Inspiration from Existing Music Videos

Pink - Family Portrait

• The characters have had an influence on the narrative of my music video as there seems to be a younger and older self in Pink’s music video. The younger self seems to be narrating the storyline as Pink plays the older character. I have used a similar casting where there is an younger and older version of the character, however, the older character is narrating the storyline trying to share her wisdom to the younger self.

Christina Aguilera - Beautiful

• Camera shots at the beginning of the music video of objects that symbolise the mood and atmosphere of the music video at the start. I have taken the camera shot of a dying flower and other images from this. The dying flower can symbolise growth, however the significance of the flower dying can carry connotations of a person dying inside and if given the care and the attention can grow into something pretty and beautiful like the flower.



• This also has a main concept of not being happy with yourself and who you are. And the song sang by Christina Aguilera is a means of telling these people that they should be happy with who they are as they are “Beautiful, no matter what they say…” In my music video, the 13 year old is upset with her life and is not happy with who she is and the older self tries to change this and enlighten her that everything will be ok by trying to leave significant notes for her to see.


• Also, during the middle and end of the music video, there are multiple scenes of the different characters, who at the beginning of the music video were unhappy with themselves, looking into mirrors at themselves. This carries connotations of delving deep within themselves and “looking” inside them to see their true selves. This mirror scene I will also be using as my final scene in my music video as I feel that this will summarise my music video as the younger self will see her older self as a sign, as a moment of change, and will gain self belief and acceptance through this by looking deep within herself.

Corrine Bailey Rae - Put Your Records On

• This has an earthly, natural setting throughout the music video and for a part in my music video I have a similar setting of a park. A park landscape would carry the connotations of being down to earth and this is the type of image that I would like to promote my artist.

• In the scene at the park where a note is left by the older self for the 13 year old to find in my music video, I have decided to place the note on a tree. The tree suggests growth, which the younger self is experiencing and needs to accept. In the end of Put Your Records On music video, a single tree is used at the end and Corrine decorates it with red ribbon. She seems happier when she’s alone with the tree as a sign of a fresh, natural atmosphere.

Katy Perry - Fireworks

This storyline is a more recent version of the storyline running through the Christina Aguilera song of Beautiful. There are several characters in this music video carrying several storylines with a similar theme; a theme of self acceptance and self confidence. Although my music video doesn’t have as many storylines or characters, the theme is the same as at the end of my music video the younger self gains self acceptance in herself.

The Verve - Bittersweet Symphony

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zx3m4e45bTo&ob=av3el

The Verve is usually classed as an all  Indie band and their music video for Bittersweet Symphony, is very typical of an indie music video as it follows a lot of the Indie conventions.

• The clothes that he is wearing is very casual and ordinary, and this is very typical for an indie artist. This costume suggests that he is an ordinary, average person just like his listeners. Also, by him not having outrageous costumes, it takes the concentration off him as a person and puts it on the music and song that he is singing.
• The concept of the music video is very simple as he is just walking down the street and is being bumped into by passerbys. This simple concept again doesn't distract the audience from the song as the song itself is very powerful.

Even though I want to promote my artist as an Indie artist as well as Pop, I will not follow these conventions stated above in The Verve's Bittersweet Symphony music video as I feel that in order for my artist to attract her audience, she will need to be fashionable, well groomed and that the music video should carry a concept. This aspect could appeal to the Pop side of my artist.

Breaking Conventions - Basement Jaxx

Basement Jaxx - Where's Your Head At

The main concept of this music video can vary due to how it is viewed and cosumed. One concept is that it could be of a music producer who comes to the studio to find an idea being pitched to him, where monkeys play and sing the music, to find that it all goes terribly wrong. However, there can also be a deeper meaning to the concept as the issue of animal testing can be explored here as the setting of the music video is like a lab where there are many experiments going on, many mad scientists and a lot of animals being tested on.

At first this music video can be seen as quite humerous as it can be funny to see monkey's playing instruments, singing and performing. This could suggest that anyone can produce music as these monkeys can do it too. However, it can be quite daunting to see this monkeys perform as they have human features such as the face. Also, the viewer gets to see how these monkeys are given these human features through an experiment, and this can also be quite frightening seeing it happen to a human and a monkey.

Basement Jaxx - Oh My Gosh

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=og0gKmKAuhM

Hearing this song alone without the visuals of the music video, a listener would think that this song is about a young female meeting and flirting with a young male at a club or dancefloor scene. However, the music video has broken the conventions of a typical music video for a pop song like this and has set an unusual storyline at an unusual setting.

By having it set in an old people's home and having the elderly sing the song and flirt with each other, it shocks and a little bit disgust to the viewers by this scenario.

Basement Jaxx - Do Your Thing

This music video is simple but very effective. The lyrics to the song is printed on all the t-shirts of all the different characters and each character represents the words that are printed on their shirts. For example, "YEAH!" printed on characters that are or have achieved something such as scoring a goal or doing sit ups.

The thing about this music video that breaks the conventions of typical music videos is that the actual musical artist is not featured in this music video at all. This is unusual as music videos are seen as opportunities to promote the musical artists themselves as well as the songs they are performing.

Name of Artist Inspiration

 These three current artists, Selena Gomez and the Scene, Florence and the Machine and Marina and the Diamonds, have all inspired the name of my artist Frankie and the Sound Within. All these artists are seen as solo artists by the public, however their names suggests that they have acknowledged their bands and I liked the sound of this. Even though their bands have been acknowledged they have been given a cool name, "the Scene", "the Machine" and "the Diamonds". Therefore I gave my band name "the Sound Within" hich could suggests the deepness of the songs that are full of thought and realism.

Representation of Race in Hype Williams' Music Videos

Representing race can be very dangerous in different media texts as it could either cause offense or influence people's image of ethnic groups in an undesireable way. People, like Hype Williams, have a very important role within society as they could initially control the views and opinions of the public by how they portray those with different racial backgrounds in their work. Hype Williams uses this power wisely as in his music videos he illustrates the equality and individuality of black people with great responsibility. He demonstrates the strength and independence of black people through many varieties of techniques. Some of Williams' commonly used motifs within his directed music videos are the use of a fish-eye lense, low angle shots of the artists, abstract settings, expressionists costumes and featuring a mainly black cast. I will be exploring the representation of black people in particular through the use of these motifs.

TLC - No Scrubs
The first music video that I will be concentrating on is TLC - No Scrubs.

The denotation of what the song lyrics mean is that they are not willing to take on any man who doesn't work hard for what he wants. This shows the TLC members as strong minded women who kno what they want from a man and that they will not except anything less. This power is shown through the many low angle shots of the artists, which makes them look superior to men. Stereotypically, black women are seen to be strong willed and independent and Williams' has used this positive stereotype to portray the TLC female members.
 
The TLC members have many expressionists costume changes in the music video that emphasises their feminine bodies. This could be to show off their curves for the male audience to look;voyeurism. Some of the expressionists costumes are so exagerated that it could be seen as overly sexualising the image of black women. Also, the sexualised dance moves adds to the over sexualised image of black women. Contextually, this could be linked to the colonial idea of promiscuous black women in the past, which puts a negative vibe on black woman and is seen as a very racist view of black women.

Busta Rhymes - Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Can See

Moving onto Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Can See by Busta Rhymes...

The genreal theme of the music video seems to be of an Ancient Tribal image with again the expressionists costumes present and the dance performances throughout. the dance performances are over exgerated and can be seen in two different lights. Because it is exagerated, it is almost seen as self mockery of the culture as it is fairly humerous. This can be negatve as it gives out the assumption that all black people are from Africa and have these "humerous" routines and rituals. However, the exagerated dance routine could be seen as a celebration of the African cukture; enjoying the dance rituals and the origin of some black ethnic people. Depending on how the audience views the faux-African dance sequence, depends on whether black people are represented positivel yor negatively in this music video.

Another stereotype of black people is that they are seen as inferior to other races in society. in the past, many slaves were black who served for a typical, high class, white family. In contrast to this, Williams subverts this stereotypical image by placing Busta Rhymes in a situation where he is of the highest authority. He is seen in an outlandish palacial setting which carrys connotations of luxury and power. Also, he has the many of servants who serves him like royalty by carrying out tasks for him unecessarilty; for example,brushing his teeth for him.

Notorious B.I.G. - Mo Money Mo Problems

Finally concentrating on Notorious B.I.G.'s Mo Money Mo Problems...

The celebration of black people rising in society is demonstrated in this music video. At the time of when this music video was being produced and released, Tiger Woods, a black golfer, was at the peak of his career. This had strongly influenced the Mo Money Mo Problems music video as the concept of a golfing match was used. it reinforces the strength and rise of black people in society, demonstrating it in a beneficial way to the balck race.

In conclusion, I believe that it was and is Hype Williams' sole intention to use positive stereotypical factors of black people in his music videos to boost the image of black people, in general, in a positive light in society as a whole.

Who is Hype Williams?

Harold Williams is more well known as Hype Williams, the music video director of the 1990s. He was born in New York 1970 and is known for his representation of black artists within music videos. 

He was known for his...

• Fish-Eye Lense Shots

• Mainly Black Cast
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• Abstract Settings
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• Symmetrical Mise-en-Scene

• 

  Focus on Performer

  

• Expressionist Costumes
  

• Low Angle Shots of Artists