Research: Andrew Goodwin's Theory

Andrew Goodwin's theory on music videos is that they cannot be categorised with traditional narrative analyses (such as in films) for a number of reasons. The fundamental reason is that most songs follow a repetitive verse-chorus structure, unlike the traditional 'beginning, middle, end' narrative structure. Another reason is that many music videos use the artist as both a narrator and character in the video.

He also said that there were different ways to describe the relationship between the song and the video, which are:

• Illustration: This is where the images in the video directly illustrate or tell the story of the lyrics of the song
• Amplification: This is when the video adds a new meaning to the song, that does not contradict the lyrics but creates a new 
• Disjuncture: This is when the video is not related to the lyrics of the song, sometimes contracting or just completely random. 

What is the function of a Music Video?

With the way the music industry works today, both artists and their record labels cannot make enough profit from selling music (CDs/Mp3s) alone. This means that in order to survive they must find other ways to make a profit.

Music Videos are used as marketing devices to promote both the song featured in the video, and also the artist. 

To buy one track from iTunes costs around 79p, whereas tickets to see a world famous artist live in concert can be sold for up to £50 each. This is why it is more useful to promote the artist rather than just the song they are releasing at that time.

Music videos can be seen by a worldwide audience at any time thanks to websites like Youtube. It is not unusual for a video by a major artist to gain millions of views in just a few days.

Professor Green’s latest video has over 2 million views, and was only uploaded less than 2 weeks ago.

Student Video Review

Out of all the previous student videos that we saw in class, I think the best one by far was the Nas video. As soon as the music starts, it looks like a professional music video, and gets better throughout the track.
The use of the fisheye lens gives the video an original and iconic image, and with the black & white filter makes the video look professional. Also, the MTV base logo in the top corner makes it look even more professional, as if it had been recorded from the TV channel.



The editing is also outstanding, as almost all of the cuts are in time with the music (and even with the DJ scratching effects). The speed of the cuts keeps your attention on the video, not allowing the viewer to get bored. I think the longest time a single shot is shown for is around 2 seconds. Also, the use of slow motion and the way they blend shots together shows how much time was put into the editing process.
The locations they chose to film also make the video look interesting, but I think that almost anything would have looked good through the fisheye lens and in black & white.
In addition to all of this, the lip-syncing is all perfectly in time. I don’t think there are any improvements they could have made with this video.

Post an analysis of the original video for your song choice stating clearly how your video will differ

Video:

In The Air (feat. Professor Green & Maverick Sabre)

Analysis

• Tracking and panning video camera shots from 0-11 sec introduces the main character to the audience, the long shot of the male signifies that he is the narrator of the music video. 
• There is a lot of tracking in the whole music video, this can be used to correlate to the pace of the music instrumental and rapping from Professor green.
• Medium shots are used on the main character as much as those in his surroundings, this could be done to express his facial features and emotions
• I think the wide shots of his surrounding e.g the estate and sky are used to give a view a point of the characters, pacey music and the camera technique can suggest the characters awareness or his paranoia
• The Mise en scene of the tower blocks could be suggesting to the audience that the individual is trapped in a maze and cant get out
•  The hoody hides the majority of the characters identity/face and shadows his eyes yet we can see that he is angry through the expressions of his lips and inflated nostrils. The black character can instil a theme of stereotype to the audience.
• The theme of using the attacking pigeons is an unusual but rare technique not used in any other hip-hop videos I've seen before
• The change of power from the narrator being the angry black teenage boy to the pigeons was also an intriguing idea.

How Our video will differ?

• There could be flashbacks
• Cut the shots of the artist performing the lyrics
• Actor Paranoid and looking over there shoulder all the time and running from their past

Letter Requesting Copy Right Clearance

The Copy clearance sent by Ben to  contact@virginrecords.com for the permission of using Professers green song in the air

Final song choice with short explanation about why you've chosen it.

Final Song Choice

My group decided to select this song because its got an urban feel to it, the beat is pacey and has the grime genre feel as well as disco. In addition the vocal verse adds a different element to the track making it sound like that of a R n B track.

Copyright Request Reply

Today I received a reply from Chase & Status’s management after emailing them asking for permission to use their song ‘Blind Faith’ for our music video. They said that I should forward the request to Universal Music Publishing.