Representation Theories

Music videos are often used as a great source to analyse the processes of representations such as, gender, sexuality, race, nationality, culture, messages and values and even different attitude towards war, politics and environmental concerns. There are a number of theories supporting these representations, and the reason why the subjects are portrayed in specific ways, for example:

Voyeurism
This theory derives from psychoanalytical theories of Sigmund Freud, however it originally refers to the 'erotic pleasure gained by looking as a sexual object (usually when the object is unaware that they are being watched). Nevertheless, as an audience watching a film or a music video, we are all voyeurs. Laura Mulvey proposes that because mass film makers are predominantly male, the presence of women in a film is purely on display for the 'male gaze', rather than having an assertive role in a narrative. Goodwin supports this by arguing that females are frequently portrayed in this fashion through camerawork and editing with body shots emphasising their sexual identity and sexualised treatment. On the other hand, there is also a theory supporting a 'female gaze'. This is the idea of male bodies being on display for women to gaze upon, making the female no longer an object, but instead revealing power.

Exhibitionism
In recent years there has apparently been an increase in independent female artists. Madonna is a prime example as she is known to be a powerful female artists who has added to the complexity of the gender and culture debate. This is because she is represented as sexually provocative and controlling over the sexualised gaze. This is known as the 'Exhibitionism theory' as women are portrayed as inviting yet controlling. Though, it can be said that females on display in music videos are simply used to increase the male profit margins.

Star Construction
The construction of a 'star' is said to inter-relate with theories such as 'Star Image', 'Star Vehicle' and 'Star Power'. Richard Dyer says that "A star is an image constructed from a range of materials".
For pop music, these materials include:

• The songs (lyrical themes and genre)
• The record covers (Singles and albums and the image of the star)
• Media coverage (Interviews about career and private life)
• Live performances (The image portrayed through stage shows)
• Music Videos (This draws upon the image presented in the other materials)
  

Star Image
The Star Image is the study of how the star is perceived by the audience and their characteristics, which may be constructed by the media. The construction of the star is an aspect that can only be controlled by the star and their employers, however music promo videos can also play a role in the constructions as music promo videos have the ability to create an associated iconography.

Star Vehicles
The star vehicle is based on the product that is constructed around the image of the star in order to promote them. An obvious example would be music videos, furthermore music videos aid to either reinforce the star's existing image, or even take their image further. This is particularly useful in the case of lengthy careers, for example Madonna, and often represents the shift from young artist to mature, representable artist.

Star Power
The Power of the star takes several forms, such as:

• Economic Power through sales of products.
• Artistic Power through creative control and their own image.
• Ideological Power though influences on their audience, which can take the form of fashion and opinoins.
  

Filming Problems

Today the team and I were scheduled to begin filming. On the morning of the November 28th the production team and I had gathered all the props necessary for the scene and were ready to meet in Enfield Town to buy the final props. However, we were soon contacted by two of the actors who let us know that they could not attend the shoot days due to emergencies and illnesses. Although it would have been wise to continue filming the scenes without the actors, we realised that there were only a few scenes where the actors were not needed. Therefore, we have rescheduled to film the weekend of December 5th, nonetheless this only gives the film crew and I one weekend to film the music video. It was also proposed for us to film during the week, but we were concerned that it was necessary to film during daylight, this could not have been accomplished as the evening fell at four thirty. This did not give the actors and the crew enough time to meet and begin filming.

Production of Props

Creating Props

During today's lesson the team and I were given a chance to begin making props. The main prop that we needed was the sign post which read 'Saucy Single's Speed Dating'. However, when making the poster we made sure that it depicted the correct representation of our 'Speed Dating Service'. Hence our specific use of colours, symbols, font, this is shown in the diagram below..

Props we need...
Based on the iconography of each character from a previous post, I created a list of items which the groups needed in order to make our characters and setting appear verisimilitude. These items would be classed as the Mise-En-Scene, which plays a large role in the representations portrayed. For example, the use of candles at out speed dating setting suggests a very romantic atmosphere, moreover, it will also add soft lighting to the characters making them look dream-like. Secondly, the black attire worn by the 'Punk' will reinforce his dull personality and ambiguity as his role is very reserved. The use of glasses, and braces worn as the Geek's attire conform to the stereotype of a geek, which emphasise his supposed boring personality. Finally, the mirror and comb that the 'Hunk' character brings with him reveals his self loving, self obsessed personality.

Video Platform

To establish which platform our music video would be categorised as, I decided to perform a simple investigation. The proposal was to watch five music channels that are noted as the most common music channels on Sky television. I then watched the first ten songs which appeared on each channel between the hours of 16:00 in the evening until 17:00. In the end I hoped to be able to obtain enough data to be able to learn more about the genre of music played on each of the channels. The Channels that I analysed were MTV, Kerrang, VH1, Kiss and Magic.

• Jay-Z, Rihanna, Kanye West- Run This Town
• Taylor Swift- White Horse
• Gwen Stafani- Hollaback Girl
• Drake- Best I Ever
• David Guetta- Sexy Chick
• Green Day- 21 Guns
• Jill Scott- Cross my Mind
• Pink- Funhouse
• Michael Jackson- Remember he Time
• Lady Gaga- Bad Romance

• Foo Fighters- Monkey Wrench
• Muse- Plug in Baby
• Ash- Kung Fu
• Therapy?- Screamager
• Feeder- Buck Rogers
• Red Hot Chili Peppers- Give it Away
• Weezer- Buddy Holly
• Queens of the Stone Age- Feel Good Hit of the Summer
• Wild Hearts- Caffeine Bombs
• Manic Street Preachers- A Design for Life

• Owl City- Fireflies
• Rihanna- Russian Roulette
• Leona Lewis- Happy
• Britney Spears- 3
• Nirvana- Smells Like Teen Spirit
• Miley Cyrus- Party in the USA
• Lady Gaga- Paparazzi
• Lady Gaga- Bad Romance
• Kris Allen- Live Like We're Dying
• Jay Sean-Down

• Cherri V- Skool Daze
• N-Dubz- Playin with Fire
• Jay-Z- Young Forever
• Taio Cruz- No Other One
• Cheryl Cole- 3 Words
• Iyaz- Replay
• Wiley- Take That
• Alicia Keys- Doesn't Mean Anything
• Timbaland- Morning After Dark
• Chris Brown- Transform Ya

• Robbie Williams- Angels
• Phil Collins-Separate Lives
• Will Young- Leave Right Now
• Abba- Mamma Mia
• Michael Buble- Home
• Mamas and Papas- California Dreaming
• Madonna- Crazy For You
• Savage Garden- Truly Madly Deeply
• Eurythmics- There Must be an Angel
• James Blunt- You're Beautiful
  

After looking through the play lists that I created I quickly realised that music channels such as Kerrang, Magic were not appropriate as a platform for our song. This was due to the genre and age of the songs. For example, Foo fighter's 'Money Wrench' may be enjoyed by youths similar to our target audience, however the genre is considered as pure Rock, rather than Pop Rock. This is similar to Kiss, as the songs played are common within our target age group, though the songs played are categorised as RnB. In conclusion, the investigation proved that MTV and VH1 are channels which embrace conventions that apply to our Pop Rock song. This is evident though the playlists, as a number of the songs played are Pop Rock. Additionally, both MTV and VH1 play songs that are considered as pure Rock such as Nirvana as well as Pop such as Lady Gaga, unlike the other channels which appear to be devoted to a specific genre.

Finishing the Storyboards

Today was our final lesson to finish storyboarding. As a group we were able to complete the drawings then the annotations for each image. Each frame was annotated with and Camera Angles, Movements, Instructions, Transitions and finally Lighting.

Annotations

The media and P!nk

Since the beginning of P!nk's career in 2000, she has appeared in a number of magazines and on a variety of talk shows. However, this is not only because of her remarkable vocals, but also because of her unique personality, inspirational lyrics, and personal life. It is for this reason that the media has often portrayed P!nk as a fun, intelligent and courageous women, who stands up for her beliefs.




Pink has also taken on the role as the cover girl for 'Seventeen' magazine, which holds great responsibility. This is because the cover girl of a magazine (especially Seventeen) is usually seen as a celebrity who is seen as an inspiration to their target audiences.

Analysis of a P!nk Image

The Music Business

Commissioning Videos
Music videos and the music industry as a whole is constantly changing due to the alarmingly fast evolution of technology, however the responsibility of record labels has forever remained a paramount of responsibility. Record Labels continually seek to find new recording artists that they believe will appeal to large target audiences. In return, this allows the label to produce millions by selling music. Record labels are dedicated to developing the skills and sales of their new artists and music, this is usually done by marketing through the internet, radio, television, and the distribution. Currently, it is becoming more common for record labels to create merchandise and tours to promote their artists. Although Pink does not own a personal brand there are nonetheless a number of Pink products (For example watches) that are sold worldwide. Moreover, synergy is revealed since many items such as phones have been branded as 'Pink special edition mobiles', therefore the mobile is promoting Pink as an artists, and Pink is promoting the mobile phone.

Artists and Repertoire
Although the production of music videos is a team procedure , each record company works differently. There are various departments within a record label, however each department embrace different roles and expectations. Certain departments have a stronger relationship with directors and the process of creating music videos, whereas others focus on the improvement of the artists themselves. For example, every record company has an Artist & Repertoire departments, these executives constantly seek for new talents in order to sign them to their record company. On the other hand, the artist receives guidance and financial backing, this money allows the artist to begin writing, producing and and recording their songs. Pink's recent album 'Fun House' was a great success, selling approximately 11 million copies worldwide, however this was not only because of Pink's singing talents, but also because of her Record Label and Artist & Repertoire Nancy Roof and Craig Logan. In some cases the A&R department has an assertive role in the production of the artist's music videos as they are seen to know the artist for longer. Therefore, giving the A&R manager the power to match the artist to a specific producer. However, this is not the case in Pink's videos as her videos are commonly directed by producers of her choice, as they do not "...just know Pink, but they understand her from a more casual perspective..."

What Makes a Good Music Video?
"A great video starts with a really good or a great song whose images will provoke you to think and to use your imaginations. It gets the viewer to react to something, to make them feel good, because we're not coming up with the cure for cancer or AIDS doing this job. A great video should make you think and make you feel something, It has to be interesting and compelling-stuff that isn't the same garbage that you see from beginning to end"
(Jeffrey A.Panzer, Independent Video Commissioner at the Universal Music Group)

P!nk's 'Stupid Girls' Video

Background
Pink explains that the number of young females aspiring to be celebrities and not focusing on their own careers and talents inspired her to write the song 'Stupid Girls'. This is revealed in her lyrics as she sings about the lack of good role models for girls, however she also aims to encourage her targeted audience to be more independent and embrace individuality. She says that the song was created due to "...several conversations with women and girls..." Furthermore she says that her strong beliefs about women and their rights have been overwritten by media coverage concerning 'Size 0'.

Music Video
Pink's 'Stupid Girls' video was directed by Dave Meyers who also directed previous Pink videos such as 'So What' and 'U+Ur Hand'. Pink describes the video as "...sick and twisted and insane..." she reveals that Dave Meyers "...has an insane imagination. I don't think anyone stopped laughing while filming 'Stupid Girls'.
The video paints an image of an angle and a demon trying to influence a young girl's future. On one hand the angle reveals a number of scenes demonstrating the idiocy behind current trends of female celebrities. However, on the other hand Pink also plays the characters that oppose these ideas, such as a female teacher, a female president and a female winning a match of rugby. It is said that some of the negatively portrayed characters in the video are parodies of young female celebrities for example, Mary Kate Olsen, Lindsey Lohan, Jessica Simpson and finally Paris Hilton.

P!nk...in More Depth

General
Alecia Moore 29, commonly recognised as Pink was born in Doylestown, Pennsylvania but was later raised in Philadelphia. From a young age Pink had aspired to be a singer, especially with the influence of her father, James Moore who played the guitar as a hobby. Pink's determination was revealed when she joined her first band, 'Middleground' in High School. Even as a child her song's reflected the dramatic phases through life, as a skateboarder, hip-hopper and even a dancer. However, much of her song writing skills were shaped by the problems which she experienced growing up. Pink wrote lyrics as a way to express her feelings, her mother Jude Moore once stated that "...Her initial writings were always very introspective. Some of it was very black, and deep, almost worrisome.." Nevertheless at the age of 13, Pink was asked by a Local DJ to be a back up singer for his rap group, and soon she joined a female R&B group. However, their success was not stable, and Pink alone was recognised by LaFace record label. As Pink's solo career grew she joined larger labels and is now under the management of Sony Music Entertainment.

Lifestyle
Pink has never been afraid to speak her mind and share her feelings in her songs. She states that she has no choice, and that is part of her job. She has forever been represented as a rebellious young women, who showed off her rocker tattoos and piercings revealing her individuality. However, during the beginning of her career she was most renowned for singing up beat fun songs that lacked emotional connections, such as 'Get This Party Started'. Nevertheless after a few months of understanding the music industry she began expressing her emotions in more depth shown by her songs and melancholic videos, such as 'Family Portrait' video. Furthermore, Pink's strong beliefs about women and power are constantly exposed in a number of her songs, a prime example is her recent track 'Stupid Girls'. The lyrics read '...outcast and girls with ambition, that's what I wanna see...' Since Pink's pop rock music is targeted at a young target group, her lyrics are written to motivate the new generation of females to have ambitious dreams, just like herself as a child.

Charity
Pink's involvement in charity is a important factor in her life. She represents a number of campaigns for Save the Children, UNICEF, and The Prince's Trust, however she is most passionate about animal cruelty. She plays a large role in the PETA anti-fur charity and has even critised many celebrities for wearing fur and for taking part in fox hunting. Her campaigning led to a notable concert in Cardiff called PAW (Party for Animals Worldwide). This highlighted her enthusiasm with animal cruelty problems, as well as revealing her strong beliefs.

Drawing Storyboard 2 and Discussions

In today's lesson we were able to continue producing our official storyboards. Although we did not finish the sketches and annotations, we discussed a range of ideas that we thought would maintain the high standards. Therefore, we believe that our meeting was productive.

What we discussed...

• We discussed the angles of specific scenes, especially the scenes which accompanied the sharp beats at the opening to the song. The chosen angles were used to convey a specific attitude. For example the shot of the girl's earring illustrates the character's stylish persona.


• We also confronted a problem since we realised that the software we will use to edit our film does not have the specific editing technique we wanted. This proved a problem for our aspirations to edit three different takes into one shot. It is for this reason that we decided to change the filming technique of the scene instead.


• Furthermore, we discussed the reliabilty of the characters and have agreed that if the actors are not available on more than filming date, we must find another actor. This is due to the short time period that we have to film.

The Loudness of Music

There is an entire field of research that deals with how humans percieve sound, this is called 'psychoacoustics'. There are two ways to measure sound, firstly one can investigate the peak level of the song, or average the sound level over a period of time. Generally, our ears respond to the average levels of sound, but we do not take notice of peak levels when judging the loudness. For example, when you compare the peak levels of classical music with commercial rock they both share the same peak level, however, the loudness of rock music is percieved as louder because the average sound level is higher.

An accepted rule in the music industry is that 'the louder the sound, the more attention it will capture'. This works well for singles, but this 'all the time' approach may fatigue the listener and cause them to loose interest, however a variety of dynamics keep the audience listening.

The loudness war
The loudness war is the music industry's way to record, produce and broadcast music at increasing levels of loudness, this is to attempt to create sound that capture attention. The trend of increasing loudness is illustrated by the formation of the waves from "Something" by the beatles.

How 'loud music' is made louder
The loudness revolution can be blamed on the evolution of technology, such as high quality digital compressors. This has changed the way that we think about compression and loudness. A compressor is an automatic volume control, which reduce the sounds (downward compression) or increase the sounds (upward compression).

How the Loudness Wars are ruining music

Why Louder isn't Better
It is a fact that prolonged exposure to loud sounds can cause damage to one's hearing, the most common condition is 'Tinnitus'. This is an inner ear condition which damages the tiny hairs that pick up the sound vibrations, known as stereocilia. When thee tiny hairs are broken they cause the sufferer to hear constant ringing sounds.

Location

Today the team and I discussed the various locations that were necessary for filming. Although a majority of the scenes are set in a domestic environment, we wanted to focus on the scenes where we were filming beyond the comfort of our homes. This led us to consider regions in London that could reflect our narrative. To investigate the areas further the team and I explored the different regions, and photographed a number of sites from several angles. This helped us to decide which angles embraced distinct connotations that related to the different character.

For example, we concluded that Camden Town reflected the personality of the 'Punk' character.

The Gym supported the 'Arrogant' character's egotistical attitude.

Finally the Library emphasised the 'Nerd's' hobbies.

As we arranged to stage the dating scenes at a speed dating convention, we found that it would be problematic if we filmed at a factual event. It is for this reason that the team and I have decided to simulate our own convention at a member's residence. However, this can only be accomplished if drastic changes were made to the setting of the rooms.