Practical Pre-Production Test Shoot: 50% Audio

Music video proposal 1st draft

Definition of a Music Video

In its simplest form a music video (in the current day) is a song accompanied by visual art (e.g. photography animation or film). Often for promotional purposes, to create a hype around the featured song or associated album, and to ultimately encourage sales. Although viral music videos don't always increase sales, as shown in this article. According to Joan Lynch, videos of the current day boil down into three main categories. These categories are performance, narrative, concept - although these categories can be combined, and are just a basic structure; although this is still heavily applicable to modern day music videos. There are many other theorists that identified themes and genres within music videos, I will talk about these though out my blog.

Pin Board for Music Video Visuals

Follow James Steward's board Hueboy on Pinterest.

As I'm aiming for an abstract video, I was finding it very hard to create a storyboard which normally shows narrative and timeline; where as in the music video I create, I don't want there to be a narrative nor timeline. So instead I compiled a pin board of visuals that I want to replicate visually and atmospherically, in the video. I've chosen colourful and very contemporary imagery, which is the aesthetic I want to achieve with the music video.

Music Video Analysis: The XX - Islands (Directed by Saam)

The XX are considered to be a minimalistic, mysterious, and yet sophisticated band; this is clearly reflected in this video. With the start of the video showing The XX's bold logo it shows a good brand identity with such a simple symbol of X. This relates to Goodwins theory of "star iconography", and how involving their logo in the video demonstrates synergy, as this was also the cover of the album this single is from.

The XX - Self Titled (2009)

The dramatic, artificial lighting with sharp and clear shadows makes it clear that the video is set in a studio. This is quite representative of the song as the lyrics are fragmented and unrelatable as the are fairly abstract. So the fact the video is removed from a location and a relatable atmosphere is fairly symbolic of the song. Again this complies with another of Goodwin's theories, of there being a relationship between the lyrics and the visuals; although this is not an obvious link it still carries the emotional feel of the track. This is similar with the 

Music Video Analysis: Azealia Banks - Atlantis (Directed by Fafi)

The video to Atlantis by Azealia Banks, initially looks like another "seapunk" internet video. Which aestheticly it is, however it has a hidden narrative. A story of time travel, Greek mythology, and the rise and fall of the economy. The music video is decoded on this YouTube video. 

However Miss Banks' music is more true to the experimental pop genre, similar to Grimes, Robyn, Nelumbo and Telsie. Her videos are always different, and never similar. This is the same for most experimental pop musicians, mainly because it doesn't stay within it own genre it borrows ideas from many different genres like rap, dance and electronic. 

This video directed by Fafi, is very conceptual - although it obviously includes elements of performance due the the lip syincing and dancing. The video links with Goodwins codes and conventions, through the music/visual link of the dancing and intertextual references of Greek mythology, and the seapunk culture. Furthermore the relationship of the lyrics is shown visually through the "Pray, Prey" line of the song being shown literally, to define the difference of the homophones. 

Song Analysis: Nelumbo and Tielsie

This track by Tielsie is very energetic and upbeat. 

The start of the track builds up layer by layer, starting fairly calmly and progressing to a much more hectic atmosphere, I think the visuals should reflect this graduation, into an almost over whelming chaos. From 0:25 I can imagine visuals to the song gradually getting brighter or more colourful up to 0:42-0:48 where the visuals should black out and should come back with a quick attack and a hectic nature, I have an idea of up to this point there should be no people of actors in the video. This would be fairly symbolic of the start of the universe and the birth of civilisation. With the song being very busy and built up, I feel its quite symbolic of the civilisation of humans cycle of destruction and creation. 

With the high pitched synth melody from 1:00 I think a strong rapid lighting effect should be used to enhance the harshness and contrast of the melody. Similar to the rapid rhythm at 1:34.


From 1:49 the imagery I get is strobe lights or stop motion to the beat of the music, with more hectic and destructive imagery, up until 2:11. This sequence could represent the fall and extinction of civilisation. This narrative would be portrayed in a very abstract way, similar the the way Kanda and Fafi weave epic narratives into their videos


 
The second song I have chosen to possibly use for my music video is by Nelumbo, a young music producer living in Brighton. The track skies has a fairly laid back and airy atmosphere, to it due to the icy synthesisers and distant vocal samples. The the track makes me think of colourful abstract imagery. This imagery would reflect the beats, rhythms, and harmonies of the track. This track will be used if there are any complications with the track by Telsie.

Director Study: Daniel Sannwald

Daniel Sannwald is a video artist who seems too be a jack of all trades; he's and animator, videographer, along with being a director of art, fashion, and music videos. His style is broad as he works with many different magazines and designers, so his style must be moulded to fit around the purpose of the video his creating. However in all of his videos colour is used as a stylistic device, through the grading, set dressing and experimental uses of light - such as the use of lasers and projection tools to create a layered and colourful atmosphere. The colour in Saanwalds videos is frequently bright bold and contrasting to simple block coloured backgrounds, thus makes his videos fairly artistic and modern; this point is strengthed by his conceptual themes in his videos. This is fairly expected of fashion and editorial videos; as it is a convention for them to lack obvious narrative, and to be visually striking the through the use of colour, lighting and composition. 

Director Study: Jesse Kanda

Jesse Kanda's style of directing is a very artistic and contemporary approach, he creates his videos without committing to a conceptual vision, making his work very "fluid" as he calls it in an interview. Some consider his works such as TRAUMA repulsive, with the same people considering his work with FKA Twigs for her video for Water Me to be pure beauty. The way Kanda presents traditionally disturbing or gross material in away that makes them seem so beautiful and angelic is what inspires me about him.

The highly conceptual narratives Kanda weaves into his video often go missed until the audience knows they must read into his videos deeper than the surface. This is most likely why he chooses very contemporary and conceptual musicians to match his creative thinking. Although Kanda says in an interview that the video is purely him and the music is purely the musician, but the musician may have a starting point for Kanda; but ultimately it is his creative vision. 

Kanda's work with Arca is very "out of the box". Their work together is considered more of an artwork than just a music video, this works with both artists styles as both are fairly underground; although within their fields they are considered geniuses. It is clear that Kanda has a clear style in is work which doeskin make it a appeal to the masses of mainstream audiences, because of its content which is considered by some disturbing and others confusing. Its almost like the magical, distorted reality of Kanda's video is so different and new its too much for the mainstream to comprehend. Much like Chris Cunningham's collaborations with Aphex Twin; when the two started working together the content was ahead of its time, so it confused the masses and intrigued the artistic niche. I believe Aphex Twin/Chris Cunningham in one of Kanda's influences along with Paul White and artists like Bjork.