Final - Music Promotional Video

Website analysis (a-f)

Music Genre Mind Map P1 (a)

Music Video Examples P1 (a-f)

I was asked to choose 2 videos. One that I didn't like and other that I liked. When looking for a music video that I liked I tried not to focus on the song, because I didn't want my good attitude to a song to influence my decisions on the quality of the music video for it. 

The video that I definitely liked was Bring Me The Horizon - Shadow Moses. The music video was directed by a famous director Fabian Röttger. The music video was filmed during the snowy and foggy weather to make it mysterious and kind of more attractive and also because it takes after the song's lyrical theme of “going nowhere” and "creates an abstract and fragmented narrative" as one of the journalist of the site PureVolume.com said once. After the videos release, it was named "Video of the Year" by the Music Video Directors Association.

I particularly liked the video because of the interesting and unusual technique that has been used when it was filmed. Through the entire video it uses a technique called the “camera – shift technique”. It provides effect quite similar to 3D and the person who watches it unnecessarily has to wear 3D glasses.  This creates an interesting kind of atmosphere within the video and leaves a strong impression of action through all the music video.

The editing in the video was quite interesting as there were a lot of fast cuts so that the pace of the video always stayed really quick. There are some exceptions such as the beginning and the end of the video where the speed of the shot cuts becomes slower as the music becomes louder/more quiet.

There is no major narrative in this music video. There is mostly shown the band and the vocalist who perform the song. It could have been boring if the camera – shift technique wasn't used. However probably there is kind of story where the lonely girl walks along the snow roads.

Mise-en-scene in the music video is very interesting. For example the band chose to film the music video along the shorelines off Rügen, the largest island in Germany where the weather was suitable enough and there was an access to the sea as the director wanted to see it in the music video. The lightning is quite impressive as well. It changes a lot from a day
 time with loads of light in a shot to deep night where the band members hold lighters to see the way. Also the acting is really emotional and it makes the video even more suitable for the song and even more interesting to watch.

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There also was a video that I didn't like. David Hasselhoff - Hooked on a Feeling is one of the most strange videos that I have seen. It is purely senseless, despite the fact that the song is really great.

In this video there are a lot of computer animation used which is generally not necessary at all. This makes the video to look funny and a little bit uncomfortable to watch. These animations are done not really well, so this makes the person who watches it to feel deceived because he or she probably wouldn't expect this quality from such a famous at some time singer as David Hasselhoff. Also a lot of unnecessary effects is used. For example flying fairies and dogs in running suits. All in all the video make no sense and this makes me dislike so much. 

Music Video Analysis #1 (a-f)

Purpose and audience: The general audience is attracted by distributing albums through such online shops an iTunes or Google Play as well as through selling albums in real shops. The Weeknd is not a popular artist so he can not really allow himself to launch his music videos on TV but he can make people watch his videos on such social networks such as YouTube, advertise them through Facebook or Twitter. The audience consists of mostly teenagers as this video is about love and problems associated with it. For young people such problems are common for them. 

Form: Music Video. The narrative in the music video is designed to shock the audience in the end as people watching it can get the impression that the main character is going on a date with his girlfriend. But in the end it turns the other way round and he kills her. This may attract viewers as such kind of love stories are usually particularly interesting for young people. 

Content:The extensive use of ECU both on the protagonist as he makes his way across the city and on the young women as she prepares for her date reflects the intensely personal and reflective content of video. The parallel editing holds the audiences interest as two apparently linked but ultimately separate narratives unfold and converge at the end. The young woman is not preparing to meet him and his intentions are not romantic as the audience led to believe. The use of canted angles of the skyscrapers and later on in the murder scene at the end is a technique typically used in psychological horror movies to suggest weirdness and mental derangement. Oblique lines created by the use of canted camera angles are characteristically used to reflect tension and transition and in the case of this narrative the impending nature of what is about to happen. The slow motion already mentioned is very exaggerated and connotes a surreal almost dream like affect. Shallow DoF is used throughout isolating the protagonist from his surroundings both physically and metaphorically. He feels estranged and this is demonstrated in the technical codes used in this film. 

Genre: The song is in style Hip-hop, alternative hip hop, RnB, so the music video is kind of a gangster or crime video which is quite common for this style of music.

Meaning: The predominant colours used are muted blues and greys and this connotes to the coolness both stylistically but also the emotional detachment of the male protagonist. The predominant contrasting colour used in the video is the seductive use of red, in the young womens lingerie, her chose of dress and lipstick all typically connotate seduction, passion and sex. The only other use of red was the splattering of blood at the end in the assassination of both women and her lover, again passion both love and hatred. The significance of the filming at dusk also suggests endings and new beginnings. The protagonist stops to buy flowers. These are chrysanthemums a flower that in many cultures is associated with death given what he is about to do the significance of this is heightened. His meal in the Chinese restaurant has a ritualistic connotation particularly as his ex girlfriend is Asian and as it preceeds his deadly act it suggests the final meal before an execution and for this reason has almost biblical associations.

Music Video Analysis #2 (a-f)

Purpose: The artist promotes his music mostly through social networks (such as YouTube, Twitter and Facebook). As this is Hip-Hop music video this is mot likely to be somehow advertised publicly. So new audience usually comes from those who like Rap or Hip-Hop music and they probably have heard a featuring song with a famous artist or their friends told them to listen to this particular artist. This music video probably has been filmed to stretch the attention of audience to that song and position it as a main song in the album. Making music videos also gives more chances that your music will be heard.

Form: The video is shot in an interesting way as there is no cuts in it at all. All the music video is one shot. This probably was made to make the music video more original and eye-catching. The artist (Pusha-T) walks through a poor neighbourhood at night. This is probably was filmed like that to combine with the sense of the song and make the impression even greater.

Content: (is represented by the slide)

Meaning: The music video is created to mean something. In this case such things as colour that is mostly grey and black and the surrounding of an artist when he is performing his song are probably aimed to make an impression of the song more serious and unfunny. When you watch the video you can not be happy because the song and black and white picture make you feel a little bit depressed or even aggressive sometimes. The artist is walking at the street along until the moment he meets an other artist that he features. This is probably an attempt to show, that these streets where these two artists grow are now empty and lifeless.

Genre: The genre of the song is Hip-Hop, so the music video has to be of the same genre. This one quite depressing and aggressive at the same time. The character is dressed like a rap artist, so the genre of the video is Rap.

Audience: the intended audience are teenagers and adults (generally black) from 16 to 25 years old as they are usually like to listen to such kind of music. However there is a lot of swearing in the song, so the audience younger than 16 or even 18 can should not be permitted to listen to such kind of music.  

Semiotics/Media Codes P1(a-f)

Semiotics - The theory and study of signs and symbols, especially as elements of language or other systems of communication. A person who studies or practices semiotics is known as a semiotician.
Example of semiotics:

                                     Below is an example of semiotics                                      

because all these signs mean 

particular things. For example 

the second image means "a place

to eat" and without any titles 

everyone understands that there

is the place where the food is 

served. 

 The next one is an example of semiotics as well

because the heart on the right usually means the heart

on the left. And if someone sees the sign that is

on the left he or she always know that this means heart. 

Last 3 examples of semiotics mean Peace, Hazard and a popular 

fast food chain McDonalds. 

Denotation - The literal meaning of a word or a translation of a sign to its meaning, more exactly, to its literal meaning.
Here are some pictures that explain the main principle of it:

Also, these are some things that people usually think of when the see these colours.

White: heaven, joy, satisfaction, prize, clouds, snow, snowflake.
Black: death, night, casino, darkness.
Red: blood, violence, the end of the world, China.
Green: grass, trees, crops.
Blue: sky, flight, water.

Codes.

Symbolic Codes are visual texts use symbols to encode meaning. Symbols are what we see in the image such as:






1. colours
2. objects
3. body language
4. clothing
5. settings.









Written Codes
1. subtitles
2. logos
3. labels
4. headings
5. fonts and sizes.

Technical Codes are lighting and camera angles
in a scene 






1. Shot size
2. Long shot
3. Mid shot
4. Close up
5. Extreme close up

Iconography is the traditional or conventional images or symbols associated with a subject and especially a religious or legendary subject.

Religious Iconography

Here are examples of religious iconography:

The Virgin Mary is most often shown wearing a blue robe. This is symbolic of heaven and her spirituality.
The cross has been a religious icon since the second century and represents Christianity. Marking the sign of the cross on someone’s forehead or chest was used to ward off demons.
A snake or monkey is used to represent evil.
The purity of the Virgin Mary is shown with lilies in a vase and a bowl or urn of water.
A halo, which is a circle of light surrounding a person, is widely used in religious paintings to denote a holy person or saint. Asian religious art uses flames, called mandorla, around the body or head.


Iconography in Art

Here are examples of iconography in art including cultural arts:

A red poppy is an icon for remembering those killed in wars, especially in World War I. Poppies are worn as a way of sharing in the grief felt for those lost in war.
The shape of a heart is widely used to symbolize love and romance. 
There have been several symbols used for peace, including the peace sign and holding the first two fingers in a "V" shape. In ancient times the olive branch was used, as well as the dove.
Here are two examples of paintings that represent iconography:

Iconography in Film and Television

Icons for the Western genre of films includes ten gallon hats, spurs, horses, saloons, guns, jails, and the badge of the sheriff.

Icons for horror movies may include young girls, haunted houses, and contrasting shadow and light in darkened places.

Bad guys often wear black to symbolize evil and leather jackets, often black, are worn by rebels or tough guys.

Thrillers are often filmed in urban neighborhoods whereas scary movies are often set in the suburbs.

Science fiction movies have high tech gadgets and automobiles that fly.