AY: Print Analysis

 

Les Friction - Who Will Save You Now? (Single)

 

 

• The signifiers present in this image are the silhouette, the clouds in the background, The building in the background, the field, the text of the band name and there is a sepia colour of the image.
• The link below shows some of their album artwork ideas. All of them have very similar themes as there is always a single silhouette in each picture. In addition there is always a light source at the centre of the image creating shadows and slightly obscuring objects. http://www.last.fm/music/Les+Friction/+images/73863640
• The album name is not included in the image but the name of the single from which this comes from anchors the image as it looks like the man is looking through binoculars for help
• In addition to this, the tall statue in the background looks slightly like a church steeple which connotes sanctuary and safety.
• The clouds connote authenticity and create a dark image associated with depression and 'gloom'.
• The back story of the album amplifies the images in the album cover. Set in 2048, it is about how humans have the ability to travel to different dimensions leaving behind a 'shell' of their bodies. Whilst they are gone, the earth is consumed by anarchy and they must find a way home.
• The light shining through the background represents a symbol of hope that the humans will find a way to return and fight against their enemies.
• The field holds strong connotations with farmers and peasants suggesting that these people are being suppressed by governments.
• This strongly relates to societies throughout the world where people are living in dictatorships and beginning to rebel.
• I think that this album cover is amplifying social issues today which conforms to the indie genre of the band
• It also makes it more appealing to its target audience of a working age as they are the people who would most suffer from this sort of society.
• Finally the font used for the text amplifies the band name. In the letter E, F and R the font looks as if it has lightening bolts in the stem of each letter. Friction as a force is used to create sparks and fire which is associated with anarchy and rebellion. In addition to this, it also relates to thunder storms further anchoring the images of the clouds in the background



HW: Technical Analysis

 

 

The Vaccines - Norgaard

 

 

 

Technical Analysis:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

- Very short video and song

 

- This allowed me to see how much material is needed to make even a short music video

 

-  Fast cutting rate

 

- Good example of a mix of narrative and performance which we can maybe use as an example for our video

 

- Allowed me to see how nearly every shot is in slow motion and they rarely use steady camera shots most of them are moving in some way

 

- Looks very simplistic as nothing significant is going on and it is all set in a studio

 

- Video is effective as it almost doesnt seem complete and so leaves the audience wanting more

 

- The band is present however they arent the center of attention or the main focus of the video so they could also be considered to be absent

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 





Group: Concept Development

 

The Neighbourhood

Concept Ideas:

 

- Our chosen song is 'Afraid' by indie band The Neighbourhood

- The song is above with a visualette, but its not an official video

- We want to go for a narrative with small bits of performance

- Our concept revolves around a male main character who goes about daily events but is seeing another person ( possibly an alternate version of himself) doing the same thing as him

- We want to convey the idea that he is being replaced which amplifies the lyrics of the song

 

 



A Grade Shot Ideas:

 

- Man looks in mirror, goes down to wash his face and when he looks back up there is another man in the mirror

- The ending shot would be the man being replaced by the other person, the other person walks into his place and the man disappears (transition)

- A lone drummer with a 3 piece drum kit plays under a spotlight

- Slow motion shot of one man walking forwards while everyone else walks backwards, (practised in Brighton, came out well)

 



AY: Technical Analysis

 

 

'Iron' by Woodkid

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

• This video is almost completely shot in slow motion 

• The only shots that are at the correct speed are when the man is striking the drums in time with the music and when the man is reading from the book

• The cutting rate is generally fast through with most last 2 or 3 seconds which make the video very exciting 

• The band is completely absent from the video leaving it as a very much conceptual video 

• CGI is used within the video giving it a sense of other worldliness 

• The black streaks and explosions in conjunction with the white background look very simplistic but at the same time incredibly visually arresting 

• The whole video is shot in black and white leaving the focus on the action within the shot

 

 

HW: Print Text Analysis

The Neighbourhood - I Love You

 

 

Analysis:

 

 

- Black and white scheme which amplifies the bands indie image

- Connotes anti-conformity with the upside down house, and upside down 'cast system' triangle

- These are juxtaposed with the heart in the middle, which could connote love and compassion in between all the anti-establishment messages

- No linguistic signs present, the meaning of the cover is implied through the images not text

- The images anchor the sounds heard on the album, dark schemes with meaningful and political messages in front of melancholy sounds and rhythms

-  Another signifier would be the clouds in the background represented with a black and white colour scheme, these could connote freedom as clouds are connected with skies which are very spacey

- However with the black and white it looks like a dark setting you might associate with rain clouds, this is quite an unconventional use of this image as it would normally be used to connote 'blue skys' and freedom

- This album is a good promotion of the product (the band and the music) as it will relate to its target audience through its unconventional look which fits the indie genre, therefore it would appeal to teenagers and youths that are into the indie genre and would like the darkness and anti-conformity messages embedded into the album cover

 

 

AY: Brighton Reflection

Where did you go and what were your aims?

We went to the coastal city of Brighton with the aim of practising location wreckies and a range of shot types that we could later use for our final piece. We were given a list of shot types that we had to capture including two inside and two outside and we already had our own ideas of what we wanted to film and how it should look for example we practising shooting a MS pan of a single person walking backwards through a crowd of people walking forwards so that we could then reverse the footage when editting it together. An example of this can be seen on the right. In addition to this the trip allowed us to look for other possible locations that we could come back and film for our proper shoot, for example shots of graffiti.


What did you achieve?

We managed to collect all of the footage set by our teachers and extra practise shots that we had considered using in the final piece. The day was also especially useful as it gave us the chance to film in crowded locations and presented us with the opportunity to work out innovative ways to incorporate them in our footaage. Aswell as this it allowed us to practise using Harry's new camera as none of us had ever used it before and we could add in effects such as colour alterations before filming. Finally, we had the opportunity to wander round some of the more quirky streets such as the lanes where there were some very interesting people and locations that we could use for practise shots.


What Problems did you encounter?

Throughout the whole day we didn't have any major setbacks. The only major issue we had was the strong wind that didn't die down for the whole day. This forced us to find shots that were further back from the shore so that we could capture steady tracking shots. Having said this, we were able to film inside the arcade on the pier which defeated the issue with wind and by the end of the trip the wind had died down enough for us to capture a few shots of the beach. Other than this we did not have any major problems. This surprised us especially when filming indoors as we were allowed to film in a cafe and a news agents without any difficulty from members of the public and shop staff.



What did you learn from the day which you can take to the next shoot?

I think that the most important thing we learnt was making sure we got enough footage for each shot for example if we wanted to use time stretch and speed up the clip we would need to collect at least 5 minutes of footage to make sure that there is enough. We also learnt that we would have to plan our shoots to be at appropriate times of day depending on how many people we need in the shot for example if we wanted a shot of a man walking through a crowd of people we would have make sure it would be on a busy enough day for the shot to look affective. Furthermore, we would have to choose an appropriate location where there would be big enough crowds that perhaps created a certain look for example it would be better to go to a big city such as London as there would be lots of people there and there is a vast range of different types of people from different cultural backgrounds.


Here is the video of our Brighton shots.

DW: Brighton Reflection

Where did you go and what were your aims? 

We went to Brighton in Sussex to refresh our filming skills, begin the creative process of filming a piece and also start to consider what type of shots and content look good in a music video. We had a list of seven set shots that we had to get: a panning - establishing shot, high and low angles, time lapse, POV handicam, 360' pan, tracking shot and a variety of CUs. We then had to choose two shots that we wanted to include, for us this was an upside down shot and a shot where it appears as if the public are walking backwards but the focal person of the shot is walking forwards. We chose these two shots because of what we had considered using in our actual music video; an upside down shot is a good way of causing disjuncture and unease amongst the audience, and the walking backwards shot was something seen 'Eleven Eyes' by Heights ft. Sam Carter which has been desirable since seeing - and something we wanted to see if it was achievable. All of this was to be done in at least two interior and two exterior locations. 

What did you achieve? 

All of the shots we set out to capture, we got - and more. As we were walking around Brighton we saw some fantastic locations; whether they were covered in graffiti or simple a winding street, all of them fit the aesthetic for the song we chose on the way down - 'Marijuana' by Chrome Sparks. We chose this song because of its varying tempo and intensity, plus its aptitude to fit with a set of slow motion, slightly obscure shots. These locations were where we utilised the POV handicam, making the camera like eyes, we focused the camera on where we were looking thus giving it a sense of exploration. We spent a while trying to film a seagull taking off so we could reverse it and put it in slow motion; when we got it, we looked back at it, reversing it frame by frame and it looked better than expected.  We succeeded in getting our two creative shots that we set out to get, on camera play-back they looked interesting and different - what we were going for. 

What problems did you encounter? 

On the whole, the day was very successful; there wasn't a location we couldn't film at which was not expected, especially for the arcade, but proved very useful. The only setbacks that could be considered are things that are to be expected on a public shoot; people not wanting to be in the shot so you have to abandon some footage, and others being quite the opposite - doing anything they can to get in the shot! However, I think I can speak on behalf of all the group in saying we were pleasantly surprised at the lack of these setbacks - the amount of people who didn't mind being in shot or for us filming in their shop/cafe was really useful as it reduced the amount of time looking for locations thus increasing our filming time. The only other setback was the weather, it was exceptionally windy and at times raining which more-or-less stopped us filming on the beach - however there was a point where the weather was neutral, this was when we got our seagull shot.

What did you learn from that which you can take into the next shoot? 

Being the first shoot to do with a music video or anything like that, we realised the sheer freedom there is. With AS, we had to restrict ourselves to genre conventions and stylistics - that is far less apparent in a music video. So, with that in mind, with the next and with each shoot, no matter how much storyboarding has been done, we will not limit ourselves to shooting only that - we never know what we may see that might inspire us to use. Also, not to be put off by the public; there only seemed to be three or four people out of hundreds who didn't want to be filmed, even less is the number of people who messed around in front of the camera, therefore there is no reason not to film in public spaces. Lastly, we are now seriously considering going back to Brighton, its range of locations and general culture is great for filler shots.

Here is the video of our Brighton shots.

HW: Brighton Reflection

Reflection on Brighton Shoot



Where did you go and what were your aims?

We went to Brighton with the aim of practicing and expanding our filming and planning skills in preperation for our real shoot, we ended up practicing a number of our shot ideas for our real production and went to a variety of locations within Brighton. Some of our most effective locations were the pier, the arcade, the lanes and side streets within the town.


What Did You Achieve?

We succeeded in filming most of our potential shot ideas for our actual production, aswell as this we found some great potential locations and formed some mutuals ideas about the actual look of our video and how it should be filmed.

What Problems Did you encounter?

We encountered a couple of obstacles whilst filming in Brighton, the majority of these were because of the weather, it was very windy and at times a bit rainy so we had problems keeping the camera steady and dry. Aswell as this we had location problems, some people werent happy with us including them in our ambient shots and our shots within shops and cafes and the arcade. However we overcame these problems and finished a successful shoot.

What did you learn from that which you can take into the next shoot?

From Brighton we picked up valuable experience and practice shooting potential ideas that we will take into our shoot for the final music video, aswell as this we have refreshed our editing and sound skills which we will have to use in post-production for our actual video. I personally have also used some new techniques like time lapsing (which we used on the picture on the right to speed it up) and colour grading which we will use in our eventual production.



 


 

HW: Media Language and Representation

The View - Same Jeans

 

 

Media Language

- There is a band image being constructed aswell as a slight narrative

- They use mise-en-scene to amplify the lyrics, by using costume the singer has a distinctive pair of skinny jeans on

- This is also a conventional image for the indy rock genre (skinny jeans, long hair, four piece bands etc.)

- They also use camera techniques to amplify the lyrics, there are lots of close-ups and prevalence for the pair of jeans

- It uses a conventional fast - cutting rate

- There are plenty of performance scenes which are used to promote the band and their look

 

Representation

- Dyer states that an artist must be both present and absent in a video which is seen here as the band are present as they perform on stage, however they could be seen as absent as they never use third person mode of address or break the fourth wall

- This helps to sell the band as the audience are left unsatisfied

- They are also simultaneously ordinary and extraordinary, they can be seen as ordinary as he wakes up in a normal apartment and they all wear pretty unspectacular clothing

- However they are also seen as extraordinary as they play on stage to a crowd of adoring fans

- Their social group (indy teenagers) is being represented in this video as quite independent and underground as they play in a dark music venue, and he is seen to live in a city suburb

 



HW: Genre and Narrative

The Beastie Boys - Sabotage



 

 

Genre and Narrative

- The music genre is hip hop

- The video is disjunctive as the lyrics and music are completely seperate from the visuals

- Archer states that disjunctive music videos are based on abstract imagery and dont make a lot of sense which can be seen in this video as the narrative is difficult to follow

- It is conventional as it uses a fast cutting rate to convey verisimilitude

- It pays homage to 1970's 'cop' programmes such as Hawaii five-O, SWAT and Starsky and Hutch

- However it is also very unconventional to mainstream music videos as it doesnt feature any performance and the narrative doesnt even match the themes of the song

- The video features lots of examples of mise-en-scene through its urban 1970's setting, aswell as its use of costume to promote its cop narrative

- In terms of camera it only uses handicam there are no fixed frames or angles  

- The video has some intertextual reference about society and its representation of the police service which is seen as almost comedic and not a particularly serious topic

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



AY: Genre and narrative

 

'Pompeii' by Bastille

 

Genre and Narrative

• This video is an example of amplification whereby there is still a link between the lyrics and the visuals however the meaning of the song has been altered slightly to mean something greater.
• The use of camera movements and mise-en-scene together give it a very artistic look and although there is a band member performing within it, he is not the main focus of the video
• Having said this, the fact that the beginning shots are set in an attic apartment make it feel more commercial as it is the conventional 'man living in an attic in the city' however it is not an expensive looking set which gives it a more artistic feel
• I think that there is some intertextual reference within the video in terms of classes and the seperation of them. This is due to the man looking very disconnected with the world at the beginning of video and later when he is riding through deserted streets it is further illustrated.
• In addition to this, the lyrics say 'The walls came tumbling down in the city that we loved'. This indicates that the city has perhaps collapsed in terms of society turning on one another which is illustrated by the deserted and littered streets that have been abandoned by its inhabitants.
• I think that this video could be considered art as it provides some interesting visuals to illustrate the song lyrics. As well as this, the locations and construction of mise-en-scene give it artistic value as they are not obvious commercial locations such as London or New York

AY: Representation

 

'Blurred Lines' by Robin Thicke ft. T.I and Pharrell

Representation

• The artists in this song are represented as typical heterosexual 'macho men'
• The main representation within is this video is focused largely on Women
• Women are represented as sexual objects which can be applied to the theory of Laura Mulvey and the 'male gaze' whereby a woman is present for the pleasure of a male
• There is a lot of veuyerism in the video shown by women dancing round in minimal clothing and they do not have a particular purpose
• The woman in this video have a very artificial look as they all have flawless skin, perfect bodies and although they are made to look 'natural' they are not a true representation of the female gender. This is supporting the 'myth of feminity'
• The stereotypes in this video are very prevelant in that women are submissive to the men and are there to be enjoyed. This is further implied by the actions of the men for example one is of a man pulling on her hair indicating his control and possessiveness over her.
• I think that this video is reinforcing negative ideologies of women in the media as it is showing them in a sexual manor to be appreciated by men with no other significant roles being portrayed
• Finally there is evidence of 'Ritualization of Subordination' in that the woman are shown as childish. This is done by capturing shots of the women sucking their fingers and thumbs and in one it shows one of the men brushing her hair as if she is not able to do it herself. This automatically portrays women as being lower in status than the men and further creates a negative representation. In addition to this, they are shown to be protected by the men as they are hugging them making them look more vulnerable and reliant on the men.

AY: Institution and audience and Media Language

 

'Counting Stars' by OneRepublic

 

Institution and Audience

• Consumed through online channels such as YouTube and Vevo where audiences can watch videos as many times as they want for free
• Websites such as Spotify allow people to download songs for free and create online playlists which they can also share with their friends
• Using New Media Technologies, the song can be downloaded onto an MP3 device an listened to whenever the consumer wants to
• The institutional context of the video is bringing together two different generations through the use of religion and dance
• The man is seen to be 'healing' people and enlightening them by bringing out hidden talent within each one

Media Language

• I think that the message behind the video, describes a couple struggling to survive in their relationship for various reasons.
• The lyrics "Lately I been, I been losing sleep, dreaming about the things that we could be" suggest a person who has lost love and is struggling to come to terms with this fact.  
• As well as this it could be used to portray someone who has recently over come an addiction but has now sunk back into old habbits:  "make that money, watch it burn," suggests that they are wasting their money on substances such as drugs. "Sink in the river the lesson's I learned," implies that they are ignoring what someone has taught them as they cannot live without this addiction.
• The lyric "Said no more counting dollars, we'll be counting stars" suggests a person who has run out of money and is having to live on the streets therefore counting stars as a way to pass time.
• "Everything that kills me makes me feel alive" further suggests a link to drug abuse as these are potentially harmful but they give people highs which encourage them to continue taking them and become addicted.
• As well as this, the link with religion is brought into the lyrics "I been, I been praying hard" as if the person has been praying for forgiveness for squandering their money.  
• Comic affect is induced into the video through the use of dance. For example the man makes a business woman do the 'worm' subconsciously. This is comical as it looks more like break dancing and therefore the audience would not expect a woman of this demeanour to dance in such a way

HW: Institution and Audience

The Courteeners - Not Nineteen Forever



 

Audience - How might this video be consumed?

 

- The target audience for this song and video would generally be male teenagers of 12 - 20 

- The genre of the song is indie rock

- The band have their own following so this would widen the target audience.

Because of this the video would generally be consumed using new media technologies and the web 2.0 on video websites such as vimeo and youtube

- As well as this the video would be spread on social networking sites and via word of mouth

- The video would normally be consumed as a focused viewing as primary consumption

 

Institution - What role would the record label play in creating these promotional text?

 

- As it is in the indie genre traditionally the record label wouldn't be too involved in the musical creation process

- The video has clearly been created to promote the band as it is mostly performance with clear shots of the of the band and the singer.

- The band are under the label Polydor which is an independent and small-time label, so the band would be relatively free of label constrictions and would be less likely to entered into the mainstream and so appeal to their indie target audience

 

 

 

 

 



DW: 'So Calm' by Cave Painting - Genre and Representation

This is the conceptual video for 'So Calm' by Cave Painting, a song taken from their first album Votive Life.

Genre

• According to Andrew Goodwin's 'Dancing in the Distraction Factory' (1992), music videos tend to comply to a certain set of rules, that can be found in all genres in some way. Being an indie rock band, the fact that this is a conceptual video is quite common and, despite being signed to Third Rock Recordings, having no band appearance in the video is also rather conventional of the genre. However their disjunctive style does actually promote the bands image; it seems to suggest that the band do not want to comply to mainstream music conventions and selflessly promote themselves by appearing in the video, instead they rely on the obscurity of the video, perhaps, to promote their band and their image. 
• Goodwin's "notion of looking" can be applied in this video; the old television set that shows images of the women involved in the video gives the impression that the audience is being distanced from the action - watching it through a second screen rather than first hand through just the audience's computer or television screen. This adds to the disjuncture in this video, its aim is to not involve the audience physically, to in fact involve them emotionally by the creation of enigmas, revolving mainly around the mystery of the female characters who don't appear filmed in a voyeuristic manner - even with the occasional focusing on the women's lips or legs. 
• Despite the visuals not being a physical illustration of the lyrics, or necessarily an amplification of them, the music still fits. Its disjunctive nature anchors the varying pace of the song and intensity of the instruments, therefore increasing the repeatability factor for this video which, is ultimately what the record label and indeed the band, want. 

Representation

• Richard Dyer wrote extensively about the idea of being a 'Star', stating that the star image is 'incoherent' and one that is incomplete and somewhat 'open' to interpretation. He then devised two paradoxes about the star image: 'The star must be simultaneously ordinary and extraordinary.' and 'The star must be simultaneously present and absent from the consumer.' The latter, especially, applies to this video; there is a complete absence of the band, physically, yet still the creativity and obscurity of the video leads the audience to understand the bands message and meta-narrative - making the audience feel as if the band are still there. It can be inferred that they don't want to be recognised as a commercial success at the fear of tainting the personal aspect of their music.  
• The second paradox also, on some levels, applies. However only the extraordinary element can be counted for. The video is quite peculiar, the disjuncture and the disregard for any real form of narrative structure, make this video both hard to follow and creatively challenging; therefore, to say that it is ordinary is far from the truth. If the video did fully comply to that paradox, it wouldn't be so artistic or visually arresting as the audience wouldn't be constantly questioning what is going on. 

• Throughout the video, there is a definite contrast between scenery and props. The scenery is very much rural and abandoned, the intense sun and dusky surroundings connote a remote and untouched area; which is why the high heels, the television, the toaster and so on and so forth that are littered around the frame boldly stands out and very much ruin the tranquility and prehistoric nature of the setting. 
• This is where the dominant ideological discourse can be found; these filler shots of random props on the scenery represent the destruction of untouched land by modernistic behaviours, that technology has ruined our creativity, and that our pioneering has upset nature. So instead of targeting one singular social group, this video addresses society as a whole. 
•  Goffman et al's theory of women in popular culture further progresses on the aforementioned argument. The physical dismemberment, where parts of a body are displayed rather than the whole body, of people, just having arms laying about in the scene as if coming up from the ground connotes an idea of today's society being buried - as if nature is having some form of revenge. The reason why this is suggested is that the dismemberment of the women is far from voyeuristic; it challenges Laura Mulvey's male gaze theory that states that the dismemberment of women displays how men view women, in a purely lustful way. Despite no male presence in the video, there is no objectification of women, nor are they seen as weak; they don't really seem to be presented with any dominating emotion, other than complete control of what they are doing. 

DW: 'Flaws' by Bombay Bicycle Club - Institution and Audience

This is the music video for the title song of Bombay Bicycle Club's second album, 'Flaws'. It is purely a performance video.

Institution 

• The band are signed on to both 'Island Records' and 'A&M/Octone Records' to cover their worldwide releases. Due to New Media Technologies at the time of the promotion of this video (2010), especially the smartphone, has allowed the record label(s) to make this video and this single accessible to anyone, anywhere. It can be viewed on the popular video sharing website, Youtube, which also has a mobile app - enhancing the positive technological determinists use of smartphones that can exploit this app.
• Furthermore, Web 2.0 as a whole has allowed this video to be shared virally; with links being posted to the likes of Twitter and Facebook amongst other social media websites which, a vast proportion of the audience for this genre of music is likely to consume.
• In addition, 'iTunes' has been known to promote this artist on their 'iTunes Store', meaning anyone who uses this function of the software is likely to be aware of them, being able to hear a preview of the song and then buy the song and/or the album.
• Then, through the oldest method of promotion - word of mouth - the band are likely to be spread at work places between colleagues, at schools between friends and just generally friends between friends.
•  It is also important to consider magazine coverage, such as NME and Q, alongside Music TV channel's such as MTV rocks - both methods of ambient viewing, unknowingly consuming the band and their image, unlike the aforementioned methods which are more focused, fully concentrated and aware. 

Audience 

• Bombay Bicycle Club are a band that don't have any niche age group that they want to appeal to; their easy listening indie rock doesn't restrict who typically will listen to them.
• Despite that, when studying their band image and perhaps considering the types of people you see at their concerts, it can be assumed that they are of a younger age bracket, typically between fifteen and twenty five.
• This audience consists of both male and females, the lyrics are far from offensive or sexist therefore appealing to both genres and, as earlier stated, most ages. The band themselves follow the latest fashions and look the way that is conventional of their genre - a style that is considered 'indie' which, is subsequently replicated through their fans.
• As stated in the 'Institution' paragraph, the accessibility of the band through New Media Technologies further supports the idea that the audience will be of a younger age perhaps. 

DW: 'First Fires' by Bonobo ft. Grey Reverend - Narrative and Media Language

First Fires' is a narrative music video for trip hop artist Bonobo, with vocals provided by Grey Reverend; it is taken from his most recent album, 'The North Borders'. 

Narrative

• In terms of narrative, there are two theories that can be applied: Roland Barthes' and Bordwell & Thompson's. Roland Barthes stated that a narrative consists of multiple codes or strands, that interlink to form "a weaving of voices"; from this, he developed five codes: enigma code, action code, semantic code, symbolic code and cultural code. The most noticeable in this video are the enigma, semantic and action codes. 
• The audience are constantly being given situations in the video between the two characters that establish numerous enigmas; why are they fighting? are they married? why has the woman gone to a club? why has the man gone to a burning forest? what are all these flashbacks? alongside all of this is the fact that in reality, there is no narrative closure at all, in fact all of the aforementioned questions seem to combine to form one: what happens next? This is what establishes a repeatability factor for the video, and is why it is so effective for the song. 
• The lyric, "like a first fire" seems to allude to some of the pragmatic meanings for this video and is also physically amplified by the images of fire. Fire has the connotation of burning, hot, flames and so on, words that are often used to describe a new love or a new passion. The audience see shots of the couple when they appear to be younger, when they had just fallen in love; when this is juxtaposed against the shots of the man and woman alone as a separated couple, one can assume that the video revolves around the couple looking back and lusting for their early romance. The sequence of the car in the ocean has the connotations of love being washed away; when put in to contrast of the sequence later when the couple are messing around in the sea this suggestion is furthermore emphasised.
• Despite no dramatic, fast paced action, there are certain shots in the video which evoke emotion and are extremely strong. This predominantly comes from shots of the couple apart at locations that we later see them together at, as a flashback. A vicarious relationship is formed between the characters and the audience, a suspense that makes the audience wonder and want the couple to reunite as it shown to them how happy they once were. More than anything, mise-en-scene is the reason why these shots are so effective; classic romantic locations such as the forest, the beach, the club are all used to create verisimilitude in relation to this couples relationship. 

• Bordwell & Thompson's theory stated the difference between story and plot in the diegetic world of the narrative. They did this through their creation of the 'Fabula' - the chronological series of events shown i.e. the story - and the 'Syuzhet' - how the events would happen in real time, i.e. the plot. 
• The syuzhet for this video would be the transition between the couple being together to when they are apart. When they were younger and first in love; the audience see them cuddling by a fire, playing around in the sea and so on. We then see them separated, noticeably alone due to the restricted framing and the blocking of other extras that could have been present. The change of emotion between the shots of them together and apart shows the downfall of their relationship, they were once happy and now they are quite simply alone, revisiting places that once made them happy.
• The fabula on the other hand, is what creates disjuncture and actually makes this video a work of art. There is no logical line to the video if the syuzhet is not considered, in fact it takes a few watches to fully understand it. There is an amalgamation of shots showing the couple as in love, and then not together. As a result, there is a constant change of emotion and a constant breaking down and re-establishment of both happiness and sadness. It seems to represent the ups and downs of their relationship; revealing their joyful moments that then got crushed by their fights and splits. The final shot of the man alone seems to suggest that the relationship never got back together, but because of the earlier stated enigma code, the audience can never be totally sure - reflected by the fabula, how they keep changing between together and apart. This is where the art and disjuncture comes from, the audience are completely thrown by what's going on in the video, yet each shot and sequence represents a different emotion which, is what art is all about.

Media Language

• Due to Bonobo being a singular artist and in fact a DJ, as with all of his videos, there is no particular presentation or promotion of artist image - other than that his music has a distinct emotion or message he wished to get across. Considering this, the key theme that is in 'First Fires' is love and loss - something that as an audience of people who are more than likely to have a relationship of sort in their lifetime can relate to. 

• Camera techniques are fully utilised, the framing in particular is excellently composed. The vast array of close up shots seem to lie heavily in the romantic scenes where the couple are together, which connotes intimacy and love; this is then juxtaposed by the long shots and mid shots of the man and woman as individuals when they are apart - due to the lack of other extras in the frame, this suggests loneliness felt by each character since the split. Camera movement also plays a key part in evoking emotion in the video. Whilst there is a lot of pans and tilts of the scenery and of the characters, the most affective shots are the ones that are tri-pod shots; the ones that are perfectly still and focus on one single image, which tends to be one of the characters. The contrast between the movement and the stillness alerts the audience as to what to focus on; this ranges from a piece of scenery, to a close up of a characters face. These are the shots that are most the emotional in the video - as all concentration is devoted to this character or object, the connotations of which provoke happiness or in some sense, depravity. 
• There are no over-riding special effects or complicated editing in this video, yet the way it has been edited is excellent in reflecting the theme of the song. The slow pace of the editing alongside the match of cutting rate to the song's beat anchors the speed of the song rather than speeding it up; it is as slow as the song itself and therefore portrays the emotion in the track and spotlights the audiences attention to each frame and each movement to grip and move them. There is a definite change in colour grade as well; there's an orangey, warmer wash to the happier scenes and a blue, cold wash to the sadder ones. The connotations of these colours to their corresponding emotions pinpoints the visuals meaning, giving a further degree of understanding to the audience. 
• Mise-en-scene, as briefly touched on, is important to the conveyance of the characters change in emotion. The same locations are used but either in different lighting or just generally shot differently. The happy scenes are shot with rich lighting, with the couple positioned so they are close together in plain, ordinary costumes; this reflects the characters being in a relationship and being together, as they are dressed similarly and positively lit. This changes when the couple are split: there is less lighting given so the scenes seem more distant and colder, the costumes are different and there is a strong sense of solitude. Most striking is the change in the use of fire; when they are together it is a small fire in the woods to keep them warm at night, lighting up their cheerful faces. When the man revisits the forest alone there is a much more sinister use of fire, here it is used to burn the forest down as if burning away his memories - yet somehow the lighting seems colder despite the orange glow reflecting on his face, it contrasts more than it compliments. 

• Whilst different to most videos of today, there is a definite intertextuality between this video and how we treat relationships as a society. Here, is shown the peaks of a relationship -  something that is quite certainly common of music videos in popular culture. Also, the pitfalls of a relationship is shown - again, something common of music videos in popular culture. Rarely, however, do we see the aforementioned combined to create an enigmatic situation that leaves the audience wondering, what happens next? To reiterate an earlier comment about this video being art is once again relevant; the fact that is creates so much confusion, that there is a vicarious relationship to the characters and a visceral pleasure for the audience through the creativity of shots and content, certainly makes it artistic and far from commercial. 

   

AY: Moodboard

DW: Mood Board

 

HW: Moodboard

 

AY: Track Ideas

 

'Oblivion' by Bastille

 

• There is a very obvious accompanyment which I think could work well as a performance based video
• The lyrics do not have an obvious meaning giving us the opportunity to create a video with lots of disjuncture making it more repeatable
• On the other hand I think that we would have to make the video visually arresting so that it does not loose the audience's interest in what is going on
• We would also have to try and steer away from the classic 'boy meets girl' scenario

 

'The Great Escape' by Woodkid

• I like the contrast at the beginning of the song as it goes into the main harmony
• It is a very uplifting song and I feel that we could amplify the lyrics and link it to someone 'breaking free of society'
• The fast pace of the song would mean that the cutting rate would be very fast to match this so we would need to capture lots of footage
• I think that this track is very contrasting to Woodkids other tracks and therefore we could incorporate our own visual ideas to make it more interesting
   



 

 

'No One's Here To Sleep' Naughty Boy ft Dan Smith

• I like the lyrics of this song and I think we could use some creative ideas to amplify the track.
• It is inkeeping with the indie genre
• The slow pace of the song would allow us to use time expansion as it would fit with the song.
• Having said this the song is very long so we would have to make sure that we collected enough footage to fill the track. This also means that we would need to think of some interesting conceptual ideas to keep the audiences attention and increase repeatability.