Blogging task: Skills Audit - development in skills since AS

Since AS, I think I have learnt a lot of valuable skills that I plan to take forward with me into A2, In AS, I only knew just the basics of Soundtrack pro and Final Cut Pro. Let's start with Final Cut Pro.


FINAL CUT PRO

THEN
Before, I knew how to copy and paste video clips into the timeline and make a simple sequence by match cutting and making sure it makes sense and is easy on the eye in terms of editing. I also knew how to layer videos on top of each other so you see two videos at the same time. I think it's safe to say my skills were quite limited in AS.

NOW
I took the skills I learnt in AS and I plan to take them into A2. Through my experimentation I have learnt to layer videos and create amazing effects on them. I also know how to do a split screen.

To summarise for Soundtrack Pro, we don't really plan to use it that much this year because we will chose a song that won't need any editing done to it. However, through workshop in my college and I have expanded my skills and before I knew how to chose songs and make a basic beat. Now I know how to make complex beats and mix around with the pitch and tempo of the songs.

Until then!

Stephanie

Blogging task : What have I learnt about the music industry in 2011?

After reading an article from the guardian in class called Music is thriving, but the business is dying. Who can make it pay again?, we learnt that the music industry is struggling to cope with the demands of the public. Back in the day, it was common for teenagers and adults alike to purchase physical copies of songs, such as cassettes, CD's and vinyl records (oh, the good old days!) and this is where the profit for the music industry came from. However, with all the new technologies available such as Spotify and YouTube, buying a CD is something of the past - everything is readily downloadable for the public. So how exactly has the music industry changed in all aspects? Let's investigate.

Production
Making of music and recording it to a suitable good standard so it can be sold

THEN: Before, it was common for songs to be recorded in a music studio, with basic equipment such as a mic and a recording device. The video editing was very basic, with simple cuts and editing.

NOW: We use expensive equipment such as mixing tables and DJ mixing tables and high-tech computers to do a lot of complicated complex effects. Video editing has expanded and improved - you can make anything happen in a music video nowadays.

Distribution
Distribution is how people hear/know about music and how it gets to the public.

THEN: Before, advertising for music was very different. There was very limited internet, so we had to rely on posters put up around the street, Television adverts and the radio. There were live shows broadcasting artists playing live, such as Top of the Pops!

NOW: Everything is on the internet. We hear about music online through social networking websites such as Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr and Myspace. Maybe artists choose to promote their music through YouTube, which is a user-based website where users can upload videos, or make a music Myspace account and promote their music through there.

Exchange
This is what changes hands between the artists and the audience which is basically how we receive music.

THEN: Music industries made a lot of money through people buying physical copies of music, it was the main source of profit.

NOW: Due to websites such as YouTube and Spotify, paying for music is something of the past. Torrent websites, such as YouTube converters that change the music video to an MP3 file suited to use for a portable device such as a phone or MP3, have become very popular nowadays. So basically, we pay nothing for music. Artists get their profit from concerts and band merchandise such as posters and t-shirts. Sad right?

Overall to conclude, the music industry needs a pick me up and it might have to be a drastic change before we stop downloading illegal copies of songs.

Until then!

Stephanie

Research for Music Video: Favourite student video

In class we watched a few student music videos and I must admit that it seems like we have some real competition on our hands! The editing seems alot different to the thrillers we did in AS so it seem like we have alot of recapping and learning to do, but I'm sure our group can do it! When I went home I had a further look and watched most of the student videos from years 2008 to now and they are all good, but some of them are lacking creativity in the mise-en-scene and costume and scenery, so I want to make sure our group focuses on these points and develop them more. This is one of my favourite student videos from 2008-2009 because it gets you moving and it is well edited and lip synced. Enjoy! :)



I really like this video because the lip syncing is well done and they managed to fit a story line into there music without it turning into a TV Drama, they've used the concept of a master shot well, and they have used Carol Vernallis rules very well, using lots of jump cuts and constantly keeping the audience entertained. Also, Laura Mulvey's quote is clearly put into action in this clip, with the girls dancing for the males pleasure. However, if they had thought more about the background and mise-en-scene it would have been a better clip but it is still fantastic, I'd say it's a good job well done!

Until then!

Stephanie

Research for Music Video: Laura Mulvey

 'In a world ordered by sexual imbalance, pleasure in looking has been split between active/male and passive/female. The determining male gaze projects its fantasy onto the female figure which is styled accordingly' - Laura Mulvey, 1992.

What I think Laura Mulvey means in her quote is that music videos nowadays are very dominantly based on the male gaze, meaning females dress to how men want to see them, e.g., in tight, revealing clothes, portraying there sexuality, curves and promiscuity. I do agree with this statement, as many female singers and bands do dress provocatively and accordingly to how males perceive females should dress. For example, The Saturdays are a good example, they are all very pretty girls and flaunt their assets quite well. However, much as her statement is true, especially in rap and hip hop music videos with tons of Video Vixens such as Angel Lola Luv and Amber Rose, there are females that choose to go against that and empower females and show that we aren't just pretty things to look at.   Here are are a few videos that demonstrate her quote and one special female that chooses to rebel against it:

As you can see, in these videos the women are portrayed as provocative and almost sleazy, as they are shaking their assets for the men in the video. Slow motion and CU's are used to really put the emphasis on their body and erogenous zones. Personally, I do not like the way women are portrayed, but I guess it will never stop, as the famous saying goes; sex sells.

This is a video of Alicia Keys rebelling against Mulveys quote with her song, Superwoman. This is a song about empowering woman and ensuring that they do have a voice. Enjoy :)

In this, Alicia Keys portrays women as strong beings who are able to succeed in live without having to submit to the male gaze. Who run the world? Girls!

 Until then!

Stephanie

Research for Music Video: Carol Vernallis

Carol Vernallis, who is the author of Experiencing Music Video: Aesthetics and Cultural Context (2004) and also a journalist, has extensively studied editing and camerawork in music videos and has some to the conclusion that edits in music videos are more frequent than in film or TV. Furthermore, she believes that many edits in videos stand out as disjucture and they have a rhythmic basis closely connected to the beat of the song. Personally, I agree with Vernallis in her theory, as there are many videos which prove this. Here are a few examples of some.

As you can see, Kelly Rowland - Commander ft David Guetta and Eve - Tambourine demonstrate her main ideas. Which are as follows:

- The usual rules of continuity are broken, to draw attention to what is on screen. In Tambourine there is a variety of different shots of Eve in different costume, and she continually uses jump cuts to different scenes in the video, and usually it cuts back to a master shot (base track) to give the video a structure.

- The edits are really obvious and they are used to draw attention to the artists, such as special effects. In Commander, they edited it to make two of her and she is mainly in the music video, which really draws attention to her and promotes her as an artist. Also, when she is dancing, the camera moves in time with the music, typical of a music video.

Until then!

Stephanie

How to embed vimeo on to blogger.

This is for those that do not know to do embed vimeo vids onto blogger. I have had people ask me this so heres a vid made by Jason Nix on how to do this.

Skills audit

Last year we done our whole project on making a thriller opening. However this year it is now different instead we are doing research on Music Videos. My skills in research have developed a lot in many ways. First of all last year i would research many things but would not know much about its quality. What i simply mean in that statement is the fact that i would gain some research on certian parts of the thriller opening but would not know if it would be any good. For example i would gain knowledge about the contrast and cuts that are commonly used in thrillers however i would not know if it is any use to my thriller opening. This year i have been improving on this weakness of mine.

Secondly research involves finding out information however, last year i had the chance to ask many people what would be a good idea for my thriller such as; lighting, how the scene should be, mise en scene  but i did not do that i just stuck with my group getting ideas among ourselves and building on them. This year i have developed in asking people that do not do media what do they think would make a good music video, just to get some ideas if there are any.

In addition what i must learn to do is to not mix my thriller opening with my music video therefore reinforcing the idea that my research must be better and crucial as it will affect my grade.