My Song Choice.

I have chosen to use the song, 'you could be happy', by Snow Patrol. I have chosen this because I think that it has a strong and effective narrative and I think that I could make an effective video from the narrative. It also has a beat that I think I could use to an advantage.

My Chosen Genre.

Indie rock/ alternative.


Indie rock/alternative music started with independent music labels, a smaller genre of music than mainstream with a smaller budget than major labels. This means that the music is aimed at a smaller audience that mainstream music and the listeners are of a specific type. The type of audience this genre is aimed at is one of which is a group of people who are not a stereotypical person and try to edge themselves away from a stereotypical person, they aim to be different. They aim to be authentic in the way that they both look and behave and do so by not trying to look nor behave a specific way. They will often listen to many other indie bands as a way to be different and stand out and music is usually considered as a very important part of their lives. In their image they tend to not be like others and pride themselves on imperfection and try to give off a scruffier look. A lot of the time however alternative/indie rock music does enter the mainstream category as the lyrics/music are that effective that anyone wants to listen to it. Because they have a smaller target audience they have to make their music good enough to listen to so they then ensure that their target audience are going to like it. 


Some may say that the indie/rock genre began in the 70's when punk music became largely popular. This was an era when people began to be different and began to care less about others opinions and became more rebellious. With artists such as Sex Pistols and The Clash it made it very easy for members of society to enjoy the music and pick up the rebellious attitude that came with punk territory. I see indie rock as as a more guitar based input to rock. Sex pistols had supposedly introduced something completely out of their ordinary to the UK and they inspire people to form groups similar to Sex Pistols.
New wave was then introduced to he UK at around 1983 and became less popular in 1987. This genre was a lot more toned down than punk; however they still had rebellious tendencies. With artists such as Elvis Costello and Tom Robinson they concentrated more on the music rather on the image. Focusing more on the lyrics and the overall sound.
Then in the early 80's Post-punk was introduced to the public, this was a bit like New wave yet they added more modern technology into the music. They added electronic sounds to the music to give it a more disco sound. These bands were ones such as Joy Division and the Cure. This is the point where a more alternative aspect was added to the UK. 
New independent record labels were then been formed with labels such as rough trade who specialised in this different output to mainstream music, and independent artists were becoming more and more popular.
As we then move onto the 90's groups such as Oasis and the Blur where the main artists influencing this genre along with more guitar based acts such as The Verve, Raidioheads and Pulp. These artists introduce a more pop based input onto the indie/rock genre.
As we move on to this century we have artists such as Arctic Monkeys, The Libertines and the Klaxtons.

Development

Since I began my A level at AS I have gained a lot of skills. I began my course by making a magazine for a college magazine. This involved me using a camera to get photos to feature on the cover. This made me be creative in thinking about where abouts to take the photo and who to be in the photo. This also introduced me to the use of mise-en-scene and got me to think about things like costume and props. I then learned how to use Photoshop. This began with me learning how to get up a blank page of A4 and how to upload items such as photos onto the page. I also learned how to edit photos and change things like the contrast and brightness to improve the quality of the photo. It also taught me to crop photos and how to change the size of images.

Photoshop also taught me how to make use of being able to use layers when creating a document and I progressed these skills throughout my as course when creating a music magazine. With the use of layers it is a lot easier to make an image look better and it is easier to create something that looks good as you can change things separately rather than having to change the whole image. It also let me be more creative as you can move things around and see what looks better. It also helped me become more creative and I learned how to input text onto a document and I used my creative skills in doing so by testing fonts and colours to see which looked the best.

I also learned how to use blogger. This was different to me as I had never used it before and I learned how to do things like post a blog and upload a photo. This made things easier as I could access blogger whenever I needed to and I could add more work when I needed to I also used the internet a lot for research, visiting things like magazine websites to gain ideas of how I could create a good cover, contents page and double page spread. I also used word to type up a lot of my work. I also created a PowerPoint about music industries; this improved my creative skills by making me put together information in a specific way so that the PowerPoint looked presentable.

In A2 I used blogger in a more productive way; I did this by using blogger to advance my skills. I used blogger to create a questionnaire so that I could get feedback from my target audience to see what sort of people they are and what they like/dislike, this helped me figure out what sort of things I should include on my music video. To plan my music video I used a storyboard to draw up my ideas, this helped me become more creative as I had to think about what to include in my video and how I could make it effective. I had to think about what I could use to match the lyrics of my song and how I could give a clear narrative to the audience. I also used the internet more to look at music videos on YouTube. This helped as it gave my ideas as to what to include in my videos and to see what is effective and what is not. I also uploaded videos onto my blogger so that I could analyse them and get idea on how I could make my video.

I have also created a short film for a movie trailer in a group of 4. We spent a lot of time planning; we did this by creating a story board and coming up with ideas, as a group, so that we could make an effective video. We also come up with ideas for the sounds that we could put in the background and we decided to put a song in the background. We each had a turn at using the camera for a mixture of shots. We developed this as we went along as the first time we shot the movie trailer we make a few mistakes. This then gave us the confidence to go out and film the video again and to get thing right. We then uploaded our footage onto a computer and took turns in editing the footage. We all had our own ideas on how we could make the movie trailer effective and we all inputted our ideas. We did things like cut out parts of the video and mixed the shots up so that the juxtapositions were more effective. We also added text so that it fit the conventions of movie trailers.

Analysing music videos.

This video is, 'We Found Love', by Rihanna and Calvin Harris. The conventions of the video is about finding 'love in a hopeless place'. This video begins with a small speech by a girl explaining the message that the video is trying to show to the audience and how the artist feels in the video/song. This is done to show verisimilitude to the audience so that they can understand how the artist feels and put themselves in the artist position. The speech at the begging makes the video a lot more effective as it explains the emotions involved in the song, which, unless a person was a massive fan of the song they probably would not understand.

The first shot is an establishing shot of two council flats, creating a setting for the narrative. This choice of mise-en-scene suggests that the narrative is set in a place where people live when they have no other choice, stereotypically due to money or just because they don't know how to get out of the place they are in. Suggesting that the pair in the narrative have hit a dead end in their relationship and that they don't know how to get out of it. It then switches to a close up of the artist looking upset, suggesting again that she does not know what to do. Their is also a close up of the male in the narrative. He is made to look like Rihanna's ex boyfriend, Chris Brown. This makes the narrative even more realistic and effective as one thing that people know about that couple is that Chris Brown allegedly was domestically violent towards Rihanna. This therefore gives even more effect to the narrative as we see what and who the video and the lyrics are referring to, particularly towards her fans.

The audience then sees close ups of them both in the bath both in a bath with water dripping down their faces. They each look unpleasant and unhappy and as thought they don't know what they are doing. We are then shown a medium shot of the male holding onto the artist whilst they smoke a cigarette. This again shows that they are in a lost place and don't know how to get out.

I then show the two almost kissing with a tracking shot circling that whilst the background moves fast around them. This shows how they feel and that they feel as though they cannot stop what they are doing. A long shot is shown of Rihanna falling into a hole on a field, suggesting that again she feels as though she is trapped and also that she has fallen in a whole and it is getting deeper. A lot of close ups of the two are used to show the despair and emotions and that they are not really happy. It also shows that the two love each other with shots such as a medium close up of them kissing, however the lighting is very dark suggesting that they know that they are in a dark place. A lot of shots are used to show how close they where and how in love they where, along with how much fun they had together. It then shows images of drug and as the music gets faster it shows they pair being more intense and and more crazy as they are on drugs. The juxtapositions are a lot faster going to the music and showing that their worlds move quicker and more easy when they are on drugs, again suggesting 'a hopeless place'.

Shots are also used to show them using a bandit and cuts offs of them loosing which is another indication that they are in a hopless place.

A long shot is then used of a building falling down, this suggests that everything in the narrative is about to fall apart. It then shows Rihanna shouting a the man because he is going around in fast circles in his car. This again suggests that the pair are going around in circles and are trying to find a way out. It also shows the male drinking a can of beer which, like the drugs, smoking and the gambling are all addictive things that people (stereotypically it is more likely on a council estate) cannot stop themselves from doing. What is also used is a close up of sirens on the top of a car, suggesting that they are are in trouble in some way and need help. Medium shots are then shown of them arguing in the car, the then storms out of the car and walks away. This is iconic as the tabloids showed that the first time Chris Brown hurt Rihanna was in a car, this again suggests that the song is written by Rihanna about Chris Brown.

It then shows more images of them being close and one medium shot of her drawing in the sky with a sparkler 'yours'. There is then a medium shot shown of her with fire rising behind her suggesting that the badness is going to spread and get bigger/worse. Then as the lyric, 'as his shadow crosses mine', a shadow of the male crosses Rihanna, relating to the lyrics. Long shots are then shown of Rihanna passing out on the road and then sirens are shown again. The male the then shown holding her seeing if she is okay, suggesting that he is worried and that he cares for her. Juxtapositions are then used fast as does the beat of the song. Images such as cigarettes and them being close together are used as well as images of eye pupils enlarging suggesting that they are on drugs and they are both then shown distressed and not happy with each other. There are also then shots of the male in the video tattooing 'mine' on her bottom. This suggests that he has a hold over her and that he always will.

Rihanna is then shown putting her head under water, again, showing that she is trapped. She is later shown packing her clothes to leave and the male grabs her foot to try and stop her. She is then shown hitting him with her bag so that he gets off her, connotation that her won't let her go.The last two images used are of her slamming the door in a medium shot as she leaves the flat. There is then a long show used of her curled in a ball in the corner of the flat again suggesting that she is still trapped 'in a hopeless place'.

My song lyrics.

You could be happy- Snow Patrol

You could be happy and I won't know

But you weren't happy the day I watched you go

And all the things that I wished I had not said

Are played in loops 'till it's madness in my head

Is it too late to remind you how we were?

But not our last days of silence, screaming, blur

Most of what I remember makes me sure

I should have stopped you from walking out the door

You could be happy, I hope you are

You made me happier than I'd been by far

Somehow everything I own smells of you

And for the tiniest moment it's all not true

Do the things that you always wanted to

Without me there to hold you back, don't think, just do

More than anything I want to see you, girl

Take a glorious bite out of the whole world

Analysis of music video.

This video is sung by Christina Perri and is called 'Jar of Hearts'. In this video black and white is used to set the tone of the videos and give the idea that the song and narrative is dark and not colourful. The first shot is a close up of the artist singing on some stairs outdoors. She is dropping black rose petals onto the floor, this is done to suggest death to the audience. She is shown with tattoos on her body which then edit into a black smudge where her heart is. Within this black smudge is an empty jar, this suggests that a man has got a 'jar of hearts' and on of them is the girls/artist. This fits in with the lyrics and the narrative. It then moves to a cut in of the artist walking and shows a car with black leaves/petals on the top, blowing away. It then goes on to show a medium shot of the girl with white smoke in the background, suggesting clouds and darkness and again suggesting death.

It then goes on to show a male with other girls who also have the black smudge on their heart, suggesting that he is 'collecting' his 'jar of hearts'. Later, it shows a long shot of herself and the other girls that the man hes had. The artist is singing and the girls are dancing behind her with moves that match the lyrics. It then shows the man with some of the other women and they are trying to fight him off yet he won't let them go, matching the lyrics. This is shown in an artistic and creative way as the movements match the beat of the music so that it looks like a dance. Juxtapositions are also used of the artist singing.

There is then close ups used of her singing to him the lyrics, 'who do you think you are'. She sings to him whilst looking into his eyes and they are both stood up, he then falls to the floor signifying death. The viewer then sees that she has killed him or made him go away. The audience see this because the black smudge comes back with the jar and the jar then has its heart back, suggesting that the artist had gotten her heart back and she was now free of the male. It also then goes from black and white to colour as the fog behind her turns pink and there is also pick confetti in the air. This suggest that the colour is now back in her like, it is not longer back and white it is colourful.

Research of other music videos.

This video by Katy Perry for the song uses a strong narrative throughout.The first  two shots are cut ins to a pair of heels and a church cross. The heels represent Katy Perry as she is presented constantly as a fashionable person and a lot of people associate her to the outfits in which she wears, this is used to show her as a product to the audience. The shot of the cross shows that she is a religious and it is later shown in the narrative why she may be challenged in her life and religion and why she may may be pulled away from her religion.It then cuts to Katy so that she can begin telling the story. In the begging through the lyrics and visuals the close ups to Katy's face suggests that she is unhappy in some way. Cut ins are then used of a male in a photo in a hat what would be used in the army. Along with the lyrics this suggests that for some reason this man has left her. The camera then shows a match on action followed by a pan of a man in a bed, suggesting that this is the man who has replaced the on that she is 'Thinking of'. There is then multiple shots of herself and her new man in which she looks unhappy and uncomfortable with. Juxtapositions is then used as it cuts to the happy fun times that she has with the man in the photo. Connotations are often used to match the lyrics. Such as in the lyrics, 'You're like an Indian summer in the middle of winter', she walks towards a window where bright sunshine is shining though. We also see Katy preform as she is singing the song in parts of the music video. It is made clear in the video that it is set in the past and this is done via mis-en-scene. The costumes, hairstyles and setting suggest that the video is set in the war time. This is shown largely by the clip of Katy dancing with people and the solider that she is singing about as he is in his uniform. The dancing is set at an old fashioned standard and is something that you would have seen in the war time, emphasising that it is set at this period in time.

This poster is then used in the background of the video to give a stronger view to the audience that the narrative is set in the war time. We later see the man leaving (to go to war) and her being unhappy about this. This poster has a strong effect on people as it makes people look back and think about how hard it must have been at that point in time and then makes us look at the video and imagine how it would be to say goodbye to someone who was going in the war. This then makes us understand how Katy will be feeling in the narrative of the video. Juxtapositions are then used along with fast past editing to show the man in the army being shot whilst she is with her new man looking unhappy. We then see Katy in black connotating death. She also puts on a black headpeice, on of which you would have seen someone wearing at a funeral at that point in time. Then we see a letter, one of which you would have seen if a person had died in the war. We then see her walking away from her how in a full black outfit, (one of which was very apealing to people who like fashion, again selling her as a product).