His Career
Emil Nava started off his career working for many different film production companies as being a runner. A runner is usually someone who does the odd jobs of filming media, such as tidying up area spaces before filming. One of the production companies that he worked for was Blink Productions. He worked as a runner in this production company, and he was eventually graduated to Assistant Director of the music video shoot. He then signed to the Academy production company which is widely recognised as one of the biggest music video production companies. He now mainly worse for the company Pulse. He was also a freelance worker for OB Management of where he is much more involved in the process of making music videos, rather then just being the runner.
His Works
Emil Nava's 1st music video that he made was the song "Our House Is Dadless" by Kid British. He had a relatively small budget of only £20,000 and he had it filmed and edited and finished in 4 days. He decided to make a relatively small music video which didn't have much of a budget and didn't really have any high production values. He just used a local street in Manchester and filmed it using local people who lived in the area. There was also 10 days of pre-production of where everything was planned and set in stone. This music video shows Emil Nava's skill of being able to work under very strict and tight time scales which proves his determination to work well in a short amount of time.
One of his more famous videos that he has made is the song "Picking Up The Pieces" by Paloma Faith. This was made under the Sony Client. This was very different from his first music video, as he had a budget of £80,000 which was 4x more the budget he had for his first video. With this bigger budget, he was able to make a video with a lot more high production values. More noticeably, the picture quality is much better in the new video. Also, the location is at a very posh house/palace place and the whole setup is designed to make the video just look very posh, and this is achieved by all of the high production values.
Another one of his more famous works is the song: "You Need Me, I Don't Need You" by Ed Sheeran. This was made under the Atlantic client. This song had a much lower budget then "Picking Up The Pieces" but a little bit higher budget then "Our House is Dadless". The budget for this music video was £35,000 and this budget allowed for a bit of high production values. This was a high quality music video which was made in black and white and featured a performer doing the song and dancing a long to it.
Another one of his more famous works is the song "Do It Like A Dude" by Jessie J. This was made under under the Island client. This song had a budget of just £25,000. This is easily visible as the location for this music video looks to be like some kind of abandoned flat, or some kind of drug house. This is because the location as a whole just looks very dirty, and we can see members of the cast are smoking drugs. There are not very high production values, as nothing looks very fancy, except for the orange coat that Jessie J is wearing. It's more of a realistic video and would reflect real locations that societies live in, and doing activities that some people actually have to do.
His Advice and Tips
During some of the interviews that he has done over the years, Emil has given some of the top tips that he uses that makes his videos successful. One of his tips is simply that the music video idea must match with the nature of the song. He wants the music videos to promote the artist visually. He also speaks about how recent advances in technology have really helped his cause. He says that without his Blackberry phone, he wouldn't of been able to connect with some of the people all over the world like he has done (especially in America). He gives credit to technology by saying that it has made communicating with others, much easier. He also says the cliche of working hard eventually pays off if you keep at it and there will be days in the future of where you will never have to work again. A few more of his tips include: Use Extreme Close Ups to show people's emotion where possible, and also do not make a whole video of just medium and long shots.
Friday, 28 November 2014
Audience Research Survey
Friday, 21 November 2014
Editing Update 1
Editing Update 1
After filming our band performance scenes, we needed to upload the footage that we had recorded onto Adobe Premier Pro. As you can see from the screenshot above, we have started the editing process of our video. We was able to download the song that we had used, and put it into our project and lock it in place. Also, we was able to begin putting our music video together, by putting our band performance scenes and editing them together with the lip syncing so they look professional. However, we still need to film more scenes, such as the park scenes so that we can edit our music video more, so a storyline can be added.
Music Video Animatic
This is the animatic for our music video. We drew on paper rough pictures of the scenes that we expect to film in our real video, and then was able to edit them together in a way that we want our music video to look like. We feel that this will be a good guide to use for when we go filming our real music video.
Wednesday, 19 November 2014
Storyboard
Monday, 17 November 2014
Case Studies on Jamie Thraves
Jamie Thraves was a director who was very interested in media while he was at university. He made several short films where he was there. He was able to work with the video production company "Factory Films and he was able to create an award winning short film, and the company was interested in his works. He began his music career by shooting 3 music videos where are relatively low budget videos of around £5000 each. Jamie made music videos as a living and was at the point where he needed his videos to do well, in order to just live and be able to survive. His whole livelihood depended on his videos being successful. He was able to be successful, as the treatments for his two best known videos were sent to production companies and each one was successful, such was his talent. One of his many talents was that he made his music videos in such a way that made them look like mini films because of the storylines that were involved in them. One example of this is the song "Just" by Radiohead.
One of the really popular videos he made was the song "Just" by Radiohead. He was able to direct, and film this video in just 3 days. He had a larger budget then he is used to and he had a budget of £100,000. This video is like a mini film, as the storyline is about Radiohead performing in a flat somewhere, and on the pavement in front of the block of flats, there is a man who is laying there for no apparent reason. The storyline for this music video is that random people are approaching this man on the floor and are asking him what is wrong, and why he is laying there. His responses to this are that he wants to be alone, and that he doesn't want to tell the people of why he is laying there. Using Roland Barthes theory of enigma codes, the problem in this music video is that everyone wants to know why this man is lying there. This enigma code keeps the audience interested, and eager to see what happens next. This music video is an example of an open text as there are many different meanings that could be taken from this song. Going back to Goodwin's theory, the music lyrics have nothing to do with the storyline in the video, which could confuse some audiences. Jamie Thraves is able to use many different techniques in this video. For example, there is good use of cinematography, in which there are many close ups of the man laying on the street. The closeups are able to detail the emotion of this man, and really emphasises what he is feeling, which is good use of techniques by him. Also, I think the editing matches the music, as when the music is slow, the individual shots are quite a few seconds each, and when the music speeds up, the editing is done a lot faster.
Another one of the popular, well known videos that Jamie Thraves made was the song "The Scientist" by Coldplay. This video is similar to "Just" in the way that this music video is also like a mini film because of the storyline that is used in it. However, it is a much different storyline to the "Just" video. The music video starts off with a man just lying there and it starts to reverse in time. The audience begins to see what he has been doing, and why he ended up in the state that he is in. We eventually find out that he had been driving a car, and they had some kind of car accident and that the girl in the car has unfortunately died. We then learn that he has been walking away from her, wanting to be by himself because of how sorrow he feels about the death of the girl. Also, dealing with Goodwin's theory, the music lyrics somewhat agrees with the video visuals. An example of this is when the lyric sung is "Oh let's go back to the start". As the video is rewinding, or going back to the start, the lyrics is agreeing with the visuals. As the song is pretty slow, the editing is very slow and each clip lasts quite a few seconds before a change in shot. Also, a lot of medium and long shots are used in order to show the environment of which he is going through, and it shows what he has been going through.
Another example of a music video that Jamie Thraves made was the song "I will follow you into the dark" by Death Cab For A Cutie. This video is also another kind of mini film. This song is about a boy who wakes up in his bed, and he starts playing this guitar and starts singing the song. Then he notices this massive hole in his bedroom. The lyrics are about him being a strict catholic and talking about heaven and hell. He eventually rolls out of bed and falls into the dark hole. This symbolises that he is falling into hell as he is a strict catholic, and then we see him trying to get back up into his room, but he falls back down the hole. He decides to accept his fate that he going to hell, and decides to follow someone down the hole and follow them down into hell. There is a definite story in this music video as it details the struggles of a catholic person if they commit sins and the consequences of this. Using Goodwin's theory, there is an amplification in this music video, as we often see him sleeping in the bed, in a way that suggest he is trying to forget about his troubles and just get on with his normal life. Also, the lyrics agree with the visuals as the title is "I'll follow you into the dark" and that is precisely what happens at the end of the music video. There are lots of close ups which show the emotion of the singer, and also lots of long shots which show his room, and shows how big the hole is getting and what he is going through.
Conclusion
In conclusion, I have learned that Jamie Thraves has a very unique style when it comes to making music videos. He likes telling stories in his videos and making them out to be like mini films. Also, in his music videos, he likes using strange occurrences that you wouldn't really see everyday. The props and storylines that he uses are not things you see in everyday videos, and could be seen as something out of the ordinary. Examples of this, is the dark hole used in "I will follow you into the dark", the use of rewinding in "The Scientist" and the mystery story in "Just". Lastly, Thraves gave tips on how he wanted to make music videos. He said: When making music videos, use the lyrics sometimes, but don't always be too literal. Another one of his tips were, use the emotion of the lyrics when making the video.
Katy Perry - How Pop Videos Appeal To Target Audience and Her Private Life
Katy Perry - How Pop Videos Appeal To Target Audience and Her Private Life
Katy Perry's target would mainly be young girls from the ages of 14-17, and she also makes videos for specific meanings. She wants to portray herself as being the older sister/friend of which younger girls can look up to and help to therefore solve their problems. In her videos, she also wants to reflect some of the problems that girls of that age are likely to have, often finding a solution for those problems in which the girls can use themselves. The last meaning that she uses is that she aspires to be some kind of role model for girls, and to make herself look appealing in a way that is not threatening.
As part of my analysis, I am going to looking at 5 examples of Katy Perry's music videos and will be using Andrew Goodwin's theory and will be applying his theory to these videos, to show what the particular videos are trying to demonstrate to the audience.
Katy Perry - Hot and Cold (2008)
In this video, there are lots of close ups used on Katy Perry's face which is one of the major points in Andrew Goodwin's theory. In this video, she addresses one of the major problems that girls that age might face in the future which they would dread. In the video, Katy is at the altar about to marry a man, when he decides that he doesn't want to marry her anymore and he runs off. She is seen to be devastated, but then she runs off and chases him. She shows this in the music video of a way of using comedy elements to show a serious concern for girls of that age. She wants to empower girls and make them think that they all don't need men in order to be able to live their lives properly. Throughout the video, after the wedding breakup she is shown to be in control of him and he is not as superior as her. This is trying to imply that women can be in control and don't always have to be dominated by men. Near the end of the video, there's a scene that shows him lying down on his back on the floor, with Katy stood in front of him with a zebra next to her. She is shown to be in control of him and the situation in general, thus proving that women don't always need men. This is the message she is trying to get across to her young female audience.
In regards to Goodwin's theory, this video uses two major points of his theory. There are lots of close ups of Katy Perry in this video, which are used to convey emotion and it shows that Katy is really trying to connect with her audience. Also, when the close ups are being used, Katy is always looking directly at the camera which gives off the notion of looking. This pop video is able to appeal to target audiences as she is being older sister and helping younger people get over their fears. She is showcasing some problems that young people often find themselves having. For example, there's a boy who's suffering from his parents arguing, and he's getting stressed because of it. She is able to empower him, and when the fireworks go off, he goes and splits his parents up so they are not arguing anymore. Another example, is when there is a girl who is at the pool. She decides not to go in the pool, because of her weigh fear and being judged, as it is common knowledge that in today's society, girls are worried about their weight. Again, Katy is able to empower her and make her proud of being herself and who she is.
A few of Goodwin's points in his theory are used in this video. Like most of Katy Perry's videos, there are lots of close ups used which show the emotion of Katy Perry throughout the video. Another one of Goodwin's points is the notion of repetition throughout the videos. For example, there's a scene in this music video where there's a firework which comes out of her body which is reminiscent of the music video "Firework". There are also quite a few important lines in this song which reflect her private life and her relationship with Russell Brand. One of the lyrics in the song is "Yeah, I was in the dark". This reflects on her time with Russell Brand and how it wasn't the best time in her life. Another of the lyrics in the song is "Yeah, I am born again". This means that she is trying to tell her audience that she has learnt from her mistakes from her marriage to Russell Brand and she wants forgiveness from her fans. This video almost symbolizes an apology from her to her fans, and she is trying to reconnect with her now older audience. She's trying to also tell her audience that she's a free woman again, after the scene where she punches the man (presumed to be Russell Brand) and says that she needs no man in her life.
One of Goodwin's points in his theory is used immediately in this video, as it is making intertextual reference to older films with the way that the older style of title is set out. There are also lots of closeups which is another point in Goodwin's theory. In the video, the man gets ate by a lion leaving her all to herself. Also, in the lyrics, Katy sings "You had me down, but I got up", referring that she had a mistake in her private life with her marriage to Russell Brand, and that she was in the media because of their controversial marriage. She's telling her target audience that she acknowledges that she has made a mistake and she's learnt from it, and simply wants forgiveness from her fans who are now that much older. She also refers to "Already Brushing off That Dust" referring to she's done with Russell and thinks of him as dead weight of which she doesn't need him anymore. She also sings that she's going to "Roar" simply reminding her target audience that she is back and better then ever. In the second half of the video, she changes costume (mise-en-scene) into something that is quite low cu and she is suggesting that she is dressing this way because she's a free woman again, and she does what she wants. She's not dressing this way for a man as there isn't a man in sight, and she wants to be known again as a role model for the younger generation. She's giving out a positive message that she doesn't need men anymore.
In conclusion, Katy Perry has made lots of music videos which have different meanings and have different ways of reflecting her private life.
Katy Perry's target would mainly be young girls from the ages of 14-17, and she also makes videos for specific meanings. She wants to portray herself as being the older sister/friend of which younger girls can look up to and help to therefore solve their problems. In her videos, she also wants to reflect some of the problems that girls of that age are likely to have, often finding a solution for those problems in which the girls can use themselves. The last meaning that she uses is that she aspires to be some kind of role model for girls, and to make herself look appealing in a way that is not threatening.
As part of my analysis, I am going to looking at 5 examples of Katy Perry's music videos and will be using Andrew Goodwin's theory and will be applying his theory to these videos, to show what the particular videos are trying to demonstrate to the audience.
Katy Perry - Hot and Cold (2008)
In this video, there are lots of close ups used on Katy Perry's face which is one of the major points in Andrew Goodwin's theory. In this video, she addresses one of the major problems that girls that age might face in the future which they would dread. In the video, Katy is at the altar about to marry a man, when he decides that he doesn't want to marry her anymore and he runs off. She is seen to be devastated, but then she runs off and chases him. She shows this in the music video of a way of using comedy elements to show a serious concern for girls of that age. She wants to empower girls and make them think that they all don't need men in order to be able to live their lives properly. Throughout the video, after the wedding breakup she is shown to be in control of him and he is not as superior as her. This is trying to imply that women can be in control and don't always have to be dominated by men. Near the end of the video, there's a scene that shows him lying down on his back on the floor, with Katy stood in front of him with a zebra next to her. She is shown to be in control of him and the situation in general, thus proving that women don't always need men. This is the message she is trying to get across to her young female audience.
Katy Perry - I Kissed A Girl (2008)
In this video, lots of close up shots are used which is one of the major points in Goodwin's theory. She is able to appeal to her young target audience of girls aged 14-17, because the lyrics and visuals of the music video reflect an issue that girls in today's society have on a regular occasion. Firstly, she uses colour such as pink and red in order to appeal to girls that age, as they are popular amongst them. She sings that she kissed a girl, but then she also mentions that she has a boyfriend. This shows that she is unsure of her sexuality and whether she is gay or straight. She is unsure of her sexual orientation and she says that she kissed a girl in order to see if it was right for her, and whether that was actually her or not. This reflects the sexual insecurity that she has, and girls in her target audience are able to agree with her on her decisions. She's trying to empower girls of that age not to be scared of your sexuality and do whatever feels natural to you, without worrying about the opinions of others.
Katy Perry - Firework (2010)
In regards to Goodwin's theory, this video uses two major points of his theory. There are lots of close ups of Katy Perry in this video, which are used to convey emotion and it shows that Katy is really trying to connect with her audience. Also, when the close ups are being used, Katy is always looking directly at the camera which gives off the notion of looking. This pop video is able to appeal to target audiences as she is being older sister and helping younger people get over their fears. She is showcasing some problems that young people often find themselves having. For example, there's a boy who's suffering from his parents arguing, and he's getting stressed because of it. She is able to empower him, and when the fireworks go off, he goes and splits his parents up so they are not arguing anymore. Another example, is when there is a girl who is at the pool. She decides not to go in the pool, because of her weigh fear and being judged, as it is common knowledge that in today's society, girls are worried about their weight. Again, Katy is able to empower her and make her proud of being herself and who she is.
Katy Perry - Wide Awake (2012)
A few of Goodwin's points in his theory are used in this video. Like most of Katy Perry's videos, there are lots of close ups used which show the emotion of Katy Perry throughout the video. Another one of Goodwin's points is the notion of repetition throughout the videos. For example, there's a scene in this music video where there's a firework which comes out of her body which is reminiscent of the music video "Firework". There are also quite a few important lines in this song which reflect her private life and her relationship with Russell Brand. One of the lyrics in the song is "Yeah, I was in the dark". This reflects on her time with Russell Brand and how it wasn't the best time in her life. Another of the lyrics in the song is "Yeah, I am born again". This means that she is trying to tell her audience that she has learnt from her mistakes from her marriage to Russell Brand and she wants forgiveness from her fans. This video almost symbolizes an apology from her to her fans, and she is trying to reconnect with her now older audience. She's trying to also tell her audience that she's a free woman again, after the scene where she punches the man (presumed to be Russell Brand) and says that she needs no man in her life.
Katy Perry - Roar (2013)
One of Goodwin's points in his theory is used immediately in this video, as it is making intertextual reference to older films with the way that the older style of title is set out. There are also lots of closeups which is another point in Goodwin's theory. In the video, the man gets ate by a lion leaving her all to herself. Also, in the lyrics, Katy sings "You had me down, but I got up", referring that she had a mistake in her private life with her marriage to Russell Brand, and that she was in the media because of their controversial marriage. She's telling her target audience that she acknowledges that she has made a mistake and she's learnt from it, and simply wants forgiveness from her fans who are now that much older. She also refers to "Already Brushing off That Dust" referring to she's done with Russell and thinks of him as dead weight of which she doesn't need him anymore. She also sings that she's going to "Roar" simply reminding her target audience that she is back and better then ever. In the second half of the video, she changes costume (mise-en-scene) into something that is quite low cu and she is suggesting that she is dressing this way because she's a free woman again, and she does what she wants. She's not dressing this way for a man as there isn't a man in sight, and she wants to be known again as a role model for the younger generation. She's giving out a positive message that she doesn't need men anymore.
In conclusion, Katy Perry has made lots of music videos which have different meanings and have different ways of reflecting her private life.
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