Monday 14 December 2015
Drama - art and architecture in Spain in 1930’s.
Develop from arches to churches.arches apparent in churches where church symvolism is apparemt in the architecture of homes. Church/religious symbolism would be in the home to represent life and death and the incorporation of religion into the persons house and the architecture itself. Love of god - brings hope to the family - this theme or religion in the art could link to how in the play Leonardo is going against god by cheating on his wife and commiting sin. The Architecture in the play would then create contrast between the laws of the land and events in the play because of this as leonardo is commiting sin. Art in these homes would also incorporate religious imagery.
Wednesday 2 December 2015
Drama - Critical Analysis
The main weakness of the theory that breaking the fourth wall and disconnecting the audience from the character allows the audience to focus on the story more is that as a performer I feel unable to pass a barrier of emotion, therefore feeling the need to restrict the emotion of my character and somehow use my character to instead emphasise on the emotional value of the story. In my performance we began and ended with the same scene of Martha singing to her baby to interupt the action of the previous scene. This use of repetition to disconnect the audience from the character and focus on the story was successful as it gave further emphasis that Marthas character was a good mother. The key problem with this explanation is that the singing used may have in fact distracted the audience from denotating that this was used to show she was a good mother. This could have been improved if we simply decided to use humming rather than singing as it would have been easier for Martha vocally and easier visually for the audience to understand. For our performance we used multi rolling throughout. One specific use of multi rolling was when I changed role from Leonardo to the Mother in law. To present this change of role I used a Gestus by placing my arms femininely on my hip to present I was now a female character. This worked successfully as it was stripped back in the style of Brecht rather than time consuming. However to show this change of role I also announced as if a stage direction that I would now be playing the character of the mother. Perhaps the most serious disadvantage of this method is that it then slowed down the pace of the performance which we initially intended to keep fast throughout hence the reason we used Brechts technique of stripping back scripts or sentences to their key words. I played the role of Leonardo in the beginning and end of the performance. We used brechts technique of stripping back the performance to its essentials ( in this case the key words in our lines ) to show the essential words spoken by our characters which add to the story. We chose to include this technique in both the scenes in which Leonardo was included as Leonardo is the only character in the play who has an actual name. The other characters are named according to their social position or role. We saw this as an indication that we should focus primarily on Leonardo which is why we used the stripping back method. We found this the most successful of Brechts methods and techniques as it allowed us as actors to control the pace of our scene and present to the audience the core essentials of the scene as Brecht intended. I also decided to break the fourth wall by interacting with the audience upon finding out that the groomsmen had purchased silk stockings. This worked well because the audience were given further emphasis on the importance of the silk as it is expensive and by pulling on the audiences clothing I drew their attention to their clothing and therefore the silk which was the main focus of this scene.
Thursday 26 November 2015
Film - Directors Wes Craven
Wes Craven is always toying with the viewer's fears. Always finding ways to scare the audience at every turn. He also plays with the viewer's head and has them second guessing themselves. How does he do it? Well, as one of the characters in the movie exclaims, "There's a formula to it. A very simple formula. Everybody's a suspect!" I will discuss how Craven uses sound, camera shots, and self reference to iconise himself and his films. To show this I will be analysing two of his films. The first being Scream and the second being New Nightmare.
Scream
One of the ways Craven and the screenwriter Kevin Williamson display the self-referential nature of their film is through the characters’ knowledge of slasher film clichés.
The plot of Scream is not unlike other slasher films: An unknown killer who goes by the name of Ghostface terrorizes the suburban town of Woodsboro, California. The difference, as I have pointed out, is that the characters in Scream have seen horror films. For instance, one of Ghostface’s trademarks before attacking a victim is to call him or her (usually her) on the telephone and engage in a conversation about popular culture. In one of the film’s early scenes, Ghostface calls Sidney Prescott, our heroine and asks what her favourite horror movie is and quotes that the events that have occured are " it's like right out of a horror movie " On the one hand, the dialogue is tongue-in-cheek. When the killer quips, “It’s like right out of a horror movie,” it is, indeed, out of a horror movie—the one we are watching.
The dialogue also acknowledges the countless slasher films to have come before Scream. When Sidney calls attention to the slasher clichés, it might appear that Craven is mocking the genre, until Sidney is attacked by Ghostface a few moments later and she comically runs up the stairs to find safety in her bedroom. What is especially clever about the scene is that Sidney’s efforts to be safe and avoid slasher clichés create more problems for her.
Sidney makes an effort to lock the front door—something characters in previous slasher films would disregard—but when she quickly opens the door to survey the scene (an act of idiocy or precaution?), Ghostface finds a way into the house and attacks her from behind. She rushes for the front door, but the lock is jammed, and she has no choice but to run upstairs and escape Ghostface’s clutch. This scene pays homage to slasher films and their clichés, but it also challenges condescending criticisms of the cliché by showing an instance in which running up the stairs is the wise decision, as Sidney’s only other option is death.
In horror movies, sound is an intricate part of the movie. Scream is no exception. From the very beginning of the movie, sound is present. The movie begins with a low eerie tone followed by a rumble sound as if several doors are being shut. The title of the movie is stretched out and comes back together with a loud crash. This is followed by a phone ringing, a heart beating rapidly, a scream, the slice of a knife and a final scream. In just the first 20 seconds of the film before it has even begun we have been presented with the essentials of this film. The ringing phone ties into the first scene. The caller picks up the phone and the music, the beating heart, and the screams vanish. Craven has already played on the viewer's senses.There's the apprehension that something bad is going to happen. Another example of sound is in the beginning, when Drew Barrymore's character hangs up the phone for a second time from the mysterious caller. The scene changes to the outside of the house where the camera is focused on some tree branches. There's the sound of some crickets, frogs, etc. In those noises, a creaking sound is heart. The camera travels downward and the viewer sees that it's a swing swaying back and forth that's making the noise. The rope is rubbing against the branch. It creates a feeling of tension because amongst these peaceful night noises is this odd creaking noise. It also leaves the viewer wondering perhaps, is there someone in the tree? Wes Craven is setting these small elements up to scare the viewer. Yet another example of sound being used is when Drew Barrymore (Casey, as her character is known) is talking to the mysterious caller. The caller had already threatened her. She tells him that her boyfriend is coming over and that basically, he'll beat him up. The caller responds with, "His name wouldn't be Steve, would it?" Casey stands stunned as a loud boom follows. It emphasizes the last comment even more. The viewer realizes that this call is not a silly prank. Wes Craven is adding layers. Each passing moment more tension is added. He's scaring the viewer little by little. Then, when Casey is being chased by the killer, she goes outside and all the viewer can hear is her breathing. Her breathing is rapid, full of gasps and sobs. This again creates more tension. Later on, in one of my favorite scenes, Sidney, the main character played by Neve Campbell, goes to the closet to get a bag. There's some music playing quietly in the background. When she opens the door to the closet, the volume increases. It makes a swooping sound. It sounds like a mixture of voices and instruments. It's really eerie. It makes the viewer think that someone might be hiding in the closet. She closes the door and viewer realizes that no one is in the closet. Wes Craven is again playing with the viewer. He never gives the viewer more than a couple of minutes to relax. He always has the viewer wondering what's going to happen next.
Finally, one more sound element that should be mentioned takes place in the principal's office. The principal angrily lectures two students for running around at school in the costume that the killer wears. He finds it insensitive that they joke about this when their fellow students have been brutally murdered. He takes the scissors out and they make this "clink" sound that is obviously added. This sound sounds very much like a knife slicing into something. The principal viciously uses the scissors to cut up the costumes. All the while, the viewer hears the slicing sounds. One of the students complains that it's "not fair" when the principal suspends them. The principal retaliates by holding the scissors up to the students. The viewer can hear lots of clinging sounds, like knives hitting each other. The principal holds the scissors up to one of the boy's shirts and says fair would be to "rip your insides out." When he says rip, there is a ripping sound, although the principal doesn't rip the shirt or anything. These exaggerated sounds make the principal seem capable of being violent. This makes the viewer wonder for a second, could the murderer be the principal? Often when watching a movie, people don't pay that close attention to it. The subconscious is aware of it and picks it all up. Wes Craven knows this and uses it to his advantage.
Different shots give the viewer information about what is going on in the scene. Wes Craven chooses his shots carefully. For example, there's a full shot of Sidney from behind. She has just gone in the closet (mentioned above) and the camera follows her from behind. After watching many horror movies, the full shot with the character's back to the viewer can mean danger. Sidney is right in the middle of the shot, leaving both sides of her open. The murderer could jump out at her and tackle her. This shot could also be of the killer following her from behind. Again, Wes Craven is setting up the viewer. Another shot is the close up. The killer is talking to Sidney on the phone. The shot is from the shoulders and up. Sidney thinks the caller is a friend playing a joke on her. She's about to hang up when the caller says that if she does she'll "die like her mother." The shot then goes to a close up of Sidney's face. The viewer can see that Sidney realizes that the caller isn't a friend playing a joke on her. The viewer can also see that she's frightened. Close ups deal with psychological effects. The viewer sees a character upset, they will react to it. This close up just made things scarier. Finally, my favorite shot in the movie is an extreme close up. The principal has just been stabbed by the murderer. The murderer wears this costume called "Father Death." As the principal lies on the floor dying, the camera cuts to an extreme close up of the principal's eye. In the reflection of his eye, the killer appears (in costume, of course). This shot is a really cool effect in general. I believe the purpose of the shot deals with death. The very last thing the principal sees is death looming over him. It's symbolic.
The last of the elements this paper will talk about it is mise en scene. The way objects are placed carefully within the frame affects how the viewer views the scene. In the beginning of the movie when the viewer is with Casey, there's a wonderful use of the frame. Case is on the phone with the killer. The killer threatens to kill her boyfriend, Steve, if she doesn't play a game with him. As he describes the game, Casey backs up into a space between the television and a wall. She's in the middle surrounded by objects. She's in a position similar to that of the fetal position. She's cramped in. There's the sense that things are closing in around her and that she's trapped. Another wonderful scene is right after Steve's death. Casey looks outside on the patio, where Steve is tied up. She sees that he's been killed. She shrinks down in the frame until her whole head disappears out of the frame. This scene is alluding to her death which happens minutes after. Another example of mise en scene is when Sidney is on the phone with the killer. He threatens her and she locks her door. As the viewer sees her lock the door, there's just enough room to the right of her. This is where the closet is. A second later, the killer pops out of the closet. The viewer sees the killer behind her and if she doesn't turn around, she's going to get stabbed. Craven is adding more tension and more possibilities to be frightened. Finally, another great use of the frame takes place in a bathroom. Sidney is at school in the bathroom when she hears a noise. The camera focuses on the bottom part of a stall. There's no one in there until a big, black boot comes down, followed by another. Then, the robe of the costume that the killer wears falls gently on the boots. Each little bit adding more fear into the viewer. Something that Wes Craven does very well.
These are just a few elements Wes Craven uses to scare the viewer. He likes to play with the viewer's head, making them question everyone's motive. But don't worry, it's just a movie. Or, as Sidney says to her boyfriend Billy, "But this is life. This isn't a movie." To which Billy responds, "Sure it is, Sid. It's all, it's all a movie. It's all one great big movie. But you can't pick your genre."
A mentionable similarity between both films and most Craven films is that his villains are created via a stimulus. In Scream Ghostface resembles Munichs infamous the Scream painting and Freddie Krueger from New Nightmare stems from a childhood memory Craven has of a man he saw standing outside his window in the same clothing he wears in the film
New Nightmare
Breaking the fourth wall, or dimension, is an inherently distressing concept — it disrupts the sacred relationship between the audience and the movie — but breaking the fourth wall in horror is downright terrifying.
Because in horror, when you knock down that wall, you might not like what you find on the other side.
Scream
One of the ways Craven and the screenwriter Kevin Williamson display the self-referential nature of their film is through the characters’ knowledge of slasher film clichés.
The plot of Scream is not unlike other slasher films: An unknown killer who goes by the name of Ghostface terrorizes the suburban town of Woodsboro, California. The difference, as I have pointed out, is that the characters in Scream have seen horror films. For instance, one of Ghostface’s trademarks before attacking a victim is to call him or her (usually her) on the telephone and engage in a conversation about popular culture. In one of the film’s early scenes, Ghostface calls Sidney Prescott, our heroine and asks what her favourite horror movie is and quotes that the events that have occured are " it's like right out of a horror movie " On the one hand, the dialogue is tongue-in-cheek. When the killer quips, “It’s like right out of a horror movie,” it is, indeed, out of a horror movie—the one we are watching.
The dialogue also acknowledges the countless slasher films to have come before Scream. When Sidney calls attention to the slasher clichés, it might appear that Craven is mocking the genre, until Sidney is attacked by Ghostface a few moments later and she comically runs up the stairs to find safety in her bedroom. What is especially clever about the scene is that Sidney’s efforts to be safe and avoid slasher clichés create more problems for her.
Sidney makes an effort to lock the front door—something characters in previous slasher films would disregard—but when she quickly opens the door to survey the scene (an act of idiocy or precaution?), Ghostface finds a way into the house and attacks her from behind. She rushes for the front door, but the lock is jammed, and she has no choice but to run upstairs and escape Ghostface’s clutch. This scene pays homage to slasher films and their clichés, but it also challenges condescending criticisms of the cliché by showing an instance in which running up the stairs is the wise decision, as Sidney’s only other option is death.
In horror movies, sound is an intricate part of the movie. Scream is no exception. From the very beginning of the movie, sound is present. The movie begins with a low eerie tone followed by a rumble sound as if several doors are being shut. The title of the movie is stretched out and comes back together with a loud crash. This is followed by a phone ringing, a heart beating rapidly, a scream, the slice of a knife and a final scream. In just the first 20 seconds of the film before it has even begun we have been presented with the essentials of this film. The ringing phone ties into the first scene. The caller picks up the phone and the music, the beating heart, and the screams vanish. Craven has already played on the viewer's senses.There's the apprehension that something bad is going to happen. Another example of sound is in the beginning, when Drew Barrymore's character hangs up the phone for a second time from the mysterious caller. The scene changes to the outside of the house where the camera is focused on some tree branches. There's the sound of some crickets, frogs, etc. In those noises, a creaking sound is heart. The camera travels downward and the viewer sees that it's a swing swaying back and forth that's making the noise. The rope is rubbing against the branch. It creates a feeling of tension because amongst these peaceful night noises is this odd creaking noise. It also leaves the viewer wondering perhaps, is there someone in the tree? Wes Craven is setting these small elements up to scare the viewer. Yet another example of sound being used is when Drew Barrymore (Casey, as her character is known) is talking to the mysterious caller. The caller had already threatened her. She tells him that her boyfriend is coming over and that basically, he'll beat him up. The caller responds with, "His name wouldn't be Steve, would it?" Casey stands stunned as a loud boom follows. It emphasizes the last comment even more. The viewer realizes that this call is not a silly prank. Wes Craven is adding layers. Each passing moment more tension is added. He's scaring the viewer little by little. Then, when Casey is being chased by the killer, she goes outside and all the viewer can hear is her breathing. Her breathing is rapid, full of gasps and sobs. This again creates more tension. Later on, in one of my favorite scenes, Sidney, the main character played by Neve Campbell, goes to the closet to get a bag. There's some music playing quietly in the background. When she opens the door to the closet, the volume increases. It makes a swooping sound. It sounds like a mixture of voices and instruments. It's really eerie. It makes the viewer think that someone might be hiding in the closet. She closes the door and viewer realizes that no one is in the closet. Wes Craven is again playing with the viewer. He never gives the viewer more than a couple of minutes to relax. He always has the viewer wondering what's going to happen next.
Finally, one more sound element that should be mentioned takes place in the principal's office. The principal angrily lectures two students for running around at school in the costume that the killer wears. He finds it insensitive that they joke about this when their fellow students have been brutally murdered. He takes the scissors out and they make this "clink" sound that is obviously added. This sound sounds very much like a knife slicing into something. The principal viciously uses the scissors to cut up the costumes. All the while, the viewer hears the slicing sounds. One of the students complains that it's "not fair" when the principal suspends them. The principal retaliates by holding the scissors up to the students. The viewer can hear lots of clinging sounds, like knives hitting each other. The principal holds the scissors up to one of the boy's shirts and says fair would be to "rip your insides out." When he says rip, there is a ripping sound, although the principal doesn't rip the shirt or anything. These exaggerated sounds make the principal seem capable of being violent. This makes the viewer wonder for a second, could the murderer be the principal? Often when watching a movie, people don't pay that close attention to it. The subconscious is aware of it and picks it all up. Wes Craven knows this and uses it to his advantage.
Different shots give the viewer information about what is going on in the scene. Wes Craven chooses his shots carefully. For example, there's a full shot of Sidney from behind. She has just gone in the closet (mentioned above) and the camera follows her from behind. After watching many horror movies, the full shot with the character's back to the viewer can mean danger. Sidney is right in the middle of the shot, leaving both sides of her open. The murderer could jump out at her and tackle her. This shot could also be of the killer following her from behind. Again, Wes Craven is setting up the viewer. Another shot is the close up. The killer is talking to Sidney on the phone. The shot is from the shoulders and up. Sidney thinks the caller is a friend playing a joke on her. She's about to hang up when the caller says that if she does she'll "die like her mother." The shot then goes to a close up of Sidney's face. The viewer can see that Sidney realizes that the caller isn't a friend playing a joke on her. The viewer can also see that she's frightened. Close ups deal with psychological effects. The viewer sees a character upset, they will react to it. This close up just made things scarier. Finally, my favorite shot in the movie is an extreme close up. The principal has just been stabbed by the murderer. The murderer wears this costume called "Father Death." As the principal lies on the floor dying, the camera cuts to an extreme close up of the principal's eye. In the reflection of his eye, the killer appears (in costume, of course). This shot is a really cool effect in general. I believe the purpose of the shot deals with death. The very last thing the principal sees is death looming over him. It's symbolic.
The last of the elements this paper will talk about it is mise en scene. The way objects are placed carefully within the frame affects how the viewer views the scene. In the beginning of the movie when the viewer is with Casey, there's a wonderful use of the frame. Case is on the phone with the killer. The killer threatens to kill her boyfriend, Steve, if she doesn't play a game with him. As he describes the game, Casey backs up into a space between the television and a wall. She's in the middle surrounded by objects. She's in a position similar to that of the fetal position. She's cramped in. There's the sense that things are closing in around her and that she's trapped. Another wonderful scene is right after Steve's death. Casey looks outside on the patio, where Steve is tied up. She sees that he's been killed. She shrinks down in the frame until her whole head disappears out of the frame. This scene is alluding to her death which happens minutes after. Another example of mise en scene is when Sidney is on the phone with the killer. He threatens her and she locks her door. As the viewer sees her lock the door, there's just enough room to the right of her. This is where the closet is. A second later, the killer pops out of the closet. The viewer sees the killer behind her and if she doesn't turn around, she's going to get stabbed. Craven is adding more tension and more possibilities to be frightened. Finally, another great use of the frame takes place in a bathroom. Sidney is at school in the bathroom when she hears a noise. The camera focuses on the bottom part of a stall. There's no one in there until a big, black boot comes down, followed by another. Then, the robe of the costume that the killer wears falls gently on the boots. Each little bit adding more fear into the viewer. Something that Wes Craven does very well.
These are just a few elements Wes Craven uses to scare the viewer. He likes to play with the viewer's head, making them question everyone's motive. But don't worry, it's just a movie. Or, as Sidney says to her boyfriend Billy, "But this is life. This isn't a movie." To which Billy responds, "Sure it is, Sid. It's all, it's all a movie. It's all one great big movie. But you can't pick your genre."
A mentionable similarity between both films and most Craven films is that his villains are created via a stimulus. In Scream Ghostface resembles Munichs infamous the Scream painting and Freddie Krueger from New Nightmare stems from a childhood memory Craven has of a man he saw standing outside his window in the same clothing he wears in the film
New Nightmare
Breaking the fourth wall, or dimension, is an inherently distressing concept — it disrupts the sacred relationship between the audience and the movie — but breaking the fourth wall in horror is downright terrifying.
Because in horror, when you knock down that wall, you might not like what you find on the other side.
Wednesday 25 November 2015
Drama : Fredericko Garcio
Social Life
From 1925 to 1928 he was passionately involved with Dalí.[23] The friendship with Lorca had a strong element of mutual passion,[24] but Dalí rejected the erotic advances of the poet.[25] With the success of "Gypsy Ballads", came an estrangement from Dalí and the breakdown of a love affair with sculptor Emilio Soriano Aladrén. These brought on an increasing depression, a situation exacerbated by his anguish over his homosexuality. He felt he was trapped between the persona of the successful author, which he was forced to maintain in public, and the tortured, authentic self, which he could only acknowledge in private.
From 1925 to 1928 he was passionately involved with Dalí.[23] The friendship with Lorca had a strong element of mutual passion,[24] but Dalí rejected the erotic advances of the poet.[25] With the success of "Gypsy Ballads", came an estrangement from Dalí and the breakdown of a love affair with sculptor Emilio Soriano Aladrén. These brought on an increasing depression, a situation exacerbated by his anguish over his homosexuality. He felt he was trapped between the persona of the successful author, which he was forced to maintain in public, and the tortured, authentic self, which he could only acknowledge in private.
Wednesday 18 November 2015
Drama 18/11/15
Demonstration,narration and breaking the fourth wall.
Keywords
clarification
justification
demonstration
re-enactment
narration
Fourth wall
reaction
direct address
Keywords
clarification
justification
demonstration
re-enactment
narration
Fourth wall
reaction
direct address
Tuesday 17 November 2015
Drama - 17/11/15
To warm up for a performance I would usually begin warming up my vocal chords by humming and rubbing my throat, I'd also articulate different sounds in alternative fashions through moving my mouth differently eg: opening my more or less to change the sound. I'd then stretch and warm up my body through exercises such as star jumps and leg stretches. I'd then read through my lines to familiarise myself with them pre performance.
Breathing exercise
- breathe in for 4 and out for 8 increasing each time in duration
- breathe in for 3 and then breath out with a " shh " sound until you can't " shh " anymore
Breathing exercise
- breathe in for 4 and out for 8 increasing each time in duration
- breathe in for 3 and then breath out with a " shh " sound until you can't " shh " anymore
Monday 16 November 2015
Drama - 16/11/15
*Study dynphna
Articulating emotion through the body.
For our warm up we played bungalo ( what was the purpose and usefulness )
In the exercise we were given a word and tasked with forming an articulation of that word through our physical body. ( what was the purpose and usefulness )
Articulating emotion through the body.
For our warm up we played bungalo ( what was the purpose and usefulness )
In the exercise we were given a word and tasked with forming an articulation of that word through our physical body. ( what was the purpose and usefulness )
Thursday 12 November 2015
Media/Film - Psycho and Avatar
P1 Tyler case - swaby
The two
films I will be analysing below are Psycho and Avatar. Both films of different
genres with different content, conventions and styles.
Psycho
Psycho is a
1960 psychological horror-thriller suspense film directed by the infamous
Alfred Hitchcock. The film centres around a young woman called Marion who finds
herself at a secluded hotel after embezzling money from her manager at the
bank. The hotel seems to be run by a dark and mysterious man by the name of
Norman Bates who seems to be under the control of his mother who lives up at
the house. Eventually settling in Marion decides to take a shower in one of
Horror and Cinemas most iconic moments. Marion goes missing and her partner and
sister come looking at the Bates Motel.
Since its release Psycho has been praised as a work of cinematic art and titled one of the greatest films of all time and the greatest horror film of all time. Upon its release it announced a new level of toleration of violence, sexuality and deviant behaviour in films to come. The film was controversial for its convention breaking such as having the film begin with a man and woman in their underwear and a close up shot of an open toilet; these may not seem controversial now however they were the heat of discussion upon its release.
Horror films in the 1950’s and 60’s included little if no blood whatsoever and would only include a minimum of deaths, Upon Psychos arrival audiences were shocked that its major star and seemingly main character was killed off and in such a brutal manner which has led to Psycho also being titled the first Slasher film. Not only did psycho break barriers for the horror genre but also Movies in general. Upon its unexpected success at the box office despite critical backlash at its violence and content other directors began to incorporate more shocking themes into their films such as lust and greed but not to the extent and incredible execution of Psycho.
The majority of horror films at the time featured inhuman monsters and zombies as the villains who the audience would have no relatability to. In Psycho however the villain is a young man who the audience could relate to until they find out in a shocking twist that he is in fact the killer posed as his dead mother who he keeps in the cellar. This again broke the barriers of the horror genre as the audience were essentially faced with themselves as the villain, an everyday everyman. After all what is more horrific than the evil man can commit himself.
Although the film is not similar to any modern day Horror film it does familiarise itself with modern Thrillers especially those that use Suspense as key. Psycho uses Suspense in every aspect to manipulate and lure the audience into a dark corner leaving them vulnerable and anxious only to throw at them the most unexpected of conclusions such as when Marion’s sister first enters the wine cellar to hide we expect maybe the killer to jump out and find her but instead she finds Ms Bates dead body, the first of the twists. She then slowly turns around and we are faced with Norman dressed as his mother revealing to us in the final plot twist that he is the killer. This is all done with suspense through the use of tracking shots and close ups to show the sheer shock and disgust on the characters face before we ourselves are faced with what’s ahead of us.
The film features many themes and symbolism. Themes such as Corruptibility, Death, lust and Confused identity. These themes are revealed through the use of symbolism and repeated motifs such as taxidermy, eyes, hands and mirrors. In example When Norman looks through the hole in his wall to gaze at Marion entering the shower, the shot of his peeping eye could symbolise the theme of lust as rather than presenting himself to Marion in full with his entire body he is remaining hidden in his lust through the use of his eye. This could also be linked to the male gaze as the audience are shown shots of Marrion which feature prolonged shots of her curvy body in her bra and of course the shower scene which subtly presents Marion’s naked silhouette through the shower curtains. The inclusion of taxidermy in the first quarter of the film also immediately presents the presence of death and implicates the films dark themes.
Report on Avatar
Since its release Psycho has been praised as a work of cinematic art and titled one of the greatest films of all time and the greatest horror film of all time. Upon its release it announced a new level of toleration of violence, sexuality and deviant behaviour in films to come. The film was controversial for its convention breaking such as having the film begin with a man and woman in their underwear and a close up shot of an open toilet; these may not seem controversial now however they were the heat of discussion upon its release.
Horror films in the 1950’s and 60’s included little if no blood whatsoever and would only include a minimum of deaths, Upon Psychos arrival audiences were shocked that its major star and seemingly main character was killed off and in such a brutal manner which has led to Psycho also being titled the first Slasher film. Not only did psycho break barriers for the horror genre but also Movies in general. Upon its unexpected success at the box office despite critical backlash at its violence and content other directors began to incorporate more shocking themes into their films such as lust and greed but not to the extent and incredible execution of Psycho.
The majority of horror films at the time featured inhuman monsters and zombies as the villains who the audience would have no relatability to. In Psycho however the villain is a young man who the audience could relate to until they find out in a shocking twist that he is in fact the killer posed as his dead mother who he keeps in the cellar. This again broke the barriers of the horror genre as the audience were essentially faced with themselves as the villain, an everyday everyman. After all what is more horrific than the evil man can commit himself.
Although the film is not similar to any modern day Horror film it does familiarise itself with modern Thrillers especially those that use Suspense as key. Psycho uses Suspense in every aspect to manipulate and lure the audience into a dark corner leaving them vulnerable and anxious only to throw at them the most unexpected of conclusions such as when Marion’s sister first enters the wine cellar to hide we expect maybe the killer to jump out and find her but instead she finds Ms Bates dead body, the first of the twists. She then slowly turns around and we are faced with Norman dressed as his mother revealing to us in the final plot twist that he is the killer. This is all done with suspense through the use of tracking shots and close ups to show the sheer shock and disgust on the characters face before we ourselves are faced with what’s ahead of us.
The film features many themes and symbolism. Themes such as Corruptibility, Death, lust and Confused identity. These themes are revealed through the use of symbolism and repeated motifs such as taxidermy, eyes, hands and mirrors. In example When Norman looks through the hole in his wall to gaze at Marion entering the shower, the shot of his peeping eye could symbolise the theme of lust as rather than presenting himself to Marion in full with his entire body he is remaining hidden in his lust through the use of his eye. This could also be linked to the male gaze as the audience are shown shots of Marrion which feature prolonged shots of her curvy body in her bra and of course the shower scene which subtly presents Marion’s naked silhouette through the shower curtains. The inclusion of taxidermy in the first quarter of the film also immediately presents the presence of death and implicates the films dark themes.
Report on Avatar
Avatar
Avatar is a science fiction – action film directed by James Cameron. The film is set in the mid-22nd century as humans are colonizing Pandora, a habitable moon in the star system. A war however begins on Pandora and the humans posing as avatars must decide whether to fight for or against Pandora.
The Science fiction genre usually sets its films in an alternative future or world (In this case Pandora). Technological advances often have large inclusion in the story as they can often reflect social or environmental changes in the films story (The use of an avatar). The film includes all of these conventions as well as the high amount of CGI which is known for its use in the sci fi genre. The narrative of Avatar surrounds the idea of the human race using technology which in time destroys them; the heavy reliance of CGI in the film is ironic to its narrative which focuses on naturalism however it is used to compliment the visuals of the film and therefore heightens the effects left on the viewer.
Avatar is a science fiction – action film directed by James Cameron. The film is set in the mid-22nd century as humans are colonizing Pandora, a habitable moon in the star system. A war however begins on Pandora and the humans posing as avatars must decide whether to fight for or against Pandora.
The Science fiction genre usually sets its films in an alternative future or world (In this case Pandora). Technological advances often have large inclusion in the story as they can often reflect social or environmental changes in the films story (The use of an avatar). The film includes all of these conventions as well as the high amount of CGI which is known for its use in the sci fi genre. The narrative of Avatar surrounds the idea of the human race using technology which in time destroys them; the heavy reliance of CGI in the film is ironic to its narrative which focuses on naturalism however it is used to compliment the visuals of the film and therefore heightens the effects left on the viewer.
The film is unconventional to its genre through its use of character however. In many films of this genre the extra-terrestrial characters are presented as the villains and their personalities often resemble that of a dark nature however in Avatar the extra-terrestrials are portrayed to be very similar rather than alien to us. Their emotion and intelligence in character allows the audience to feel some relatibility and relation to them which is key for when in the conclusion these Extra-terrestrials begin to die or face loss or love. Without this connection to the audience the film would not work.
In conclusion both films use conventions of their genre to fit the audience’s unintentional want for more of the same however both break the conventions of their genre to add to the genre rather than mimic it which enchant audiences into seeing more rather than more
Thursday 5 November 2015
Drama - 5/11/15
I believe reading the article with a tone and expression of a sad emotion made the speech purposeful as it left the audience to reflect on the facts and associate their response in emotion to the Same emotion I had whilst reading. Having this amount of emotion however limited the amount of critisisation the audience may have of the context of the speech.
Hw : respond to the 3 performances
Hw : respond to the 3 performances
Wednesday 4 November 2015
Drama - 4/11/15 epic theatre
In today's lesson we were tasked with doing a performace in the style of Brecht. This performance would be created from a newspaper article we used as stimulus. Our chosen article detailed a woman who killed her three children after becoming distressed at their poor and annoying behaviour.
I decided that using momtage would be beneficial to the performance as we could portray the two main facts of the case which was that the children misbehaved and the mother killed them at once. On my side of the Montage I performed as one of the children speaking in a high tone voice and articulating my speech poorly. Once the montage ended, jess playing the mother stood in the middle as me and the other ' children ' rotated around her pestering her with quotes like " mummy I hate you " " your a bad mummy " gradually getting louder until at the climax Tom shouted " where's my mommy " to which we all fell. Jess then began reading her stage directions which were to look at the crowd and walk off the stage - my reccomendation as this added to the use of Brechts techniques on our performance to draw the audience away from the characters and feel aware that the stage was just a stage in the style of epic theatre.
I decided that using momtage would be beneficial to the performance as we could portray the two main facts of the case which was that the children misbehaved and the mother killed them at once. On my side of the Montage I performed as one of the children speaking in a high tone voice and articulating my speech poorly. Once the montage ended, jess playing the mother stood in the middle as me and the other ' children ' rotated around her pestering her with quotes like " mummy I hate you " " your a bad mummy " gradually getting louder until at the climax Tom shouted " where's my mommy " to which we all fell. Jess then began reading her stage directions which were to look at the crowd and walk off the stage - my reccomendation as this added to the use of Brechts techniques on our performance to draw the audience away from the characters and feel aware that the stage was just a stage in the style of epic theatre.
Tuesday 3 November 2015
Media - Initial response to a chosen song
Halsey - Colors
Genre & Style : Alternative pop/indie - soothing/reflective style. The sound of the song is very positive with high chords in the instrumental although the lyrical content of the song depicts it as being about a negative experience with the characters feeling down rather than high like its musical composition.
length : 4 minutes 9 seconds
Pace : slow pace in first verse with a gradual buildup as the pre chorus begins leading to a medium paced chorus with fast paced undertones. This pacing is repeated throughout the songs duration
Meaning : love can cause destruction and the extent of your infatuation with someone will increase the extent of sadness you have when the relationship with them has ended. Another message in the song linking to its lyrical pattern is that Love has alternative routes as the song has alternative lines in each chorus.
Genre & Style : Alternative pop/indie - soothing/reflective style. The sound of the song is very positive with high chords in the instrumental although the lyrical content of the song depicts it as being about a negative experience with the characters feeling down rather than high like its musical composition.
length : 4 minutes 9 seconds
Pace : slow pace in first verse with a gradual buildup as the pre chorus begins leading to a medium paced chorus with fast paced undertones. This pacing is repeated throughout the songs duration
Meaning : love can cause destruction and the extent of your infatuation with someone will increase the extent of sadness you have when the relationship with them has ended. Another message in the song linking to its lyrical pattern is that Love has alternative routes as the song has alternative lines in each chorus.
Narrative : The story is partially explained through the use of its theme of color.The song tells the story of a boy who our narrator ( Halsey ) describes as depressed and addicted to drugs ( grey ). She explains her feelings towards him which include empathy,love and fear expressing her love,awe and infatuation with his physicality,attitude and the feeling he leaves her with ( which are blue ). Despite him being metaphorically ripped due to his addiction to drug she still views him as a beautiful creation dwelling in his emotions and thoughts to understand him better as she views him as a work of art or color. Once the two characters become involved with each other their colors intertwine ( grey and blue ) to become purple which essentially isn't for him ( they weren't meant to be/ do not intertwine as colors or people successfully ) reversing him back to grey ( the peak of his sadness and destruction ) . In the end of the song Halsey repeats how everything is blue to present her overwhelming emotion of being ' blue ' ( sadness ) over leaving him and feeling a lack of fulfilment. As blue is previously mentioned to describe how the male character is ( unbalanced ) she is ending the story with everything being unbalanced and " devoid of color ". His feelings,Her feelings and their relationship. Unbalanced.
Impressions : the song delivers the emotion of sadness,depression and love along with the issue of drugs and feeling a lack of fulfilment in life. The song makes me feel empathy for the female character as she has tried her hardest to fill fulfilled and make the relationship she dreamed of work. I also feel empathetic towards the male character as he is described as having a ' bad ' life and following the dark path of life and seems to be stuck there.
Imagery and semiotics : the songs title and main theme which is Colors are used to symbolise the emotional status of characters, in example the female character is described as viewing everything as blue which is a color associated with sadness. When the female character becomes involved with the male character described as grey or depressed they become purple and the male character decides that purple isn't for him. The intertwining of their colors grey and blue creating purple could symbolise them being unbalanced. In the lyrics " now he's so devoid of color he dont know what it means and he's blue and makes me blue " Halsey is describing how he has been so many colors ( felt so many different emotions ) that he is now uncertain of his color or emotion. She is further explaining how him previously being " blue " has caused her to now become blue/sad. As previously mentioned, the line " Everything is blue " is repeated 4 times at the end of the song to emphasise on her sadness due to the conclusion of the song and their breakup.
a copy of the lyrics are below
Your little brother never tells you but he loves you so
You said your mother only smiled on her TV show
You're only happy when your sorry head is filled with dope
I hope you make it to the day you're 28 years old
You're dripping like a saturated sunrise
[Alternative version:] You're dripping like a saturated sunlight
You're spilling like an overflowing sink
You're ripped at every edge but you're a masterpiece
And now you're tearing through the pages and the ink
[Alternative version:] And now I'm tearing through the pages and the ink
Everything is blue
[Alternative version:] Everything was blue
His pills, his hands, his jeans
And now I'm covered in the colors
Pulled apart at the seams
And it's blue
[Alternative version:] And makes me blue
And it's blue
[Alternative version:] And makes me blue
Everything is grey
[Alternative version:] Everything was grey
His hair, his smoke, his dreams
[Alternative version:] His hair, his smokes, his dreams
And now he's so devoid of color
He don't know what it means
[Alternative version:] Doesn't know what it means
And he's blue
[Alternative version:] And makes me blue
And he's blue
[Alternative version:] And makes me blue
You were a vision in the morning when the light came through
[Alternative version:] You were a vision in the morning when the lights came through
I know I've only felt religion when I've lied with you
[Alternative version:] I know I've only feel religion when I'm lying with you
You said you'll never be forgiven 'til your boys are too
And I'm still waking every morning but it's not with you
You're dripping like a saturated sunrise
[Alternative version:] You're dripping like a saturated sunlight
You're spilling like an overflowing sink
You're ripped at every edge but you're a masterpiece
And now you're tearing through the pages and the ink
[Alternative version:] And now I'm tearing through the pages and the ink
Everything is blue
[Alternative version:] Everything was blue
His pills, his hands, his jeans
And now I'm covered in the colors
Pulled apart at the seams
[Alternative version:] Torn apart at the seams
And it's blue
[Alternative version:] And makes me blue
You said your mother only smiled on her TV show
You're only happy when your sorry head is filled with dope
I hope you make it to the day you're 28 years old
You're dripping like a saturated sunrise
[Alternative version:] You're dripping like a saturated sunlight
You're spilling like an overflowing sink
You're ripped at every edge but you're a masterpiece
And now you're tearing through the pages and the ink
[Alternative version:] And now I'm tearing through the pages and the ink
Everything is blue
[Alternative version:] Everything was blue
His pills, his hands, his jeans
And now I'm covered in the colors
Pulled apart at the seams
And it's blue
[Alternative version:] And makes me blue
And it's blue
[Alternative version:] And makes me blue
Everything is grey
[Alternative version:] Everything was grey
His hair, his smoke, his dreams
[Alternative version:] His hair, his smokes, his dreams
And now he's so devoid of color
He don't know what it means
[Alternative version:] Doesn't know what it means
And he's blue
[Alternative version:] And makes me blue
And he's blue
[Alternative version:] And makes me blue
You were a vision in the morning when the light came through
[Alternative version:] You were a vision in the morning when the lights came through
I know I've only felt religion when I've lied with you
[Alternative version:] I know I've only feel religion when I'm lying with you
You said you'll never be forgiven 'til your boys are too
And I'm still waking every morning but it's not with you
You're dripping like a saturated sunrise
[Alternative version:] You're dripping like a saturated sunlight
You're spilling like an overflowing sink
You're ripped at every edge but you're a masterpiece
And now you're tearing through the pages and the ink
[Alternative version:] And now I'm tearing through the pages and the ink
Everything is blue
[Alternative version:] Everything was blue
His pills, his hands, his jeans
And now I'm covered in the colors
Pulled apart at the seams
[Alternative version:] Torn apart at the seams
And it's blue
[Alternative version:] And makes me blue
And it's blue
[Alternative version:] And makes me blue
Everything is grey
[Alternative version:] Everything was grey
His hair, his smoke, his dreams
[Alternative version:] His hair, his smokes, his dreams
And now he's so devoid of color
He don't know what it means
[Alternative version:] Doesn't know what it means
And he's blue
[Alternative version:] And makes me blue
And he's blue
[Alternative version:] And makes me blue
Everything is blue
Everything is blue
Everything is blue
Everything is blue
You were red and you liked me 'cause I was blue
[Alternative version:] You were red and you liked me because I was blue
You touched me and suddenly I was a lilac sky
And you decided purple just wasn't for you
Everything is blue
His pills, his hands, his jeans
And now I'm covered in the colors
Pulled apart at the seams
[Alternative version:] Torn apart at the seams
And it's blue
[Alternative version:] And makes me blue
And it's blue
[Alternative version:] And makes me blue
Everything is grey
His hair, his smoke, his dreams
[Alternative version:] His hair, his smokes, his dreams
And now he's so devoid of color
He don't know what it means
[Alternative version:] Doesn't know what it means
And he's blue
[Alternative version:] And makes me blue
And he's blue
[Alternative version:] And makes me blue
Everything is blue [4x]
[Alternative version:] Everything was blue [2x]
[Alternative version:] And makes me blue
Everything is grey
[Alternative version:] Everything was grey
His hair, his smoke, his dreams
[Alternative version:] His hair, his smokes, his dreams
And now he's so devoid of color
He don't know what it means
[Alternative version:] Doesn't know what it means
And he's blue
[Alternative version:] And makes me blue
And he's blue
[Alternative version:] And makes me blue
Everything is blue
Everything is blue
Everything is blue
Everything is blue
You were red and you liked me 'cause I was blue
[Alternative version:] You were red and you liked me because I was blue
You touched me and suddenly I was a lilac sky
And you decided purple just wasn't for you
Everything is blue
His pills, his hands, his jeans
And now I'm covered in the colors
Pulled apart at the seams
[Alternative version:] Torn apart at the seams
And it's blue
[Alternative version:] And makes me blue
And it's blue
[Alternative version:] And makes me blue
Everything is grey
His hair, his smoke, his dreams
[Alternative version:] His hair, his smokes, his dreams
And now he's so devoid of color
He don't know what it means
[Alternative version:] Doesn't know what it means
And he's blue
[Alternative version:] And makes me blue
And he's blue
[Alternative version:] And makes me blue
Everything is blue [4x]
[Alternative version:] Everything was blue [2x]
Drama notes 3/11/15 - Brecht
Name : Brecht
Aim : destroying the illusions
His teaching compared to Stanslafski :
Asked to be critical as an actor an audience in your viewing of your performance as unlike Stanalaffskis teaching there will be less psychological impact as you are not tasked with creating the illusion in which you are in the style of Stanalaffski.
Less about imitating reality and more about shaping it.
Bertolt brecht
Born 1898 germany
Actors should not be so emotionally involved - will not learn anything
epic theatre - influences were travelling fairs and Elizabethan theatre.
Aim to clear the distinction between dramatic and epic theatre which distances the audience - makes them look objectively
Epic theatre is antithesis of Dramatic thrate ( opposite )
epic wants the audience to be critical observers, realise the characters are actors,stage world not attempting to be real
dramatic theatre is the complete opposite
about social change - impact the audience and performer socially.
To imitate or mimic ?
He who only imitates and had nothing to say On what he imitates is like a poor chimpanzee, who imitates his trainer's smoking and does not smoke whilst doing so. For never will a thoughtless imitation be a real imitation.
Meaning : if you don't take something away from it ( have nothing to say about it ) it was unsuccessful and a waste of time.
Techniques ;
Montage - using momtage to keep the audience alert. Putting the scenes in an unrelated matter makes you constantly aware.
Gestus - attitude of acting which was employed in Epic theatre. Brecht admired that Charlie Chaplin was in control of his own movements actions and gestures.
Verfremdungskeffekt - the V effekt
- this means to alienate the audience but the translation is not very accurate so the word distancing is more accurate ( brechts aim ) because if the audience are distanced they can be objective.
brecht wrote that he wanted to make the incidents represented on stage appear strange to the public. *Research brecht and alienation*
The effects of these techniques / actor and characters
- to not get too attached to the characters on stage but instead focus on the meaning of the story.
- actors would step out of their roles and speak in third person when in character and speak stage directions to remind the audience that they are actors
- he often used a different actor to play the protagonist in the second half of the play from the first to again reinforce this distancing and lack of attachment
In our first exercise We played the number game in which we had to say numbers in order without any planning. This creates distance between us. In our second exercise we were tasked with the tablo of disaster,we showed this by holding onto eachother for dear life with one person losing their grip at the end of the chain of people. Upon viewing the picture of our presentation of disaster I felt that my facial espression left an emotional impression and purpose of the tablo making it more active ( tablo is more active and has purpose rather than a still image ) I feel that as a group us being chained together but losing grip at every ' link ' presented the effect of disaster as well as the loss a disaster causes however it didnt present disaster to its full capability . In the other group I liked the use of levelling to present the different levels of distrustion.
In our final exercise we had to use one of the Brechts plays and create tablo to present the difference between 2 characters - one being stuck up and selfish and the other being good natured and charitable, to show this I decided we should have a person fallen over and both women reacted differently eg the good person helps them up as onlookers smile at her whereas the bad person walks away and looks down at them in disgust leaving onlookers to look up at her in disgust - frowning
Homework - find a juice newspaper story
moral - the further a story is continued by people the less emotional value it has
Aim : destroying the illusions
His teaching compared to Stanslafski :
Asked to be critical as an actor an audience in your viewing of your performance as unlike Stanalaffskis teaching there will be less psychological impact as you are not tasked with creating the illusion in which you are in the style of Stanalaffski.
Less about imitating reality and more about shaping it.
Bertolt brecht
Born 1898 germany
Actors should not be so emotionally involved - will not learn anything
epic theatre - influences were travelling fairs and Elizabethan theatre.
Aim to clear the distinction between dramatic and epic theatre which distances the audience - makes them look objectively
Epic theatre is antithesis of Dramatic thrate ( opposite )
epic wants the audience to be critical observers, realise the characters are actors,stage world not attempting to be real
dramatic theatre is the complete opposite
about social change - impact the audience and performer socially.
To imitate or mimic ?
He who only imitates and had nothing to say On what he imitates is like a poor chimpanzee, who imitates his trainer's smoking and does not smoke whilst doing so. For never will a thoughtless imitation be a real imitation.
Meaning : if you don't take something away from it ( have nothing to say about it ) it was unsuccessful and a waste of time.
Techniques ;
Montage - using momtage to keep the audience alert. Putting the scenes in an unrelated matter makes you constantly aware.
Gestus - attitude of acting which was employed in Epic theatre. Brecht admired that Charlie Chaplin was in control of his own movements actions and gestures.
Verfremdungskeffekt - the V effekt
- this means to alienate the audience but the translation is not very accurate so the word distancing is more accurate ( brechts aim ) because if the audience are distanced they can be objective.
brecht wrote that he wanted to make the incidents represented on stage appear strange to the public. *Research brecht and alienation*
The effects of these techniques / actor and characters
- to not get too attached to the characters on stage but instead focus on the meaning of the story.
- actors would step out of their roles and speak in third person when in character and speak stage directions to remind the audience that they are actors
- he often used a different actor to play the protagonist in the second half of the play from the first to again reinforce this distancing and lack of attachment
In our first exercise We played the number game in which we had to say numbers in order without any planning. This creates distance between us. In our second exercise we were tasked with the tablo of disaster,we showed this by holding onto eachother for dear life with one person losing their grip at the end of the chain of people. Upon viewing the picture of our presentation of disaster I felt that my facial espression left an emotional impression and purpose of the tablo making it more active ( tablo is more active and has purpose rather than a still image ) I feel that as a group us being chained together but losing grip at every ' link ' presented the effect of disaster as well as the loss a disaster causes however it didnt present disaster to its full capability . In the other group I liked the use of levelling to present the different levels of distrustion.
In our final exercise we had to use one of the Brechts plays and create tablo to present the difference between 2 characters - one being stuck up and selfish and the other being good natured and charitable, to show this I decided we should have a person fallen over and both women reacted differently eg the good person helps them up as onlookers smile at her whereas the bad person walks away and looks down at them in disgust leaving onlookers to look up at her in disgust - frowning
Homework - find a juice newspaper story
moral - the further a story is continued by people the less emotional value it has
Monday 19 October 2015
Media - Styles/Conventions of music video
Music Videos
In this assessment I will be going into detail about the different styles and conventions of a music video and their different purposes.
What is the main purpose of a music video? Depending on the artist or song the purpose of their music video will vary. A common purpose of a music video is to simply present the artists true intention/interpretation of their song in a visual fashion. Doing this allows the artist to further express themselves and share with fans their artistry and official meaning behind the song, without a video fans may have their own interpretation of what the songs meaning is . Another purpose is to increase the songs sales and popularity. Music videos are proven to increase sales and chart positions; this is beneficial for the artist and their label. Essentially the more popular a song the higher the chance it will receive a video.
I recently watched 7 music videos
August Alsina ft. Nicki Minaj – No love
Miley Cyrus – Wrecking ball
Kendrick Lamar – Alright
Nicki Minaj – The night is still young
30 seconds to mars – Closer to the edge
Katy Perry – ET
Wiz Khalifa ft. Charlie Puth – See you again
The first music video I watched was ‘ No Love ‘ directed by Benny Boom and performed by August Alsina and Nicki Minaj. The music video is filmed as a narrative. The narrative of this song and video is of a man (August ) failing to stay faithful to his girlfriend ( Minaj ) going out to clubs with another girl and indulging in promiscuous activity. The mans girlfriend then becomes heartbroken when she finds evidence of his unfaithfulness which leads the man to finally see that he has something for his girlfriend that he previously believed he could never have, love.
This video has many styles and conventions. The video is fairly conventional of the R&B genre which generally features a couple going through hard times and a cheating partner. Conventions of this video include key R&B/Hip Hop iconography such as expensive cars, glamorous jewellery and expensive clothing on the actors and artists featured in the video. Other conventions this video follows is its use of setting such as the glamorous home and packed nightclub, both of which are commonly featured in videos of this genre as Rappers are known to spend their money on things which boost their status e.g.: glamorous mansions and hosting or perform at popular nightclubs.
A Style used is black and white filter which is used in flashback imagery of the couple. This is effective as it emphasizes on it being the past of their relationship. Aside these black and white images are special effect imagery which reflect the clips of August and Minaj’s action beside it. In example in a clip with August and Minaj arguing there is special effects used which show lightning to symbolise this tension and dispute in the relationship, in another clip of the couple hugging a batch of flowers begin to sprout to symbolise their love increasing or reaching its peak. I Found this to be the highlight of the video as it adds a smooth and simple stylishness to the video and is very pleasing to the eyes as these vibrant colours spurt out of the colourless black and white filter. (See images)
The purpose of this video seems to simply be to give fans a visual of the songs story and also to increase sales and popularity of the song which it did becoming Augusts first’s video to reach almost 100 million views and chart well on the Billboard 100.
The second video, Wrecking ball by Miley Cyrus is a concept video created in a style specific to the song using heavy symbolism and imagery. The video depicts Miley swinging on a wrecking ball until it finally crashes through walls which appear to be blocking her in. The video uses colour imagery through costume and mis-en-scene or location with the costume being simply white and the walls surrounding her grey, this represents the mood of the song which is emotionally sad and monotone. The song covers heartbreak which is visually interpreted as she breaks through the walls in the room just as her heart is being broken. The location of this video is unconventional as the location is specific to the song rather than the songs genre.
Close up shots used depict Miley crying into the camera. These close up shots create a relationship between Miley and the viewer as she is looking into our eyes telling us of her heartbreak, this further expresses the purpose of the song and video which is to relate to its audience through heartbreak.
The costume in the video is conventional of a pop video as she is seen wearing revealing clothing, a tank top and underwear. Revealing clothing in pop videos is conventional as it is usually viewed as controversial, the more skin someone shows the more the video will be viewed and discussed. This then gains the song more sales, TV play ( as long as it’s censored ) and radio play. The clothing in the video is white to possibly symbolize her pureness until the clothing in the video is removed when she climbs upon the wrecking ball naked and breaks through the wall possibly symbolising her becoming a new person with experience of heartbreak. The decision to have her naked was very smart as it undoubtedly added to the reason the video broke the vevo record for most views in one day racking up over 12 million views. This also presented to us the “new Miley” and that she was beginning to change her image. The video went on to win the MTV video of the year award and peak at number one on the Billboard hot 100 mainly due to video streams.
The third video I watched was Kendrick Lamar’s ‘ Alright ‘ a concept/surreal video with the purpose to convey a message of discrimination and police brutality. The video depicts Kendrick and other black men coming together as a community whilst police continue to “shoot them down on the street “and behave unjustifiably against young black men.
The style of the video begins documentary/narrative style with a hint of surrealism before it becomes an artistic representation of reality with a hint of surrealism. Reality and surrealism, a confusing mix however executed incredibly. The beginning of the music video employs the documentary style of the video as Kendrick narrates a story of violence and discrimination whilst images of this are shown. The entire video is filmed in black and white which immediately draws the viewer in with its ominous ambiance. The video begins with Kendrick narrating to us a poem with clips of bleak and almost apocalyptic imagery. At the end of this introductory narrative we see a young black man escaping the cuffs of a white officer who puts a gun up to the centre of the camera and fires in slow motion before the song finally begins. This use of slow motion is very effective. The discharging of the gun seen up close and slowed down adds an oddly higher intensity and realism to the scene.The “real” video begins with Kendrick and his friends bumping to music in a lowrider being carried by white officers, this juxtaposition highlights the meaning and intention of the video perfectly which is that Police should not be above us and do not follow the brotherhood black men have which is why we see them working together to hold the car like some black men work together as society as a brotherhood.
The surrealism aspect of the video features Kendrick flying through the street, hanging upside down in mid-air and rapping atop a lamppost. This surrealism adds a great stylishness and classiness to the video which many other rap videos are criticized to be lacking in. This further adds to how unconventional the video is of its genre which commonly doesn’t feature as much surrealism, stunts or story depth and substance. The video ends with Kendrick however being shot of the lamppost by a police officer similar to the man in the beginning of the video presenting to us that no matter how high we believe we are or how triumphed we have become in decreasing inequality someone will bring us back down or repeat the past.
The purpose of the video is to cover the theme of discrimination and police brutality which is incredibly popular in today’s society.
The fourth video 30 seconds to mars – Closer to the edge is a performance styled video. Almost all rock bands release at least one “road “ type video which explores the bands tour bus life and the highs and lows which come with being a rock band touring the world. Though these videos present footage from the concerts they are rarely about the actual live experience and more about the band itself, the fans being just part of the background. Closer to the edge is the opposite however as it includes interviews with the fans themselves discussing their lives,loves,fears and how those things contribute to their love of the band.
The video uses many fast cuts and glimpses of flashing lights which contribute to the natural intensity of the video as we see fans screaming and holding hands with the band during performances. The video is colourful due to the lights of the stage which have beaming neon lights which highlight groups of the crowd and 30 seconds to mars themselves. This neon light presents a positive vibe of happiness to the video which is essentially what the video is covering, the happiness of the fans enjoying the band’s music with them and other fans as a community.
The purpose of this video is to thank or highlight the fan base of the band, this video is essentially a gift to them as it focuses on them and how they contribute to the band and its music.
The fifth video I watched was Nicki Minaj – The night is still young. This video follows the styles of singing, pastiche and surrealism. A singing video features the artist in this case Nicki Minaj singing the song with video cuts to different scenes which tell a story. The video begins with glimpses of all the settings in the video such as surrealistic neon lighted bedroom and the city streets of japan. This immediately compells the viewer as they are excited to see more of and what will be placed in these settings building tension.
As Minaj begins to rap her first verse we see her perform choreography with Japanese backing dancer’s infont of a wall of neon. This use of choreography is conventional in Rap and Pop, this being a crossover of both genres as seeing people dance is visually entertaining and makes the video more interesting to watch.
Neon lighting is featured throughout the entire video and adds perfectly to the surreal and positive atmosphere of the video. This use of neon and colour is what makes the video a pastiche as it was extremely common for music videos from the 80s to feature neon light thus making the video an imitation of the 80s which supports the song which carries 80s musical influence. These bright neon colours contribute to the positive lyric content of the song which include “ My only motto in life is don’t lose “ and “ I never worry, life is a journey “ this adds to the purpose of the video which is to show us we should enjoy life as we enjoy music.
In another scene we see Minaj and her dancers dressed in pink outfits with a neon tinted pink building behind them. This use of colour imager presents to the viewer the positive and light mood of the video. The entire video is set at night however each scene is dominated by light, this adds further to the song/videos message that even when you’re in the dark there is light and that light dominates darkness.
In the climax of the video as the lead up to the chorus begins to increase in volume and bass the images presented on screen also do, this gives the video an extra doss of intensity and tension and puts emphasis on the highlight of the song and video. There is also a short clip of a girl drinking with a Matte fit cup which is obvious product placement. This is when a company offers an artist or record label money or a deal to promote their product, this is seen commonly in mainstream music videos with Beats by Dre headphones.
The scenes used to tell the story of the video feature different groups of people of all races and genders making their way to a bright and colourful moon in the sky which brings the groups of people together as one to witness the beautiful sight. This is the climax of the video and adds to a theme of the song which is coming together as a community to enjoy life and experiences as the night is still young and we still have time.
The purpose of this video is to convey the message of society coming together to enjoy life and allow the artist to further express their artistic impression and visual intention of the song as well as further promote the song as it does well on radio.
The sixth video I watched was Katy Perry – ET. This music video is a narrative/Surreal styled video with some narrative. The video uses multiple special effects such as a floating alien and its use of space. In order to show these images on screen a green screen was used. This is used as images of Katy Perry in space couldn’t be presented in reality. This use of special effects and visual images attracts the audience as it makes the video unique and stand out against other videos which may not have the budget to present these special effects on screen.
The narrative of the story is of a female alien queen going on a quest to find a male alien to become king and take her throne with her. The video shows this with Perry searching through space and a post-apocalyptic earth in slow motion. This use of slow motion is effective as it allows the viewer to take in all the visual effects used and the ambiance and atmosphere of the scenes.
The video features many close up shots of Perry’s face in detailed makeup to present her as an alien. These close ups again allow the viewer to see the visual imagery the design artists created and to show to the viewer’s Perry’s interpretation of what an extra-terrestrial looks like.
The purpose of this video is to show what an artist is able to do with a high budget and how they can express their musical or artistic vision, another purpose is to further promote the single as it had high radio play prior to the video.
The final video I watched was Wiz Khalifa ft. Charlie Puth – See you again. This video was intended to pay tribute to the star of the film Fast and Furious 7 Paul Walker and to also promote the film itself.
The video for the song features various clips from the film featuring Paul as well as his co-stars. The video is done in the style of a singing music video as we see Rapper Wiz Khalifa and Charlie Puth singing and rapping the song with intercuts of clips from the movie. This technique of transition is done smoothly and in a fade fashion which emphases on the reflectory theme of the video as we are reflecting on the death of Paul, the lyrics of the song and the current success of his last film.
This video is styled conventionally as it follows the same transition style of other soundtrack music videos or music videos used to promote a film. The wide shots of Khalifa and Puth rapping on top of a hill featured in the film allow the viewer to look at the setting of the video and become familiar with it before they watch the film or if they have already watched the film.
This music video successfully promotes the film as well as respectfully paying tribute to Paul Walker equally and clearly presents this intention through its lack of editing or special effects and simplicity.
In conclusion the techniques and styles in music videos are successful in promoting the artist and song. The use of effects and camera shots make the video more enjoyable to watch and give the video a feel of creativity and individuality.
In this assessment I will be going into detail about the different styles and conventions of a music video and their different purposes.
What is the main purpose of a music video? Depending on the artist or song the purpose of their music video will vary. A common purpose of a music video is to simply present the artists true intention/interpretation of their song in a visual fashion. Doing this allows the artist to further express themselves and share with fans their artistry and official meaning behind the song, without a video fans may have their own interpretation of what the songs meaning is . Another purpose is to increase the songs sales and popularity. Music videos are proven to increase sales and chart positions; this is beneficial for the artist and their label. Essentially the more popular a song the higher the chance it will receive a video.
I recently watched 7 music videos
August Alsina ft. Nicki Minaj – No love
Miley Cyrus – Wrecking ball
Kendrick Lamar – Alright
Nicki Minaj – The night is still young
30 seconds to mars – Closer to the edge
Katy Perry – ET
Wiz Khalifa ft. Charlie Puth – See you again
The first music video I watched was ‘ No Love ‘ directed by Benny Boom and performed by August Alsina and Nicki Minaj. The music video is filmed as a narrative. The narrative of this song and video is of a man (August ) failing to stay faithful to his girlfriend ( Minaj ) going out to clubs with another girl and indulging in promiscuous activity. The mans girlfriend then becomes heartbroken when she finds evidence of his unfaithfulness which leads the man to finally see that he has something for his girlfriend that he previously believed he could never have, love.
This video has many styles and conventions. The video is fairly conventional of the R&B genre which generally features a couple going through hard times and a cheating partner. Conventions of this video include key R&B/Hip Hop iconography such as expensive cars, glamorous jewellery and expensive clothing on the actors and artists featured in the video. Other conventions this video follows is its use of setting such as the glamorous home and packed nightclub, both of which are commonly featured in videos of this genre as Rappers are known to spend their money on things which boost their status e.g.: glamorous mansions and hosting or perform at popular nightclubs.
A Style used is black and white filter which is used in flashback imagery of the couple. This is effective as it emphasizes on it being the past of their relationship. Aside these black and white images are special effect imagery which reflect the clips of August and Minaj’s action beside it. In example in a clip with August and Minaj arguing there is special effects used which show lightning to symbolise this tension and dispute in the relationship, in another clip of the couple hugging a batch of flowers begin to sprout to symbolise their love increasing or reaching its peak. I Found this to be the highlight of the video as it adds a smooth and simple stylishness to the video and is very pleasing to the eyes as these vibrant colours spurt out of the colourless black and white filter. (See images)
The purpose of this video seems to simply be to give fans a visual of the songs story and also to increase sales and popularity of the song which it did becoming Augusts first’s video to reach almost 100 million views and chart well on the Billboard 100.
The second video, Wrecking ball by Miley Cyrus is a concept video created in a style specific to the song using heavy symbolism and imagery. The video depicts Miley swinging on a wrecking ball until it finally crashes through walls which appear to be blocking her in. The video uses colour imagery through costume and mis-en-scene or location with the costume being simply white and the walls surrounding her grey, this represents the mood of the song which is emotionally sad and monotone. The song covers heartbreak which is visually interpreted as she breaks through the walls in the room just as her heart is being broken. The location of this video is unconventional as the location is specific to the song rather than the songs genre.
Close up shots used depict Miley crying into the camera. These close up shots create a relationship between Miley and the viewer as she is looking into our eyes telling us of her heartbreak, this further expresses the purpose of the song and video which is to relate to its audience through heartbreak.
The costume in the video is conventional of a pop video as she is seen wearing revealing clothing, a tank top and underwear. Revealing clothing in pop videos is conventional as it is usually viewed as controversial, the more skin someone shows the more the video will be viewed and discussed. This then gains the song more sales, TV play ( as long as it’s censored ) and radio play. The clothing in the video is white to possibly symbolize her pureness until the clothing in the video is removed when she climbs upon the wrecking ball naked and breaks through the wall possibly symbolising her becoming a new person with experience of heartbreak. The decision to have her naked was very smart as it undoubtedly added to the reason the video broke the vevo record for most views in one day racking up over 12 million views. This also presented to us the “new Miley” and that she was beginning to change her image. The video went on to win the MTV video of the year award and peak at number one on the Billboard hot 100 mainly due to video streams.
The third video I watched was Kendrick Lamar’s ‘ Alright ‘ a concept/surreal video with the purpose to convey a message of discrimination and police brutality. The video depicts Kendrick and other black men coming together as a community whilst police continue to “shoot them down on the street “and behave unjustifiably against young black men.
The style of the video begins documentary/narrative style with a hint of surrealism before it becomes an artistic representation of reality with a hint of surrealism. Reality and surrealism, a confusing mix however executed incredibly. The beginning of the music video employs the documentary style of the video as Kendrick narrates a story of violence and discrimination whilst images of this are shown. The entire video is filmed in black and white which immediately draws the viewer in with its ominous ambiance. The video begins with Kendrick narrating to us a poem with clips of bleak and almost apocalyptic imagery. At the end of this introductory narrative we see a young black man escaping the cuffs of a white officer who puts a gun up to the centre of the camera and fires in slow motion before the song finally begins. This use of slow motion is very effective. The discharging of the gun seen up close and slowed down adds an oddly higher intensity and realism to the scene.The “real” video begins with Kendrick and his friends bumping to music in a lowrider being carried by white officers, this juxtaposition highlights the meaning and intention of the video perfectly which is that Police should not be above us and do not follow the brotherhood black men have which is why we see them working together to hold the car like some black men work together as society as a brotherhood.
The surrealism aspect of the video features Kendrick flying through the street, hanging upside down in mid-air and rapping atop a lamppost. This surrealism adds a great stylishness and classiness to the video which many other rap videos are criticized to be lacking in. This further adds to how unconventional the video is of its genre which commonly doesn’t feature as much surrealism, stunts or story depth and substance. The video ends with Kendrick however being shot of the lamppost by a police officer similar to the man in the beginning of the video presenting to us that no matter how high we believe we are or how triumphed we have become in decreasing inequality someone will bring us back down or repeat the past.
The purpose of the video is to cover the theme of discrimination and police brutality which is incredibly popular in today’s society.
The fourth video 30 seconds to mars – Closer to the edge is a performance styled video. Almost all rock bands release at least one “road “ type video which explores the bands tour bus life and the highs and lows which come with being a rock band touring the world. Though these videos present footage from the concerts they are rarely about the actual live experience and more about the band itself, the fans being just part of the background. Closer to the edge is the opposite however as it includes interviews with the fans themselves discussing their lives,loves,fears and how those things contribute to their love of the band.
The video uses many fast cuts and glimpses of flashing lights which contribute to the natural intensity of the video as we see fans screaming and holding hands with the band during performances. The video is colourful due to the lights of the stage which have beaming neon lights which highlight groups of the crowd and 30 seconds to mars themselves. This neon light presents a positive vibe of happiness to the video which is essentially what the video is covering, the happiness of the fans enjoying the band’s music with them and other fans as a community.
The purpose of this video is to thank or highlight the fan base of the band, this video is essentially a gift to them as it focuses on them and how they contribute to the band and its music.
The fifth video I watched was Nicki Minaj – The night is still young. This video follows the styles of singing, pastiche and surrealism. A singing video features the artist in this case Nicki Minaj singing the song with video cuts to different scenes which tell a story. The video begins with glimpses of all the settings in the video such as surrealistic neon lighted bedroom and the city streets of japan. This immediately compells the viewer as they are excited to see more of and what will be placed in these settings building tension.
As Minaj begins to rap her first verse we see her perform choreography with Japanese backing dancer’s infont of a wall of neon. This use of choreography is conventional in Rap and Pop, this being a crossover of both genres as seeing people dance is visually entertaining and makes the video more interesting to watch.
Neon lighting is featured throughout the entire video and adds perfectly to the surreal and positive atmosphere of the video. This use of neon and colour is what makes the video a pastiche as it was extremely common for music videos from the 80s to feature neon light thus making the video an imitation of the 80s which supports the song which carries 80s musical influence. These bright neon colours contribute to the positive lyric content of the song which include “ My only motto in life is don’t lose “ and “ I never worry, life is a journey “ this adds to the purpose of the video which is to show us we should enjoy life as we enjoy music.
In another scene we see Minaj and her dancers dressed in pink outfits with a neon tinted pink building behind them. This use of colour imager presents to the viewer the positive and light mood of the video. The entire video is set at night however each scene is dominated by light, this adds further to the song/videos message that even when you’re in the dark there is light and that light dominates darkness.
In the climax of the video as the lead up to the chorus begins to increase in volume and bass the images presented on screen also do, this gives the video an extra doss of intensity and tension and puts emphasis on the highlight of the song and video. There is also a short clip of a girl drinking with a Matte fit cup which is obvious product placement. This is when a company offers an artist or record label money or a deal to promote their product, this is seen commonly in mainstream music videos with Beats by Dre headphones.
The scenes used to tell the story of the video feature different groups of people of all races and genders making their way to a bright and colourful moon in the sky which brings the groups of people together as one to witness the beautiful sight. This is the climax of the video and adds to a theme of the song which is coming together as a community to enjoy life and experiences as the night is still young and we still have time.
The purpose of this video is to convey the message of society coming together to enjoy life and allow the artist to further express their artistic impression and visual intention of the song as well as further promote the song as it does well on radio.
The sixth video I watched was Katy Perry – ET. This music video is a narrative/Surreal styled video with some narrative. The video uses multiple special effects such as a floating alien and its use of space. In order to show these images on screen a green screen was used. This is used as images of Katy Perry in space couldn’t be presented in reality. This use of special effects and visual images attracts the audience as it makes the video unique and stand out against other videos which may not have the budget to present these special effects on screen.
The narrative of the story is of a female alien queen going on a quest to find a male alien to become king and take her throne with her. The video shows this with Perry searching through space and a post-apocalyptic earth in slow motion. This use of slow motion is effective as it allows the viewer to take in all the visual effects used and the ambiance and atmosphere of the scenes.
The video features many close up shots of Perry’s face in detailed makeup to present her as an alien. These close ups again allow the viewer to see the visual imagery the design artists created and to show to the viewer’s Perry’s interpretation of what an extra-terrestrial looks like.
The purpose of this video is to show what an artist is able to do with a high budget and how they can express their musical or artistic vision, another purpose is to further promote the single as it had high radio play prior to the video.
The final video I watched was Wiz Khalifa ft. Charlie Puth – See you again. This video was intended to pay tribute to the star of the film Fast and Furious 7 Paul Walker and to also promote the film itself.
The video for the song features various clips from the film featuring Paul as well as his co-stars. The video is done in the style of a singing music video as we see Rapper Wiz Khalifa and Charlie Puth singing and rapping the song with intercuts of clips from the movie. This technique of transition is done smoothly and in a fade fashion which emphases on the reflectory theme of the video as we are reflecting on the death of Paul, the lyrics of the song and the current success of his last film.
This video is styled conventionally as it follows the same transition style of other soundtrack music videos or music videos used to promote a film. The wide shots of Khalifa and Puth rapping on top of a hill featured in the film allow the viewer to look at the setting of the video and become familiar with it before they watch the film or if they have already watched the film.
This music video successfully promotes the film as well as respectfully paying tribute to Paul Walker equally and clearly presents this intention through its lack of editing or special effects and simplicity.
In conclusion the techniques and styles in music videos are successful in promoting the artist and song. The use of effects and camera shots make the video more enjoyable to watch and give the video a feel of creativity and individuality.
Media - Mtv Scenario/Single Release
Single release
A single is a song released by an artist either prior or after the release of their latest album. A single is commonly released on internet based formats such as ITunes, Amazon and Spotify but can also be released on physical format such as CD or Vinyl. Since 2006 however there has been a large decline in physical single CD purchase and an incredible rise in online single purchase. Singles can be released to promote the artists upcoming album, Era or change in musical style such as Katy Perry’s California girl’s, the first single to be released from her highly successful ‘ Teenage Dream ‘ album.
Teenage Dream marked Perrys change in musical style from pop rock to bubble-gum pop. The video for the single directly promotes the album as it featured an iconic shot which was used to inspire the album cover. This use of repetitive imagery in promotion of the single further promotes the single itself and the album as when the cover is released the music audience will be familiar with that specific image and associate the California Girls music video and single with the Teenage Dream album.
The promotion of Katy Perry’s change in image is shown below. This change in image ( colourful wigs and makeup ) was to present that this album would mark a new era for Katy Perry.
To demonstrate how a single is released I will be explaining the release of Justin Biebers latest single “What do you mean “. Although the single was recorded in May 2015 it wasn’t released until August 2015 this is because Justin decided to use his high musical status to promote the single which I will further explain later. This was also his first single after his 2 year solo break meaning the single needed some build up to further excite his fans.
As any single released by an artist the song had to be sent to his record label Def Jam who informed him of any changes needed in the song, the label decided the song was perfectly fine and would be ready to send to top 40 and mainstream radio. As earlier mentioned Justin decided to promote this single by using other well-known celebrities of all different careers and musical genre by having them pictured on social networking site Instagram holding a sign with the singles title. (The same Instagram which Justin is the most followed celebrity.)
This use of promotion was incredible successful as this meant fans of music genres similar and not similar to Justin’s would be introduced to this single therefore giving Justin an even wider audience than he already had. Upon the singles release it debut at number 1 in over 14 countries including Australia,UK,US and his native home Canada. The song also broke the record for highest first week sales online of a single ever and obtained 21 million streams in its first five days available, something never achieved before.
The promotion of a new artist can be done in a variety of ways in example the artist’ record label may feature them in music videos of other artist associated with the label. A label known for doing this is Jay z’s self-owned Roc-a-Fella records which is responsible for artists such as Kanye west, Rihanna and Rita Ora who all have label mates featured in their videos such as Kanye’s ‘ All of the lights ‘ which features Rihanna.
Label YMCMB (Young Money Cash Money Billionaires) is owned by rappers Lil Wayne and Birdman Williams. Before Their most prominent artists Drake and Nicki Minaj (Now Worldwide superstars with their own businesses, Merchandise and millions of records sold ) became more known in the mainstream they were both chosen to feature in the labels most popular and iconic release ‘ Bed Roc ‘ to promote them to the audience of rap/hip hop and let listeners know that these two artists will be making a mark on the music industry in the future which both did.
Above Drake and Minaj featured in the video at their ‘Rookie ‘ status.
Here Drake and Minaj now with their individual merch/companies/careers
Pictured here labelmates Drake and Minaj with their manager Lil wayne in their video for Only.
A single is a song released by an artist either prior or after the release of their latest album. A single is commonly released on internet based formats such as ITunes, Amazon and Spotify but can also be released on physical format such as CD or Vinyl. Since 2006 however there has been a large decline in physical single CD purchase and an incredible rise in online single purchase. Singles can be released to promote the artists upcoming album, Era or change in musical style such as Katy Perry’s California girl’s, the first single to be released from her highly successful ‘ Teenage Dream ‘ album.
Teenage Dream marked Perrys change in musical style from pop rock to bubble-gum pop. The video for the single directly promotes the album as it featured an iconic shot which was used to inspire the album cover. This use of repetitive imagery in promotion of the single further promotes the single itself and the album as when the cover is released the music audience will be familiar with that specific image and associate the California Girls music video and single with the Teenage Dream album.The promotion of Katy Perry’s change in image is shown below. This change in image ( colourful wigs and makeup ) was to present that this album would mark a new era for Katy Perry.
To demonstrate how a single is released I will be explaining the release of Justin Biebers latest single “What do you mean “. Although the single was recorded in May 2015 it wasn’t released until August 2015 this is because Justin decided to use his high musical status to promote the single which I will further explain later. This was also his first single after his 2 year solo break meaning the single needed some build up to further excite his fans.
This use of promotion was incredible successful as this meant fans of music genres similar and not similar to Justin’s would be introduced to this single therefore giving Justin an even wider audience than he already had. Upon the singles release it debut at number 1 in over 14 countries including Australia,UK,US and his native home Canada. The song also broke the record for highest first week sales online of a single ever and obtained 21 million streams in its first five days available, something never achieved before. 
The promotion of a new artist can be done in a variety of ways in example the artist’ record label may feature them in music videos of other artist associated with the label. A label known for doing this is Jay z’s self-owned Roc-a-Fella records which is responsible for artists such as Kanye west, Rihanna and Rita Ora who all have label mates featured in their videos such as Kanye’s ‘ All of the lights ‘ which features Rihanna. 
Label YMCMB (Young Money Cash Money Billionaires) is owned by rappers Lil Wayne and Birdman Williams. Before Their most prominent artists Drake and Nicki Minaj (Now Worldwide superstars with their own businesses, Merchandise and millions of records sold ) became more known in the mainstream they were both chosen to feature in the labels most popular and iconic release ‘ Bed Roc ‘ to promote them to the audience of rap/hip hop and let listeners know that these two artists will be making a mark on the music industry in the future which both did. 
Above Drake and Minaj featured in the video at their ‘Rookie ‘ status.
Here Drake and Minaj now with their individual merch/companies/careers
Pictured here labelmates Drake and Minaj with their manager Lil wayne in their video for Only.
Friday 16 October 2015
Thursday 15 October 2015
Drama - The voice
The WILL to PHINATE.
How do we produce sound ?
The lung must produce airflow and air pressure as we inhale to vibrate vocal folds (this air pressure is the fuel of the voice). The vocal folds (vocal cords) are a vibrating valve that chops up the airflow from the lungs into audible pulses that form the sound source. This sound however is not released unless we consciously instruct ourselves to. Without the use of our brain no sound will be made. This is the will to phinate.
How do we maintain a healthy voice ?
- Drinking water keeps the body hydrated therefore giving more physical energy to the performer. Water helps lubricate the vocal chords
- Voices must not be strained. This can be avoided by scheduling vocal practise. It is recommended a performer rests their voice once a day to prevent strain.
- Smoking should be avoided as it can tarnish your lungs which are crucial for your vocal performance
- Avoid shouting and screaming as this will just add strain to your vocal chords.
Notes
When speaking with your mouth closed you cannot articulate which means the sound has no clarity.
Breathing - power source
Phinating - making of the sound
Resonating - giving the sound it's quality
Articulating - giving the sound it's clarity
How do we produce sound ?
The lung must produce airflow and air pressure as we inhale to vibrate vocal folds (this air pressure is the fuel of the voice). The vocal folds (vocal cords) are a vibrating valve that chops up the airflow from the lungs into audible pulses that form the sound source. This sound however is not released unless we consciously instruct ourselves to. Without the use of our brain no sound will be made. This is the will to phinate.
How do we maintain a healthy voice ?
- Drinking water keeps the body hydrated therefore giving more physical energy to the performer. Water helps lubricate the vocal chords
- Voices must not be strained. This can be avoided by scheduling vocal practise. It is recommended a performer rests their voice once a day to prevent strain.
- Smoking should be avoided as it can tarnish your lungs which are crucial for your vocal performance
- Avoid shouting and screaming as this will just add strain to your vocal chords.
Notes
When speaking with your mouth closed you cannot articulate which means the sound has no clarity.
Breathing - power source
Phinating - making of the sound
Resonating - giving the sound it's quality
Articulating - giving the sound it's clarity
Tuesday 13 October 2015
Drama - presentation notes on Torvald Helmer
Character study
Nora’s husband. Torvald delights in his new position at the bank, just as he delights in his position of authority as a husband. He treats Nora like a child, in a manner that is both kind and patronizing. He does not view Nora as an equal but rather as a plaything or doll to be teased and admired. In general, Torvald is overly concerned with his place and status in society. Torvald allows his emotions to be swayed heavily by the prospect of society’s respect and the fear of society’s scorn making him socially concious.
Analysis
Torvald embraces the belief that a man’s role in marriage is to protect and guide his wife. He clearly enjoys the idea that Nora needs his guidance, and he interacts with her as a father would. He instructs her with trite, moralistic sayings, such as: “A home that depends on loans and debt is not beautiful because it is not free.” He is also eager to teach Nora the dance she performs at the costume party. Torvald likes to envision himself as Nora’s savior, asking her after the party, “[D]o you know that I’ve often wished you were facing some terrible dangers so that I could risk life and limb, risk everything, for your sake?”
Although Torvald seizes the power in his relationship with Nora and refers to her as “girl,” it seems that Torvald is actually the weaker and more childlike character.
Torvald is very conscious of other people’s perceptions of him and of his standing in the community. His explanation for rejecting Nora’s request that Krogstad be kept on at the office—that retaining Krogstad would make him “a laughing stock before the entire staff”—shows that he prioritizes his reputation over his wife’s desires. Torvald further demonstrates his deep need for society’s respect in his reaction to Nora’s deception. Although he says that Nora has ruined his happiness and will not be allowed to raise the children, he insists that she remain in the house because his chief concern is saving “the appearance” of their household.
Nora’s husband. Torvald delights in his new position at the bank, just as he delights in his position of authority as a husband. He treats Nora like a child, in a manner that is both kind and patronizing. He does not view Nora as an equal but rather as a plaything or doll to be teased and admired. In general, Torvald is overly concerned with his place and status in society. Torvald allows his emotions to be swayed heavily by the prospect of society’s respect and the fear of society’s scorn making him socially concious.
Analysis
Torvald embraces the belief that a man’s role in marriage is to protect and guide his wife. He clearly enjoys the idea that Nora needs his guidance, and he interacts with her as a father would. He instructs her with trite, moralistic sayings, such as: “A home that depends on loans and debt is not beautiful because it is not free.” He is also eager to teach Nora the dance she performs at the costume party. Torvald likes to envision himself as Nora’s savior, asking her after the party, “[D]o you know that I’ve often wished you were facing some terrible dangers so that I could risk life and limb, risk everything, for your sake?”
Although Torvald seizes the power in his relationship with Nora and refers to her as “girl,” it seems that Torvald is actually the weaker and more childlike character.
Torvald is very conscious of other people’s perceptions of him and of his standing in the community. His explanation for rejecting Nora’s request that Krogstad be kept on at the office—that retaining Krogstad would make him “a laughing stock before the entire staff”—shows that he prioritizes his reputation over his wife’s desires. Torvald further demonstrates his deep need for society’s respect in his reaction to Nora’s deception. Although he says that Nora has ruined his happiness and will not be allowed to raise the children, he insists that she remain in the house because his chief concern is saving “the appearance” of their household.
media - conventions of music videos
Conventions of music videos
Lyric interpretation
Lyrical interpretation in music videos is when the visuals of the video are concurrent with the lyrics, theme or genre of the song. This is essentially the same as Goodwin's theory which is that music videos tend to include a demonstration of typical genre characteristics e g: R&B - couple failing to stay faithful or falling in love, Rock : live concert footage or reference to horror films. Lyric interpretation is criticised for being overused in music videos essentially making them less creative and more generic. An example of a video that uses lyrical interpretation is August Alsina ft Nicki minaj - No love. In the video the artists interpret the lyrics and theme of the song which is being unfaithful and falling in love again. As previously mentioned this music video narrative of the couple breaking up and getting back together can be seen s overused as its conventional of the r&b genre.
Extending or consolidating songs meanings
This is when an artist uses symbolism or the mis-en-scene to emphasise or further the meaning of a song. Through the use of symbolism an artist can present an alternative meaning to their song which listeners were unaware of. This can also be used to just bring the lyrics together to create a visual definition of the song. An example of a video using symbolism or mis en scene to further the message of the song is Black Hole sun by Soundgarden. Throughout the video the mis-en-scene is presented in a dream like fashion as the picture is tilted,this can further add to the meaning of the song which is that not everything is at it seems. The mis-en-scene also features people being surrealistically portrayed ( the woman sunbathing who's tongue stretches unrealistically to catch a fly )
Focus on the performer
This is when a video focuses on the artist in someway. This is seen in almost every video in shots/scenes which present the artist in a close up shot or under a spotlight. This focus on the performer is beneficial to them as their face will be more recognisable to an audience. An example of a video which uses focus on the performer is G eazy - Been on. Throughout the whole video we are focused on his face in a long shot/headshot. I believe this use of focus is successful as listeners who like the song are essentially forced to view his face and familiarise themselves with it.
Lighting for mood
This is when lighting is used in specific scenes to achieve a certain mood eg: dark grey lighting could connote sadness or a negative mood whilst bright white lighting can present happiness or a positive mood. In lighting there is key,contrast and colour. Colour is the main component which defines wether the lighting in the video is used to present sadness,fear,love etc. An example of a video which uses lighting for mood is The night is still young by Nicki Minaj. Throughout the video bright neon colours are set in the background, this presents a positive/happy mood within the video. In the scenes outside at night bright lighting is still used to further present that the song is presenting a positive mood/message in its visuals and/or lyrics.
Pace and Cuts of the music video
This is when camera shots and angles are used to slow or increase the pace of the video. These camera shots and angles can also convey specific meanings and add visually to the lyrics of the song. In example a Close-up can slow the pace of the video to add to the emotion of the song as the singer may have an expression of sadness ( frowning,crying ) . This closeup shot also gives the artist time to iconize themselves as mentioned earlier in ' focusing on the performer ' . An example of this is in Miley Cyrus - Wrecking ball where the pace of the video is slowed down as we are presented with iconizing shots of the artists face which also convey the sad emotion of the song. Just there we can see the pace and cuts of the video are effecting the emotion of the video, the artists familiarity
and the songs meaning. This use of pace and cutting is successful as
Editing
Editing is something that is present in all music videos and is essential for one to work or convey its emotion,narrative and meaning. The only time editing can be excluded is when a video simply uses one long shot which then can still be edited. Editing is how the video is pieced together,without editing these clips together in a specific order the narrative would be visually confusing.
The majority of music videos use jump cutting which is a simple and easy use of editing,jump cuts are commonly used because they allow the video to jump from scene to scene without altering or effecting its continuity. Therefore the jump cuts cover the majority of the video and allow the makers to spend more time on effects and styling the video hence the reason use of jump cuts is criticized as lazy. An example of a video which relies on editing is Twenty one pilots - Ride. In the video no effects are used and instead editing ( primarily jumpcuts ) are used so the video can transition from shot to shot,scene to scene and in the middle of the song from lightness to darkness.
Extending or consolidating songs meanings
This is when an artist uses symbolism or the mis-en-scene to emphasise or further the meaning of a song. Through the use of symbolism an artist can present an alternative meaning to their song which listeners were unaware of. This can also be used to just bring the lyrics together to create a visual definition of the song. An example of a video using symbolism or mis en scene to further the message of the song is Black Hole sun by Soundgarden. Throughout the video the mis-en-scene is presented in a dream like fashion as the picture is tilted,this can further add to the meaning of the song which is that not everything is at it seems. The mis-en-scene also features people being surrealistically portrayed ( the woman sunbathing who's tongue stretches unrealistically to catch a fly )
Focus on the performer
This is when a video focuses on the artist in someway. This is seen in almost every video in shots/scenes which present the artist in a close up shot or under a spotlight. This focus on the performer is beneficial to them as their face will be more recognisable to an audience. An example of a video which uses focus on the performer is G eazy - Been on. Throughout the whole video we are focused on his face in a long shot/headshot. I believe this use of focus is successful as listeners who like the song are essentially forced to view his face and familiarise themselves with it.
Lighting for mood
Pace and Cuts of the music video
This is when camera shots and angles are used to slow or increase the pace of the video. These camera shots and angles can also convey specific meanings and add visually to the lyrics of the song. In example a Close-up can slow the pace of the video to add to the emotion of the song as the singer may have an expression of sadness ( frowning,crying ) . This closeup shot also gives the artist time to iconize themselves as mentioned earlier in ' focusing on the performer ' . An example of this is in Miley Cyrus - Wrecking ball where the pace of the video is slowed down as we are presented with iconizing shots of the artists face which also convey the sad emotion of the song. Just there we can see the pace and cuts of the video are effecting the emotion of the video, the artists familiarity
and the songs meaning. This use of pace and cutting is successful as
Editing
Editing is something that is present in all music videos and is essential for one to work or convey its emotion,narrative and meaning. The only time editing can be excluded is when a video simply uses one long shot which then can still be edited. Editing is how the video is pieced together,without editing these clips together in a specific order the narrative would be visually confusing.
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