes that we do, why we bother to read newspapers, why we find ourselves so compelled to keep up to date with different media texts.
The idea behind the model is that people are desired to fulfil or gratify certain needs, so instead of asking how the mass media uses us, it asks how we as people use the media and its broken up into 4 different sections; surveillance, personal identity, personal relationships and diversity.
Surveillance: is the idea that people feel better when they know what is going on around them and its all about awareness because we as people use the mass media to find out what is going on in and around the world looking for knowledge and security, this is shown in Lily Allens new music video because she is talking about current issues that are taking place within the music industry at the minute.
Personal Ientity: explains how being a subject of the media allows us to posistion ourselves within society and becuase of this many band members often become role models to young people because they aspire to be like that person and thats what gives that person their identity within society.
Personal Relationships: we as people can for relationships with the media but aslo use the media to form relationships with other people, for example the television plays many forms of media and becuase of this we form a sort of relationship with is because we will sit there and watch it for endless hours and we dont even have to say anything, if for example one of the characters in a programme dies, we as people can feel emotions although we know nothing is happening and this is a media relationship, the second idea of personal relationships is using the media within relationships, for example if we like soaps and we find someone else who does we can form a sort of relationship because we can talk and discuss certain matterswith that other person.
Diversion: watching or listening to a form of media can be classed as escapism because we are watching it to get away from our own lives however sometimes we watch it to reelate to certain characters because its nice to know and we as humans like to know that people are going through similar things to what we are, examples could include poverty, teenage prenacy, ect.
How the theory relates to my music video
My music video is a live performance video with a narrative extract, this relates the the uses and gratifications model because I want the viewers to form personal relationships with the video and for it to inspire them not only to find their personal relationship with the video but to inspire them in everyday life, for example when I watch videos like the one I will be creating, it inspires me to go out there and create music and I want to create this link between people and this video not only this but the abstract element forms a story of love that develops through the video.
In
1940, Lazarsfeld, Berelson and Gaudet
conducted the first full-scale investigation of the effects of political mass
communication and their
research focused on the 1940 Presidential election campaign and their findings
were published in 1944 in The People's Choice after more research had been
conducted.
What is it ?
the two step theory says that we as people are more likely to follow people we trust known as opinion leaders who pay close attention to the mass media and pass on the information down to other people in their own interpretations, unlike the hypodermic needle theory it suggests that the audience is and 'active audience' which is a big strength for the theory.
The importance of social influence
Their
research was originally based on the simplistic hypodermic needle model of
media influence, whereby it was assumed that a message would be transmitted
from the mass media to a 'mass audience', who would absorb the message in different ways depending on the person and their lifestyle. Lazarsfelds
investigations suggested that media effects were minimal, and that audiences
did not respond to a campaign as such but were more influenced by a person they
knew or an opinion leader such as an idol or a trusted friend or family member for example if a random person told a person to go and by an album by Of Mice And Men, then they would more likely than not ignore that information however if a friend (or opinion leader) told you to buy it you would be more inclined to do so because you know and trust that persons opinion.
Limited success
The
study by Lazarsfeld et
al concluded that only 5% of people changed their voting behaviour in the campaign as a result
of media messages and that audiences
exposure to election broadcasts turned out to be a relatively poor predictor of
their voting behaviour, particularly when compared with other factors such as
their interpersonal communication with friends, union members, business
colleagues and the political tradition they had grown up in.
This
view of media effects was confirmed in a variety of other investigations
demonstrating that as individuals we are more likely to consume something if it
is recommended by friends /family or people we know. For example what we are
influenced to watch or listen to.
Conclusions of the theory Lazarsfeld and
his colleagues developed the notion of a 'two-step' flow of media messages, a
process in which opinion leaders played a vitally important role. conclusions
follow from their research:
Our responses to media messages will be mediated through our social relationships, the effects of media messages being limited by interpersonal relationships and group membership.
It is misleading to think of receivers as members of a 'mass audience' since that implies that they are all equal in their reception of media messages, whereas in fact some play a more active role than others
receiving a message does not imply responding to it; nor does non-reception imply non-response (since we may still receive the message via interpersonal communication)
there are some people amongst the media audience who act as opinion leaders they see themselves and are seen by others as having an influence on others.
How does it relate to my music video ?
The Two Step Flow theory relates to my music video because people who view it and listen to my sort of music are more likely to tell their friends about it and then there is more of a chance that they will listen to or even view the video if there have been positive comments and feedback from it which is a good strength for the video but is also a good example of the theory being put into practice in relation to my music video.
The concept lies on the same base that it did before however after doing more research into the song I have come to the conclusion that it is about a man who initially doesn't see a woman in a way that means they would end up in a relationship together yet by the end of the song he realises that he was completely wrong about her and his whole perception on her has changed, the video I create will use paint and hands to show how two people come together and this will be done by painting two different hands in two different colours to show that they are different and throughout the video there will be a progression on these two hands meeting each other and eventually meeting and their colours mixing to show that two completely different people have come together as one and mixed with each other I will be showing how when you mix two different things together you can create something that is completely unexpected yet unified as one which will represent the relationship that creates and forms throughout the song.
When using equipment there are many hazards that could occur, for example when using equipment such as tripods I must ensure that all of the area around the tripod is clear so that I don't trip and injure myself or any others whilst focusing on the actors performing in the live performance. Training with how to use the equipment is essential because with in-experience can come a potential hazard or danger to either myself or other people and I cannot afford to do this especially as I will be shooting in a small environment.
because the band agreed to let me shoot their practise, I offered to help transport the equipment to the practise room however the equipment and props needed in order to shoot this video are also very heavy therefore when loading certain aspect into the car for transportation it would be essential to have 2 or more people carrying each piece of heavy equipment to ensure that no one strains muscles or hurts themselves in the process because not only would this jeopardise the shoot but it would also result in someone being hurt when an accident could of been prevented easily.
Finally, there are some scenes where I will be filming outside of college and using paint therefore it will be messy and there will no doubt be fumes from this that are harmful to us, therefore when shooting I will ensure that it takes place primarily outside because that way the fumes can go off into the atmosphere and there will be plenty of fresh air for the actors and myself to breathe so no harmful chemicals will be inhaled.
The entire band is at risk however it’s mainly Elliot because he’s closest to the lights and is more at risk.
Make sure all lights are turned off during time in between filming, this will give them time to cool down and will reduce the risk of anything over heating or creating a fire.
Wires & Cables
Everyone involved in shooting the video because there will be wired scattered all over the floor from the equipment and instruments used.
Ensure that all equipment is marked out and taped onto the floor so that it is clear for people to see as well as keeping loose wired from being kicked across the performance whilst shooting.
Filming outside of the college (paint fumes)
Camera operator and characters.
ensure that the filming is done in an airy place so that the paint fumes will not harm the people I am filming.
Filming outside of the college (paint)
Camera operator and characters.
ensure that paint is only in a certain area and alert people around that it is a possible slipping hazard that may cuase an accident mark out the selected area and keep an eye on people in and around that area.
The costumes that feature in my video are primarily going to represent the metal genre, and I will try and replicate the clothing worn by Of Mice And Men the band who I will be creating a music video for, if I succeed in creating this look it will create verisimilitude and make my video look almost like it was the real band the only big difference being my actors aren't the same people who are in the original band, the look I am going for is very much typical of this genre and will mainly feature black jeans and band merch as the clothing chosen within the video.
Chris Marshall: Although I don't know Marshall like I know Luke it is clear that he is dedicated and whilst filming he hasn't let me down, all of the shots that I wanted to get of him I have because he complied with everything I asked him to do in the practise sessions and because of this reason I was able to get an equal amount of shots between him and the rest of the band
Luke Blackburn + Michael Hill (guitarists): These two guys are some close friends who i have known a while and know that they wouldn't let me down when it came to filming, although some parts where harder to film than others due to them sometimes messing around I eventually got all the shots of them that I needed in order to start editing my music video.
Tristan Tyler: from past experience I know that Tristan is an experienced drummer and although he often turns up late to practises I know that he wont let me down when it comes to filming my video because in live shows he puts a lot of energy into his music and I'm sure he will do the same with my video.
James Keal: James is a reliable bassist who wont let me down when recording, I know him through Luke and the others all of which have said that he will be a good addition to my video because he will provide a good atmosphere and listen to what I ask him to do and take things seriously whilst having a laugh at the same time.
In order to thank them all for the job they did I offered to make them a montage of all the shots that I had filmed and then put one of their pre-recorded tracks alongside it to make it a video for them to promote their band with.
1. do you prefer the conventional live performance in Metal music videos, or would you like to see a break in conventions and for me to add a narrative side as well as the performance aspect?
2. when you come across the 'Metal Genre' what stereotypes would you make and why?
3. would seeing a music video for a particular song make you want to go and buy that song/album?
4. would you like to see a happy ending or for there to be a more darker ending that would reflect the genre?
5. when watching music videos do you like to relate to the story/narrative?
6. has watching a music video ever influenced you in any way?
The audience focus group video was very helpful because I took a group of people with a versatile music taste and asked dthem questions on the Metal genre and what they would expect, want to see and enjoy viewing if they where to watch my video, and from this is have taken their opinions and considered them when producing ideas for my own video and it has been really helpful because before hand I had certain ideas on how I wanted to do the video such as a story based narrative however after the questions and further research I decided to go with the the more common live performance aspect which the majority of metal bands go for these days.
this video is very influential to me because I can use a lot of the shots and cinematography when I come to film my video in the woods and my favourite aspect of the video was probably the slow motion shots used because they have a really strong effect on the video and can sometimes emphasise certain things because it gives the viewer a longer time to take in what they are seeing, as well as this it also gives me a chance to see how this cinematography and the shots are edited along to the track and if they are edited to to beat of the song or not and a lot of the time they are so I will make this a key factor to consider when it comes to me editing my final piece.
This video is influential becuase I like the idea that there is no lip syncing or specific structure of the song, it is just a montage of live shots along with the track that the band have chosen however is is still effective on the view, when creating my music video I want to have this element within it because although there is not direct link to the lyrics if the editing is done right and to the beat of the song it can still have a really positive effect on the viewer.
Again this video has largely influenced me because I like the idea of documenting the band lifestyle through the use of montage edits, although there is no lip syncing or narrative the idea that you get an insight into band life has really inspired me to do something like this within my video when it comes to shooting and editing.
“O.G. Loko”
We wanted to put [this song] first, because it is extremely similar to the debut album, thus making it a little easier to transition into our second. The entire track is about dedication, sex and love. You can use your imagination when I scream, "It's so damn hard, I'll make this last. I’m the artist, paints in white, your skin canvas..." I've sang and written about love before, but with love comes some sort of physical attraction to that person. When you're with someone you are in love with, there is no doubt there are more than sparks; [it’s] more like fire, between you two and the sheets, or washer, car [or] kitchen counter. This song talks about that—note, "I was lost until I found myself inside of you." The dedication chorus can be backed up by the lines, "This is faithfulness at its finest" and "I've had you so many times, but you know I could never get enough." It's clear to see this song was intended to be dedicated to someone, but as the album progresses, you find that [sometimes] how you feel can do nothing to affect actual reality. Also, did I mention that "O.G. Loko" stands for the now illegal, original Four Loko drink?
I'm coming in hot,
I'm coming in fast,
Take my time,
Its so damn hard
I'll make this last.
I'm the artist,
Paints in white,
Your skin canvas,
I'll leave you scratching, gasping, screaming, screaming
I was lost,
Until I found myself inside of you
My friend, my love, my life,
My... truth be told I would,
Set my whole world on fire
Just to watch it burn in your eyes
Meet my dedication, inspiration
It may be smothering you
But you know its the truth [x2]
Set my world on fire
It caught spark in your eyes
And now I could see myself with no other baby
Ive had you so many times
But you know I could never get enough of your love
I could never get enough
I could never get enough of your love
Meet my dedication, inspiration
It may be smothering you
But you know its the truth [x2]
Conventions of music videos vary depending on what the genre is, for example if the video is for an R&B style video, chances are the vocalist will be covered in bling and the environment around him will reflect wealth, money and a rich lifestyle and to show this slow editing and cinematography that reflects this is used however, other genres such as metal or even rock are quiet different because they use fast paced editing and medium-close up shots to establish the energetic vibe that would be expected in a concert for this band and where R&B videos may be showing off this lifestyle, metal is quiet the opposite and 9/10 will have a performance aspect to the video thats shows off the fact that they are an established artist.
Tiao Cruz - HeartBreaker (R&B)
Issues - Hooligans (Metal)
Mise en scene can also vary for different types of music video depending on the genre, for example as previously said the R&B genre is all about money, fast cars and the rich lifestyle so dessigner clothes are usally used along with a wealthy scene setting whether it be in a big house or on a yacht however other genres like Metal have completely different Mise en scene and with that particular genre the clothing tends to be black, ripped and the artists usually have piercings and tattoos and the location used to shoot the music video is usually a stage or some other location where they can set up equipment and make out as if they are playing along to the track
Although there are many differences within music videos more so than not, there are some similarities such as lip syncing which every music video has, this is so that the artists are in time when they are filming and shooting the video, without it parts of the song may be out of sync with the video due to the fact that when the arist was singing, they where doing it at their own pace instead of that of the actual song.
Another similarity is that all music videos will have is props, location and costume involved no matter what genre because this is what backs up either the narrative or the story based behind the song and helps the viewer better understand the lyrical meaning that the artist is trying to portray to the target audience.
The audience for this music video is shown in all of the many conventions used, mainly through the cinematography because we can tell by the clothes that the band members are wearing that they are from the Metal part of the music industry which is obviously further backed up by they use of the diagetic music track to the video being played in the background, furthermore many people stereotype bands of this genre to be covered in black clothing and makeup however that isn't the case and many people not familiar to the genre could be surprised by the video but because of the other stereotypes of the metal lifestyle, people are quickly made aware of the modern day metal scene.
cinematography
The cinematography used within the To The Stage music video represents the Metal music genre very well, this is because the shots used give the viewer a sense of what its like to be in a metal band, this is shown by the use of close up shots and how they make you as the viewer feel like you are there in the shot and involved with the band which is a really good quality because its almost involving anyone viewing the video in the 'rockstar' lifestyle.
Another shot used to set the scene is a pan, these are shown in the early stages of the music video and gives us a sense of where the video will be set, this is further backed up by a close up of a road sign that says 'Sunset BL' which is a famous strip in Los Angles, California known for its celebrity culture and night life which we as an audience also connect with modern day bands and artists.
The fact that there are lots of close ups shows us the emotions on the characters (which in this case are the band) faces which is good because we see that at first they are all having a good time and partying, however later on in the video these close up shots reveal that the rock star lifestyle isn't always fun and games like it is seen in the media and can actually be dangerous as shown by the frothing mouth towards the end of the video which also shows the darker side to fame and fortune.
mise en scene
The mise en scene throughout the music video is stereotypical of the Metal genre firstly we expect rock stars to wear leather jackets, band merch, ripped jeans, denim style jackets and all of these have been added to the music video not because they are conventions, but because this is how modern day metal core bands usually dress, another thing associated with metal bands is tattoos, and throughout the video both the band and the people who they associate with all have tattoos which further backs up the genre of the music.
The location of the video is set on Sunset Boulevard, Hollywood which as said previously is famous for its celebrity culture throughout the strip and lots of bands go there to have a drink and sometimes for illegal substance use which is also shown in the music video, yet another stereotype of bands in this genre of music.
editing
The editing within the video is fast paced, this can connotate the aggression, fast paced lifestyle of a metal band, the edits are the main give away to the genre because of the way they mix in with cinematography, the blurred canted angle is a prime example of this because it makes us view the video as if we are there in the moment living the rock stars life of drunk nights out, from this we get the sense that the target audience is not only young people who like metal but also to young bands aspiring to do well in the music industry because it goes behind these 'rockstar' stereotypes and is saying that its not good to live by this lifestyle as only bad things can come of it and as seen at the end of the video a singer has been spiked and he was seen to be unconscious, overall the use of fast paced edits has proving to be very affective when portraying the sort of genre and the lifestyle associated with it.
The audience of this video is once again metal fans, which can be figured out by the band, actors and people who feature in the band, once again it is modern day metal so at first if we where to just view the video alone we would not know just who or what the target audience is as well as this the first part of the song is a pop style intro more common with chart music but it is the music that comes in after this that lets us as the viewer instantly know just what genre the music video is.
Cinematography
The cinematography within the 'Hooligans' Video is common of this genre, there are lots of close ups on the vocalist which are usually done to emphasise certain lyrics that maybe portray a certain meaning or that even reflect what the song is actually about, another common shot is the long shot, this is used on many occasions to establish the band performing however it wont be a still long shot, the camera will usually move with the band for example if they are seen to be jumping up and down the camera will also do the same to try and give the viewer a sense that they are in the video with the band, it also gives a sense of being at a concert because usually when at concerts people jump up and down which is what the band are trying to show and portray a sense of verisimilitude which is common in most modern metal music videos in the 21st century finally the only other prominent shot is the medium close up which is used to show either a single member of the band during the live performance and also when certain musical parts want to be emphasised there will be a medium shot on the instrument that is doing that particular shot.
moreover as well as this in the narrative part of the video the majority of the cinematography consists of medium shots this is so that we can see the actor but also the background which they are in, this reflects the song because its called 'Hooligans' and the actors are seen to be skating in the middle of the road in an extremely run down area of America which portrays the idea that these men are 'hooligans' and doing things they shouldn't which is also a massive stereotype however it represents the song in a way which the viewer can interpret which is good.
Mise En Scene
The mise en scene in this video is also very good at both representing the genre and the idea behind the song, firstly the genre representation is shown well through the use of location because the live performance is in an abandoned warehouse that is all dark and dingy which in a way could portray the stereotype of metal music which is dark although the majority of it actually isn't, as well as this the clothing the band are wearing is typical of metal bands, they have cut off shirts and vests that is what most metal bands go on stage with so instantly people who like the genre will get a feeling that they are from a certain genre, although it may be hard for others no into this genre to understand straight away because the stereotype is that they all wear black, once the sound kicks in they will be aware of this.
Mise en scene also represents the song because as said in the previous paragraph the actors in the narrative are in a Barron wasteland that is very run down and more or less abandoned with graffiti all over the place which represents the name 'hooligans' because we associate through stereotypes that this is where those sorts of people come from.
Editing
The editing for hooligans is common for metal music videos because it is fast paced short clips used simultaneously to create the live performance, aggressive feel that many people get from metal music and it is very effective because it makes the viewer feel like they are there listening to the band in person as well as this the fast paced edits also create a sense of verisimilitude because it portrays the metal bands fast paced lifestyle that many artists are associated with however more so with metal bands because they are always touring or writing their own material as opposed to the label writing the music for them like most mainstream artists like Rhianna do which makes their life easier.
Finally there are edits too and from the narrative to the live performance so that the viewer is constantly reminded what the song is about, this is a really good way of representing the song because not only do you get the emotion of the artists performing the song but you also get the edits of the shots based in the narrative side to back up the lyrics.
with Metal music videos it is very common to see a live performance video and very rarely is there any narrative along side the actual video itself, however if there is narrative it is usually mixed in with a performance aspect of the video, for example Blessthefall's music video for '40 days' has both of these and at the end both sides end up coming together and meeting instead of being 2 separate things, this is good because it concludes the narrative of the song and brings some sort of closure to the song.
the mise en scene for these sort of music videos is the stereotypical view of a modern day metal band, things such as ripped jeans, black clothing, tattoos, long hair, piercings and other various things are included to help the viewer understand who the target audience is, which in this case is usually from 13 year olds all the way up to 30 years olds however unless it is older metal you will rarely find that there are many older people listening to this sort of music purely because they haven't been brought up with it and aren't used to the new conventions and sounds that come with these new metal bands, as well as this all of these new metal bands are themselves within this range of target audience so they can directly appeal to their audience through their videos.
the editing within metal music videos is always fast paced and sometimes to the beat of the song, this is to portray the energetic vibe that comes with the live performance of metal bands, the artists themselves want to give a sense of what their live performances are like to those who maybe haven't yet come to a show or maybe cant make it to one, its all about making themselves look as good as possible through the cinematography and editing they use, and most of the time montage edits will be used, as there is no specific order to the videos, just a live aspect of it however this relates to most genres not just this one.
The cinematography used is usually medium shots to get an overall view of the band performing with the occasional close shot of fret boards or symbols when maybe a solo or specific drum beat comes on, this is to emphasise that part of the song and to build up an atmosphere for the view which makes them want to see the real thing, this is also used on the lead singer when certain words are wanted to be emphasised because if we only See this once is can mean that the song is based around those key words and it helps us as the viewer understand the songs initial meaning.
the lyrics within the song are usually reflected by the video that goes along with the track, for example in Attila's 'About That Life' music video they are talking about the rock and roll lifestyle that they live with day by day, this is reflected in the video because they are seen to be in and around a large house, with lots of women and nice cars and even then there is always a performance aspect to the video even if it appears only for a few seconds just to re-enforce the fact that they are are the band even though it is obvious, it is a very common convention to see in music videos of this kind, more so than seeing a narrative style video.
