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The Purpose of Music Videos
The
Emergence of Music Videos
The
blueprints for music videos date back to 1941 with the Panoram Soundie which
was a jukebox that played short video clips whilst unrelated music was being
played. As music-centred films took off in 1956 including Shake, Rattle and Rock (Cahn, 1956), the idea of featuring musical performances alongside video
became very popular. This lead to the creation of music television in 1962 with
shows such as Top of the Pops where
bands would be seen performing as-live and gain a great deal of promotion as a
result. As the record industry began to produce promos for bands in 1970, these
early examples of music videos became more popular until 1975 when Queen
released the first example of what we call the modern music video to accompany
their song ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’. In
this essay, I will explore how music videos grew more and more in the creative
industries, becoming what we know today.
Promotion
Music videos are a fantastic way of promoting an artist and their songs
as fans can have a visual association as well as an audial one. Artists will
often want their video to be as iconic as they can so that people it sticks in
people’s minds more identifiably as that artist’s song. It is a good
opportunity to promote their name as well as their image which will be
communicated through the way they act, perform and dress. Music videos often
also feature the director’s name so that they can also be promoted and credited
for their work in the film industry and other areas. It is a good way to
showcase the director’s style to encourage word of mouth and potentially more
work for them as a result. An example where a music video has been pushed as
promotion is R-Kelly’s 45 minute pop soap opera, showing audience members his
style and identifying characteristics.
Producers’ Strategies
Different bands
and artists are marketed differently according to what type of artist they are.
For example, a mainstream artist such as Justin Bieber is unlikely to be
marketed in the same way as an independent artist such as Radiohead. An artist
signed to a major label has a lot of money and publicity behind them allowing
for their music videos to be high budget featuring common conventions such as
dancers, celebrity cameos, a good quantity of props & costumes and grander
locations. As well as being available on online outlets (such as YouTube, Vevo
and ITunes), mainstream artist videos will also be seen on Pop music television
channels such as MTV Hits. An example of a grandiose music video of this
standard is Psy – ‘Gangnam Style’ which features a lot of interesting locations
and choreographed dancing. This would contrast to a low budget video like
Madness – ‘House of Fun’.
The expansion of
media outlets has given rise to self-produced artists who produce and
distribute music and videos by themselves. Some artists such as The Midnight
Beast find fame on YouTube from their own videos. Whilst this method does give
a lot of scope to be unique, the disadvantages may include a poor budget and a larger
piracy problem than signed artists may have. However, some artists have
artistic goals rather than commercial ones; they create a music video as an
artistic statement. The outcome tends to be fairly surreal and theatrical and do
not necessarily hit the mainstream viewers as they tend to be shown late at
night with other alternative music videos.
Extension of Income
Artists receive
royalty payments every time their track is played on the radio. If that song
has a music video to complement it then they also receive payment for every
time that it is watched. This is only theoretical as the task of tracking an
individual video’s consumption is implausible due to the huge quantity of media
outlets that exist now. Instead, an estimate is made according to the
popularity and sales of the track in order to pay the artist their royalties
accordingly. This system makes it more difficult for alternative or
un-established artists to get the airplay that they desire. This is because the
radio stations and television channels play what they think people want to see
and hear meaning that there are a lot of repeats on major stations and channels.
I think that the best ways for new talent to make money is for them to be
unique and do something big to get publicity. An example may be Okay-Go’s music
video for ‘Here It Goes Again’ implementing a quirky dance using treadmills to
entertain the audience. Also, by distributing their work on free media outlets
such as YouTube, they are cutting down on the costs incurred with getting their
work heard and seen.
Extension of Media Outlets
Media outlets are
sources that people can use to access and view a media text such as, in our
case, a music video. There are many types of media outlets, examples are shown
below:
- Internet sources
such as YouTube, ITunes and Vimeo are fantastic, free ways of watching music
videos and, with modern innovations in technology such as smart phones, they
can be viewed this way almost anywhere.
- Television
channels such as Scuzz and MTV Hits play music videos almost all of the time.
This is a great way to see a variety of artists in a similar genre or era. For
example, Scuzz deals with genres of hard and alternative rock.
- Artist’s DVDs
and CDs often have bonus features. These sometimes include digital discs with music
videos to accompany certain tracks for the audience to watch and enjoy. An
example of this is the special edition soundtrack to the film School Of Rock (Linklater, 2003) which
included an extra music video of the film band playing another original
composition, mentioned in the film.
- Some places such
as Pubs and Clubs have public screens where people can watch sports, the news
and even music videos!
The huge amount of
contemporary media outlets has both advantages and disadvantages. It is
advantageous because it means that anyone can watch music videos any time they
like which means potentially more income for the artists as well as more
advertising space or external companies to use. The problem here is that piracy
can be a big problem and, due to the amount of file sharing that happens,
artists can end up losing money. There is also more choice for the viewers.
However, this means that audiences become fragmented and watch different
things. Whilst the large amount of outlets gives new artists more platforms to
get recognised, it means that there is so much material going around that it
can be very difficult for new talent to actually get noticed.
Synergistic Marketing
Synergy is when a
subsidiary product to a main product or company is promoted and sold through
licensing deals. This means that you can promote a media product such as a
song, album or music video through the production of other products related to
it. A good example of this is Pink Floyd’s album ‘The Wall’. After its release
in 1979, it gained huge commercial success and to further promote it, a series
of promotional music videos were released which even lead to a film adaptation
being released in 1982. As well as this, a lot of merchandise was released
including conceptual artwork and other merchandise such as clothing, accessories
and other images such as framed lithographs and posters. Synergistic marketing
has a lot of benefits as a form of promotion. Firstly, potential or existing
fans of the original product can access other memorabilia to further their
enjoyment. As well as this, the rights holders will potentially increase their
income by a great deal due to the extra products sold and the extra customers
that they could potentially receive.
Conclusion
Since their birth,
the popularity of music videos has only grown stronger, providing more content
for fans and more income for artists and their record labels. As well as
providing the artists with promotion for their songs, it also opens up the
possibility for promoting the directors of music videos. These facts, when
combined with the growth of media outlets and widely accessible technology,
mean that new artists can also get popularity and recognition due to the
additional platforms of distribution that they now have access to.
Single Camera Group Pitch Feedback
After pitching our group presentation, we gained some useful feedback which we used to update our prezi. The updated version is embedded below:
Other information that we also updated on our notes cards included:
Other information that we also updated on our notes cards included:
Personnel requirements including 3 young adults, 1 child (8-12 years old) as the main characters and a further 3 young adults as extras in the 'Deal' scene.
Below is a scanned version of the written feedback that we received for our pitch.
Single Camera Techniques
In this essay, I will be writing about the techniques
involved in single-camera productions to develop a better understanding of the
process that these products go through from script to screen. I will first be
focussing on production techniques and then linking these ideas into the
scripting process and the genres, formats and narrative structures that these
techniques may apply to. To further consolidate this understanding, I will
compare the single-camera techniques with those used in multi-camera
productions.
Techniques
Single-camera productions only use one camera except in some
cases with a particularly difficult scene (this could be a scene with a stunt
or one that is heavy on dialogue).That is so both characters can be caught at
the same time, improving the quality of the audio and reducing the time for
shooting. With the example of a stunt, financial and logistical issues could
mean that you could only do a stunt once; this means that multiple cameras
would be used to capture as many interesting angles as possible. The purpose of
this is to create a more intimate feel for the scene and to give the audience a
greater sense of realism. When filming a scene for single-camera production,
that scene is re-acted multiple times with the camera being placed differently
to capture a variety of angles and shot lengths. If using film stock, this
repetition makes filming much more expensive; such a problem would not be
relevant if shooting digitally. From a director’s standpoint, a single-camera
production is advantageous as it gives you the ability to set up every shot
individually. Lighting is also easier for a director to control as you can also
light each shot individually. This intricate process allows individual scenes
to develop a lot more in terms of the tonal and stylistic features that you can
apply. This contrasts to a multi-camera set-up such as American sitcom, Friends, which can appear flat and
unrealistic due to the lighting requirements that need to be set up for every
camera in the scene. If this were not done then lights would be visible,
further spoiling the sense of realism for the audience.
The sound element of a single-camera production is often done
using a central microphone such as a boom mic. When recording sound, it is
important to leave an amount of overlay to guarantee that all of the audio for
the scene is captured. It is often the case that a single take of audio is used
over multiple shots of film. As with any production, sound effects can be added
or enhanced in the post-production stage of the process. Multi-camera
productions can be edited quite simply, even live using a vision mixer. In a
single-camera production, however, all editing must take place separately to
the filming in an editing studio. Editing can take a long time due to the
amount of footage that needs to be looked through but many scenes can be edited
individually. That is because most scenes that have the same logistical
requirements (such as equipment, cast, crew and location) will be filmed at and
around the same time.
Scripting
As with any production, planning is essential to make sure
that everything runs smoothly. If you do not get the right coverage for a scene
then you may have to either reshoot it or cut it all together; both of these
scenarios can create huge problems. Single-camera television scripts follow the
same formatting conventions as a film script and separate shooting scripts are
also created to help the production stage run more smoothly. On set, any
changes that are made are checked by a script supervisor whose job it is to
make sure that everyone on set who needs a correct script has one in their
possession on set. When building a story, it is important not to overlook any
elements that are integral to making it believable and, more importantly,
enjoyable. The first elements to think about are the plot and characters
involved in your story because these are the initial building blocks. A story
that is too short is not ideal, particularly for a script because you need to
keep your audience interested. Therefore, it is common practice to not make
your plot or characters too linear; the more intricacy involved in the
construction of them, the more to the story there is overall. Sometimes the
best stories are ones that mess with the conventions such as when Pirates of the Caribbean portrays
pirates (who are notorious characters throughout history) as the protagonists. As
a story develops, it will gain its own style and once it does, it is important
to keep the rest of the story consistent with this.
When building a story, you also have to build every scene
individually. A scene is made up of five main parts. You need to establish what
part of the story the scene is serving and the way in which it will develop
your story in the direction that you want. These elements of a scene enable you
to ascertain a definitive purpose so that you can figure out what ingredients
will be needed to help the scene fulfil that intention. These will come in the
form of the characters and locations around which the scene is going to be
based.
Genres and
Formats
There are many genres connected with single-camera production
that are broadcasted to huge audiences every single day on the television.
Period Dramas use the props and costumes of the specific historical period
(around which they are based) to fuel the realistic atmosphere and style of the
production. In some ways this can be likened to Drama Documentaries which also
use factual information combined with creative interpretation to stimulate
their audience into learning about certain issues. Crime Dramas (such as CSI and Silent Witness) also have an element of a didactic purpose to their
subplot regarding morality; they are more focussed on the intrigue that
surrounds law and order, whether they are from the perspective of the criminal
or their pursuers. Many comedies use multi-camera techniques, however many use
single-camera techniques to capture a more intricate style to the media text. A
prime example of this is Peep Show which
has a documentary-style of shooting, using overdubbing and setting up every
shot as a POV.
These single-camera productions will also follow a format in
preparation for how they will be broadcasted. This will be the basis for story
from its conception. When pitching and planning a story, it is important to
decide whether it would work most appropriately as a single, a series or as a
serial. A single drama, as the name suggests, is a stand-alone story which is
told in one episode. An example of a single drama is Dirty War (2004). This differs to a series which has several
episodes put together each with their own self-contained narrative. However, a
series will also have an overarching, continuous narrative that runs for a
particular amount of episodes such as Derek.
Both of these formats differ to serials because a serial does not run for a
certain amount of time because they are continuous. Soap operas such as Eastenders are examples of serials.
However, many serials use multi-camera techniques due to the rate at which they
need to be filmed as they are broadcast so frequently.
Narrative
Structures
There are a variety of narrative structures that a production
can follow and this is still the case with single-camera productions. Linear
narratives are perhaps the most basic of these structures as they follow the
beginning-middle-end format and go through the story in chronological order.
This differs greatly from non-linear narratives as they do not follow a direct
sequence of events; this can include numerous pieces of flashback narration. A
prime example of a non-linear narrative film is Pulp Fiction (Tarantino, 1994). Some media texts may follow a
realist narrative which has the purpose of offering a realistic portrayal of
its subject matter; this can sometimes mean that the action takes a long time
to get started. Contrary to this, an anti-realist product does not try to
present itself to the audience as non-fiction; it is openly fictitious like Spongebob Squarepants.
The way a media texts ends is crucial to the tone and impact
of the product’s narrative on the audience. They can be closed endings or open
endings. A closed ending offers a resolution for the audience, characters and
storyline. This means that the audience can get the full enjoyment out of the film
in one sitting and the story goes no further. However, an open ending does not
offer this sense of closure, opting instead for no conclusion. This could be to
allow room for a sequel or a deliberate technique employed to keep the audience
thinking about the story after it has ended.
Multi-camera
Techniques
If a media production is not shooting using single-camera
techniques, the other option is to use multi-camera techniques. This means that
a director can get the maximum coverage for the editing process. The use of
multiple cameras also means that a vision mixer can be used to broadcast the
show live such as with News broadcasts. One of the main benefits of using
multi-camera techniques is that products can be generated at a much higher rate
than ones that are shot with single cameras. Also, using more than one camera
limits some of the constraints you may have with single-camera shows such as
continuity errors as all of the same action is captured from a different angle
at the same time.
The issues with media texts that are shot with multi-camera
techniques are related to the creative control you have over the individual
shots, even as a director. You need to ensure that the lighting is sufficient
for each and every camera that is shooting which can cause a set to become
saturated and gain a flat, anti-realist feel to it. An example of this is Friends which has very few locations due
to the logistic concerns of using multiple cameras; all of these locations have
very saturated lighting so that all of the action is easy to see and take in no
matter what angle you are seeing it from. Other logistical concerns include
equipment restrictions due to the financial limitations you have for filming;
this can include locations as well. However, using single camera techniques
enables you to film in a greater variety of locations with less equipment and
crew which is ideal when filming a low budget media product.
The Commissioning Process for Writers in the Film and TV Industry
In this essay, I will be looking
into the process that a writer must go through in the film and television
industry when having their work commissioned. I will approach this by looking
at the commissioning process and the commissioning bodies that operate within
it. I will also be linking this through to the roles and responsibilities that
the writer has during the production process. Through this research, I hope to
gain a valuable insight and understanding of the process and how I would go
about having work commissioned if I were to try and fulfil my ambition to do
so.
Job Roles
within the Commissioning Process:
There are several job roles that
exist within the commissioning process as many different people play their part
in the work that gets made early on. The process begins with a writer who could
be either freelance or already be working for a producer or studio, 89% of
workers are freelance. Once they have a selection of work they will pitch their
ideas to different commissioning bodies until they spark someone’s interest.
However, work that gets commissioned does not always get made. Agents have the
role of quickening this process for the writer as they use their connections with
commissioning bodies and production companies to get the writer work. The final
decision of the approval of a proposal lies on the commissioning editor who may
change his mind at a later date due to an issue such as financial viability. A
producer is often the one who finds and finances a script allowing it to be
optioned or commissioned. They then work closely with the script editor and
together, they make sure the script is in order and appropriate to be made. When
it comes to what the product will look like when it makes the transition to
screen, the director is in charge of shooting the script and using their visual
creativeness.
Commissioning
Bodies:
Different commissioning bodies vary
in their forms and size ranging from small independent production companies to
major corporations such as the BBC. Some of these corporations offer other
prospects for getting your work seen such as the BBC Writer’s Room. However,
other corporations also commission. You may prefer to pitch to an independent
production company such as Bedlam Productions Ltd[1];
whilst they do sometimes get money from larger corporations, it helps to be a
new or unknown writer as you will be cheaper to work with.
Independent directors have more
power over the final product when producing their own screenplays. Directors
like Quentin Tarantino and Ricky Gervais have written and directed their own
screenplays. However, they also have involvement with other directors. For
example, when working in television, Ricky Gervais writes and directs with
Stephen Merchant. Independent Producers have the power to find and finance a
screenplay but they are answerable to the product’s financiers at the end of
the process. However they may not get that far as not all of the work that is
commissioned necessarily gets made.
Some organisations exist to offer
advice and help new or potential screenwriters in developing their writing and
getting it seen. Two good examples of these organisations is The Script Factory
and the aforementioned BBC Writer’s Room[2]. Some
of these organisations run competitions (both nationally and internationally)
to find prospective writers and offer them a chance of recognition. This would
usually result in the winner a prize such as an Option. When a screenplay is
optioned, it is bought by another individual entity for a fixed cost and
duration. During this time, the screenplay is exclusive meaning the writer
cannot sell it to anyone else, even if the work does not even progress into the
pre-production stage. However, once that duration has expired, the writer can
continue looking for interest in the work.
The Role of
the Writer throughout Production:
A writer is involved in the
pre-production planning, establishing exactly what creative promises need to be
achieved in the script. To avoid confusion, the screenplay will usually be page
locked at the start of this process meaning that even though additions and
deletions can still be made, scenes will still always fall on the same page. The
writer may then work with the producer and script editor to ensure that the
script is suitable for the target audience that they want the final product to
reach. The director and producer will offer advice to the screenwriter during
the script editing process. However, when
the script is making the transition to film, the director or producer may
sometimes still ask the writer for advice on certain aspects of the final
product. A good example of this is J.K. Rowling and the Harry Potter films
where she would stay heavily involved throughout the process to make sure that
the films stay true to the books’ vision. During the pre-production planning,
they will work with the director to create a shooting script for the production
process; the shooting scripts include movement and camera angles. They will
often stay involved with the process for when the director also requires script
adjustment during the shooting stage; this may be related to the story or even
the logistics of filming. Sometimes, difference in opinion can cause conflict
between the writer and the filmmakers. However, this will often be resolved
with a compromise which could possibly improve the overall final quality of the
media product.
Working as
a Writer:
If you have agent representation,
you have a better chance at getting your work seen by producers, whether they
be independent or already working for a large corporation. Agencies, such as
Knight Hall Agency Ltd, exist to help you get work as a writer. To get agent
representation, you need to send them your completed works and wait to hear
from them if they’re interested. Their contacts can help to get your work seen
by the right people. Royalty payments from sales will be a percentage of the
profit that is split amongst the writer, agent, producer etc. When working as a
writer, professional presentation is an important factor. This is in terms of
both the way that the script is presented and the actual pitch itself. With the
script, it is important to do it in a conventional format for the medium you
are writing it for such as television or film. A mastershot format is often
used so that the reader knows what is going on at all times. When it comes to
pitching the finished product to a commissioning editor, it is important to
have good presentational skills, making sure you are concise and understand
your work inside and out in case they have any questions. Preparation is
integral to the quality of your pitch and this even comes into your choice of
attire. You should dress smartly, however pitches are not necessarily totally
formal.
As with most jobs in the creative
media industry, there are budgets and deadlines that you need to be conscious
of and working towards. This is no different for screenwriters who need to meet
their deadlines and make changes swiftly during the pre-production and
production processes. If those deadlines are missed, legal action can be taken
to reclaim the money of any of the film’s investors. Other considerations that
you need to be aware of as a writer include legal and ethical issues. One of
the most obvious issues is with copyright and plagiarism. Plagiarising
someone’s work is using it as your own and in the very likely event that
someone picks up on it; you will be faced with legal action. Copyright is also
an issue. For example, if you’ve written a screenplay for a creative adaptation
for a novel without getting any of the necessary permissions or rights, you
will have a difficult time with being taken seriously by a commissioning
editor. You must also be careful about the messages that are contained within
your work. Anything that insults a group or individual could land you in a lot
of trouble in terms of controversy and legal issues due to libel and defamation
laws in place that prevent you from slandering specific groups, companies or
individuals. The problem stretches further when working for companies such as
the BBC who have an unbias policy meaning that you would have to meet that
policy in your work when it comes to matters such as politics. Otherwise your
work may not be valid for commissioning. You must also know who you are writing
for. You need to know how your work will be broadcast and the target audience
that it will be aimed at. This is due to censorship laws and the watershed,
regulated by companies such as the British Board for Film Classification who
can refuse to air a product if it is deemed inappropriate for audience members.
If you are writing for a television channel that is broadcasting before
watershed, then your work will need to reflect that with suitable content. For
example, Ofcom regulations state that no taboo language or intense amounts of
frightening material (such as gore) can be broadcast before the watershed
cut-off point.
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