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Music Video Survey

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Music Video

Music Video Evaluation

For this unit I had to research and gain knowledge on types of music video's and different music video theories, before planning, filming and then editing my own music video. I sent out a questionnaire asking people they're favourite genre of music and music video and what they like to see within music video's and my results came back saying that the majority of people like a music video with a narrative, this was great help as I was then able to create my video based around what my audience was asking for and what they would like to see. I also held a focus group asking my fellow peers for their ideas and views on what I should do for my music video. This was extremely helpful as I was able to go from having very limited ideas, to having a song and a narrative idea. The focus group was successful and this led to me developing new ideas and helped me to come up with my original idea of a narrative based video.

Originally I planned to create a narrative based 'Jake Bugg' style video based in a city setting, however when I went to film for my music video the weather was horrendous so I was unable to film. Due to this I found myself short of time so had to change my idea. I changed to filming at night and changing to a song that was led more by the music rather than that of the lyrics, because of this I was able to base the video on different colourful and psychedelic imagery instead of having a set particular narrative. I therefore feel that my ability to adapt and change ideas has been a key strength of mine.

My filming schedule for my music video did not go to plan, as I was due to start filming and in the city centre of coventry but this wasn't possible due to heavy rain, this majorly interrupted my filming schedule and even resulted in me having to change my idea for my music video. However when I eventually was able to film it went really well and I managed to aide by the schedule that I gad put in place. I went to coventry late at night a wandered the city filming lights, streets and my friend. The filming was all done in one night which gave me plenty of time to edit before my final deadline. Most of the footage is , colourful and sharp, however because I was filming at night some footage appears slightly grainy, this could have been avoided by being more aware of the camera settings I was using e.g. Aperture and ISO. It also could of been avoided by using a different lens, a lens that was more suitable for night filming.

I felt a real strength of mine throughout creating my music video was my ability to bring the footage and video to life via my quick and creative style of editing. Due to my footage being random and fairly average, I had to edit well in order to bring it to life, whether that was by layering footage, speeding footage up or slowing it down or even reversing footage. Although if I was to make another music video I would ensure that there was more depth to my footage and also ensure that I was a higher quality, as I feel this has been one of my main weaknesses throughout the course of making a music video.

Another strength of mine whilst making a music video was my organisational skills throughout the editing process of my music video, I ensured that all footage was labeled so I didn't waste time searching for particular bits of footage. I also ensured that work was kept in specific folders so I didn't get mixed up or confused and lose work.

Overall I am rather happy with the end product, as I have created a fun to watch, creative and interesting music video. If I was to make another music video I would probably pursue my original idea of making a narrative based video as I feel it would be more of a challenge for myself.

Effective ways to present and evaluate research methods

Before beginning production on my music video, I conducted enough research to further my understanding and to become more knowledgeable on the different codes and conventions used within music videos, and what directors of music video wish for their audience to gain from the music video. My first point of research which I conducted was taking notes in lesson from a powerpoint, this helped to give me a brief and clear understanding of music video conventions. I was also introduce to 2 theorists who specialise in music video theory, Carol Vernallis and Andrew Goodwin. I was then able to away and research these 2 theorists via webpages and books, I was then able to transfer the information onto my blog to contribute towards my work. I was able to gain information from Andrew Goodwin's book 'Dancing in the Distraction Factory' and different websites including articles from the guardian, these are both very retable sources.

Although I view music videos regularly, whether that be on music channels or on you tube etc. I have always viewed them passively and have never really viewed them to try and devote meaning. By researching Carol Vernallis and Andrew Goowdin's theories I was then able to apply these theories to music videos of my choice, by doing this I was able to expand my knowledge of music videos and which conventions were used in which genre of music video, this helped in the production stage of creating my own video as I was knowledgable on music video conventions.

After conducting research over the course of 5 music videos I felt I had developed a clear and broad understanding of different codes and conventions that were used in each genre and each music video. This reach helped me to gather ideas as to what style of video I would create, however I felt I needed to conduct more primary research so I held a focus group with my fellow HNC students to listen to their ideas, by doing this it helped me to come up with more ideas and further my knowledge of music video as I was gathering more information and data from a primary source. Before the focus group took place I was certain I wanted to produce a narrative based music video but was struggling to pick a song for it, the focus group helped me to decide on Jake Bugg - Seen it all.

As well as a focus group I also produced a survey and put it up onto my blog so people were able to fill it out and I was then able to gain some results to help me with the production of my music video. The survey can be viewed by following this link https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/PVHHPC. The survey helped me to gain information from my audience and therefore helped me to work out things such as which music genre I would use, what type of video I would create and where people watch music videos so I would therefore know where to upload my video to. Below I have placed screenshots of my results that I had gathered by releasing my survey.

The First question which asks "What is your favourite genre of music?" the chart below clearly shows that overall the people to fill out my survey like Rock Music the best, due to this I chose a rock song to create a music video to, this song being Jake Bugg - Seen it all. However due to problems with filming I had to change my music video idea and therefore change my song, so instead of sticking with rock I decided to change and go for my second most popular music genre which was Dance music.  Another question I asked was "What genre of music video do you view?" as the result clearly stated that amongst my audience narrative based music videos were the most popular I decide to aim to make my music video as narrative based as possible. However due to the fact I had to change my song I was unable to create a narrative based video and instead ignored my survey results and went down the route of making a video that was more psychedelic and involved creative and colourful imagery, as I felt that it went well with the song I had chose which was Jamie xx- Girl.

Another question I asked in my survey was "Where is it you mainly view music videos?". For this question there was a very obvious popular answer amongst my audience which was that they viewed music videos the most on YouTube. Therefore when I had completed my music video I uploaded it to YouTube, this made sense to me because it is where the majority of my audience view music videos and so therefore would be able to view mine on there too.



Conclusion 

Overall throughout the course of this study, quantitive research methods such as questionnaires did not fair well in bringing me results which were both of good quality and reliable. The aim over this research project was to gain inspiration and find ways of being more creative for when I started making my music video, however by just asking questions, it didn't really give me any solid ideas or enable me to become more creating with my ideas. One thing that the questionnaire was good for however was being able to tell me what my audiences favourite genre was, and helped me to pick the song which was used within my music video. My questionnaire also helped me to decide the best place for my video to be uploaded and which genre of music video was most popular amongst my audience, making it easier to pick what style of video I created. I felt that qualitative research methods such as focus groups were one of the most successful ways of gathering research and ideas, this was due to me being able to talk freely and openly to a range of people in a room and constantly bounce new and inventive ideas off of one another. It also helped me to gather primary information in the form of student opinions and ideas that really did go on to help produce my music video. I also felt that by studying music video theorists such as carol vernallis and Andrew Goodwin and applying their theories to music videos helped further my understanding of music videos in general. I used books and internet search engines to help myself gain a strong understanding of these theories. It is evident throughout my research that internet sources have been very valuable to the improvement of my overall knowledge throughout the music video production, however it needs to be noted that not all sources are reliable, as some can be written and changed by anybody e.g. Wikipedia and SlideShare. To ensure sources are correct, check them against retable sources such as a book or a webpage such as the guardian or a university page.

Improvements to be made

- Be sure to record audio and possibly film from focus groups in order to back up my results
- Increase the amount of questions and change the style of questions to help me gain more ideas about my actual video production
- Include a higher amount of students in the focus group in order to increase the quantity and the quality of ideas and to gain more results to help with video production

Changes to Music Video

Due to the recent weather being incredibly wet and rainy I have decided to change the overall idea of my music video. Because of the weather it has interrupted my shooting schedule meaning I shall not have enough time to shoot a narrative based, social realist video. Although the location remains the same, which is the city streets, the video will now be mostly shot at night and the song will be changed to a track that is more focused o the music rather than that of the lyrics.

Applying Lacan to Film

Lacan's theory of lack can be applied to this particular scene in whiplash, we see the protagonist wants to achieve his goal so much that he becomes obsessed and takes up repetitive practice in order to achieve his goal of being a perfect drummer. We see this when close ups of the drummers face and hands whilst playing the drums, quite literally producing blood sweat and tears. Also in this scene we see the camera tracking along the drums, this helps to promote the high speed intensity of the drumming and the speed in which he is playing at, by doing this it helps to show his determination and how much he wants to succeed. We also see how much the protagonist wants to succeed and meet the demands of his mentor when we see him smashing symbols and throwing equipment about. As the tension in the scene builds this is shown via the use of diegetic sound, the tension continues building until the diegetic sound stops, this helps for us to go inside the mind of the rummer and feel the intensity of the drumming.

Client Feedback

Overall looking at feedback I have received from my client I have discovered numerous things which I could do to improve my promotional video. For example I could have ensured that rooms in which I filmed were tidier (the HNC room was not tidy) and chose nicer places within the college to film. I also could use more appropriate angles rather than using slight dutch angles which are not appropriate for corporate promotional videos. Another thing in which I could improve on is include both genders rather than just males which were involved in the interviews of this video, this is a problem as females are obviously a core market for the college, so obviously I would have to include female interviews next time. Finally to improve I would ensure the video is not so repetitive at times and ensure I have more of a range of footage in different locations. For example I show a mid shot of a drum kit being played and a close up of a keyboard repetitively, I could of used a high angle shot of the drum kit, followed by a low angled shot just to add variation to that particular part of my promotional video.

Music Video Shot Types

For my music video I have taken inspiration from the Jake Bugg music video 'Seen it al' which can be viewed below.




Although my video will have a different narrative to the one of Jake Bugg, the technical conventions will be similar as I plan to use similar shot types and camera angles as well as slowing down and speeding up footage.

I plan to use various close up shots in order to be able to show the emotions of my main protagonist throughout my music video. These emotions will mainly consist of sadness and towards the end happiness.

I will also use shots like this, shooting behind my main protagonist. By doing this I will be able bring the idea that the protagonist is being followed through the narrative of the music video to life.

 Whilst carrying out research, watching a range of music videos from the indie genre and producing a mood board i discovered that cigarettes and smoke are one of the indie genres main points of iconography. Due to this I plan to feature my protagonist smoking at various points in the music video.

Although I wish for my music video to be in black and white, I like the use of lighting in the Jake Bugg video for 'seen it all'. Blue and red lighting have been used whilst smoking at different points, blue signifying a chilled out mellow protagonist, red signifying a more angry and uneasy protagonist. So at points in my music I may include some colour to help show a particular mood or feeling.  
                                                                                       
I will also use long shots and establishing shots in order to show an important place or landmark. This will help to show a change of setting in the narrative.                                                                                  

Health & Safety risk assessment

Communication

Promotional Video

Music Video - Mood Board

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Carol Vernallis

Carol Vernallis is a theorist who specialise in audiovisual aesthetics, digital technologies, film music, popular culture and production practice. Things which Carol Vernallis did include:

- Providing a theoretical account of genre in the publication 'Experiencing Music Video: Aesthetics and cultural context'.
- She was the first person to articulate a theory of how music, lyrics and image can be placed in relation.
- She was also the first to provide analysis of individual music videos and explain how sound and moving image work together in a temporal flow.
- Carol Vernallis states that a clear convention involved with music editing is that the music video may disrupt or break different conventions, including continuity editing.
- She also states that establishing shots are one of the key features involved in a music video and are the most frequently used shot types throughout a video, alongside close ups.

Gantt Chart

This Gantt chart was filled out throughout the course of the promotional video project, it was used so I was able to keep on top of my work and keep track of what I had completed and what I had left to do.

Promotional Video review

Throughout the course of this study I analysed different promotional video's and how they are used in order to help companies sell a particular product. My task was to contact a client and make a video promoting they're business. I chose to contact staff at King Edward IV college about filming they're particular subjects to help sell the college and persuade students who are leaving school to come to the college and people who are in second year to stay at the college another year and enrol to the 'Art Foundation' course and the 'HNC in Creative Media Production'.

I felt that the overall plan and structuring of this task went well, as  was able to meet with teachers and discuss thoughts which helped the planning blossom into an overall idea for each individual subject. The filming part was one which could be considered a weakness for this particular task as finding interesting things to film for each subject was sometimes a problem. For example when going to film the Art Foundation students nobody was working on anything practical or interesting so it was hard to create something that was aesthetically exciting.

I used a range of camera angles and shots, for example I used close up shots whilst interviewing students to ensure the audience could clearly see and develop more of a relationship with them. I also used establishing shots throughout the video when visiting a new area of the college, e.g. an establishing shot of the art foundation room, and library, this is just to simply show that the audience is about to enter a new are of the college whilst watching the video.

Time management and organisational skills was also a weakness as although the planning and filming was completed on time it took longer than expected to complete the editing due footage to footage going missing and or not being up to scratch. So in future I need to ensure that footage is of a quality that I am happy with straight away so I do not need to reshoot and that all footage is labelled and put into folders where I know where it is.

The video also includes interview which I feel is one of he biggest strengths of the video as we footage is crisp and clear and the audio sounds really good as it was recorded via the use of a Boom Microphone.

Overall I feel that the promotional video is of a good standard, but cold be improved by featuring more of a range of different subjects as although it gives some important information surrounding the college, it doesn't cover all areas which is what a promotional video should really do.

Throughout the course of editing my new wave film together I ensured that all footage I was using was labeled. I did this to ensure I knew what bits of footage was what, thus ensuring I saved time as I didn't have to search for footage whilst editing as I knew exactly what footage was what.



I also ensure that all of my footage was kept in a folder labeled 'Music Video' so that I didn't lose footage and that I knew where it was at all times. It was also ordered alphabetically which made it much easier to find particular bits of footage, and ensured that I didn't waste time looking for footage.

Planning and Client Feedback

I have been in touch with my client which includes a numerous amount of tutors from King Edward IV college and I have discussed the process of the promotional video in which I shall be making. By talking to different tutors I was able to discover what each tutor wanted and therefore work out how I could meet their individual needs. By making sure I know what each client wants me to include in their clip showcasing their subject I can avoid wasting time on filming things that will be no use to my client when showing them the end product. Although emails have been exchanged they were only to organise a meeting to discuss my ideas and to listen to their ideas in person.

Upon meeting with my clients I asked questions about what they wanted me to film and what kind of things they anted to include in their video clip, however they enabled me to take nearly full control over the video and allowed me to control what is going to be included in the video. However I was directed on the overall visual aesthetic of the video, as I was told where to film, when to film, but it was left down to me what I actually filmed.

Laura Mulvey (Male Gaze) - Vertigo

In the film 'Vertigo' by Hitchcock the male gaze can be easily applied as the narrative of the text itself is about a male protagonist who is obsessed with a female name Madeline. Due to the film showcasing the obsession the protagonist Ferguson has with Madeline, as an audience we are able to see the gaze itself in action at many points.

An Example of this gaze can be seen in this 'peeping tom' scene, here we take on Ferguson's gaze as he watches and stares at Madeline. We see that he is pictured in very low key lighting which indicates that he wants to be hidden as being caught peeping would make him look like a pervert, opposed to Madeline who is situated in very high key lighting walking around look at flowers. The next shot we see is of him peeping through the door, to show exactly what he is doing, before the camera again takes on his gaze. Although the shot in which we see isn't of a woman being sexualised or objectified like it would be usually, what Ferguson is looking at his still fulfilling the same desires.

Andrew Goodwin

Andrew Goodwin is an Australian theories who came up with a theory in the 1990's that applied to music video's. After years of anallysing the music industry he put together a set of key features which can be applied to all music video's. Not all features can be applied to every music video out there but atlas one of his features can always be applied. Goodwin said that there is always a relationship between the lyrics and the visuals and what can be seen on screen, this can either be, Illustrating, which is where music videos use a set of images to illustrate the meaning of the lyrics and genre, Amplifying, this where the meanings of the lyrics are added to that of the visuals and the visual aspects provide an extra layer of meaning, finally contradicting where the meaning of the song is completely ignored and the visuals take on a whole new narrative and or meaning. Goodwin also noticed that some music videos use the idea of cutting visuals to the music, this helps for the video to become very aesthetically pleasing.

Goodwin also discovered that each music video demonstrates genre characteristics, not just the genre of the music, but a genre for the music video itself. These include Stadium performances and studio performances, this mainly includes the visual of simply just a band playing and no narrative. The the others include location, where the video is set in a certain place to help devote meaning, narrative where the lyrics of a song can help to build a visual representation of the song and create a short story and finally conceptual/ experimental were the band seek to create a visual that is different an something nobody has ever seen before.

Goodwin also said that key features of music videos are close ups of the artist, this is due to the fact that record companies require the artist to be strongly featured within the music video. Some artist however also develop a range of motifs that can be seen frequently in different videos of theirs. These include things like artistic branding, celebrity culture, artistic portrayal and implications on looking good. Due to artist close ups, star iconography can be linked to this, this is something each star will develop in their music videos, this could be through branding, style, brand visuals and unique selling points.

Goodwin also applied the concept of voyeurism to music videos, meaning that the audience viewing the video will see something that they wouldn't usually see. This can be done n the form of nudity, near nudity and revealing clothes, which links with Laura Mulvey's theory of the male gaze which can be used to attract a male audience. The male gaze focuses on presenting visuals that can be seen as appealing to the eye of a male viewer, this often includes the objectification of a female. The artist can also occasionally looking directly into the camera to help the audience feel more connected with the artist.

Andrew Goodwin -

Foo Fighters - Something From Nothing

This music video contains illustrative ideas, this being a representation of the lyrics in a visual form. For example in tho music video when the lyrics are sung they also appear on screen. This style of music video was typical to the foo fighters album 'Sonic Highways' as each video includes the lyrics appearing on screen whilst the band is performing.

The fact the lyrics are shown on the screen also indicates that they are very important as the lyrics were written whilst touring different areas of America, and are reflective of the experiences Dave Grohl and the band had and the stories they were told. The making of this song and the writing of the lyrics was shown in an episode of Sonic Highways, the video is shown at the end of the episode. By the lyrics appearing on screen it gives the audience more of a chance to read and connect with the lyrics.

This video takes place in a studio and shows the band simply playing together. Throughout the video we see the camera go to close ups of each musician playing an instrument, including guitar, bass and the drums. This typical of the foo fighters star image, we are able to see that they are a proper band, playing real instruments and making real music, which is a lot different to the majority of posters around at the moment.

Mike Posner - I took a pill in Ibiza

Andrew Goodwin



This particular video by Mike Posner shows ideas put forward in the theory by Andrew Goodwin that he discovered whilst analysing music videos. The video itself illustrates the song lyrics, the opening line "I took a pill in ibiza" is reflected via the music video as we then see Mike Posner taking a pill in front of a mirror. It can also be stated that this video shows star iconography as we are able to see Mike Posner and recognise that its him starring in the video however this a negative way of portraying himself within this video as it shows him taking a pill.

Andrew Goodwin also believed music videos create certain genre characteristics, due to this being a dance song, it is set within a club where dance music would be played, and has people dancing around to the music. Voyeurism can be discussed as part of this music video also, exhibitionism plays a large part in the dance genre and is showcased throughout this music video. It is evident throughout this video that girls are constantly throwing themselves at Mike Posner, there is also a higher number of girls in the club than males. There is a specific scene in the music video where Mike Posner is having sex with a girl, this is shown whilst the lyrics "I already blew my shot" is sung, a line that can be interpreted as sexual. The part sown in the music video shows an intimate act happening in a intimate location . Overall the video is good for accompanying Goodwins theory of narrative and performance and the lyrics are well illustrated via the video.

Jake Bugg - Seen it all

Andrew Goodwin



The video for Jake Bugg seen it all illustrates between lyrics and visuals as the general consensus for the music video is that the protagonist walks around seeing strange things, hens the saying and the song title "seen it all". An example of this is when the protagonist walks into a random corridor to see a ping pong table with Jake Bugg standing there, they then play ping pong before Jake Bugg then disappears, again backing up the idea of the saying "Ive seen it all".

In terms of genre, this video features a few conventions which Goodwin discovered, one of these conventions is that the video is narrative based. In this video it is as if Jake Bugg is telling a story from his past and uses the lyrics to link in the with the visuals.

Sigmund Freud - Enemy

When first watching this film it posed many many unanswered questions e.g. Why are there spiders involved? and many involving the 'twins'.

After watching the film more than once it is clear to see that there isn't actually wins involved in the film at all and that it is just the protagonist named Adam Bell, projecting to parts of his psyche. By applying Sigmund Freud's theory of psychoanalysis it is easy to defer that the 2 characters that to a passive audience can be seen as twins are actually representative of the Superego and the id.

The protagonist which we are first introduce to Adam Bell, the central protagonist within the film, is subject to leading a very boring and repetitive lifestyle, he works as a history lecturer, everyday he goes to his lectures and then goes home, his appearance is rather boring and as a character he doesn't seem anything new or exciting. However the other 'protagonist' we meet named 'Anthony St Claire' appears to be a better dressed, more confident and unable to control his desires as he his known to have engaged in an affair. Anthony St Claire is Adam Bells id and is just a representation of the other side of Adam Bells psyche.

Adam Bell is a representation of the superego and spends the course of the film battling and trying to regulate the id. According to Freud's theory the superego lives by the rules placed into society and this exactly what Adam Bell does, he's got  job, he doesn't misbehave and is an all round respectable character.

One of the most important scenes in the film is the scene where the pair are together and are in a car crash, it could be said the that this is the scene in which the superego finally kills and does away with the id part of his psyche. It is clear that this film is trying get inside the protagonists head and project an image of his psyche as he constantly fights with either side of his personalities.

Applying Sigmund Freud's theory to film evaluation

Throughout the course of this study, I applied Sigmund Freud's theory of psychoanalysis to three different films, Fight club (1999), Black Swan (2010) and Birdman (2014). I had to research the theory itself and how to apply it to films, I did this by looking through books and various internet sources. One of my strengths throughout this study was having the ability to apply theory and analyse individual scenes. I was frequently able to watch a scene and then look at mise en scene and characters along with the narrative and detect how the id, ego and superego are represented.

One of my weaknesses however I felt was my research. I did not take the time to carefully research the topic before I began my essay, instead I tried to conduct research alongside writing the essay. Because of this I struggled to continuously keep on writing my essay as I kept having to leave it to continue my research, this may have effected the consistency of my essay. It also meant that I did not always have enough sources to back up points I was making.

One thing that I do need to improve on is the way I talk about how technical codes are used to help show freud's theory within the films. For example talk about how camera angles and lighting are used to show the id, ego and superego and anchor the narrative of the text itself.

Overall I feel that I have written quite  good essay which explains various points and theory well. My biggest strength whilst writing this essay was my ability to analyse the films, however I recognise that my weaknesses were my research and ability to talk about how technical codes represent the theory i the film. By correcting my weaknesses it shall help me to improve whilst writing future essays.

Bibliography Psychoanalysis

 (1) http://www.theguardian.com/film/2001/jun/17/features.review (not sure, but used twice)
 (2) David Fincher - Fight Club - 1999
 (3) Alejandro Gonzalez Birdman
(4) Black Swan
(5) http://www.theguardian.com/film/2001/jun/17/features.review
(6) Film Studies - Andrew M Butler
(7)Film Studies - Andrew M Butler
(8) Film Studie Andrew M Butler
(9) http://www.simplypsychology.org/psyche.html
(10)http://www.simplypsychology.org/psyche.html
(11)http://www.simplypsychology.org/psyche.html
(12) Film Studies Andrew M Butler
(13)http://www.fandango.com/birdman_176140/plotsummary
(14)Birdman Scene 1 hour in
(15)http://www.simplypsychology.org/psyche.html

Sigmund Freud - Applying his theory of Psychoanalysis to film

Sigmund Freud was a psychologist who was born on the 6th May 1856 and died on the 23rd September 1939. Freud was the founding father of the Psychoanalysis theory, it was used as a method of treating mental illness as well as being a theory that explains human behaviour. (1) This theory includes 'the id'which is part of the personality formed by desires, 'the ego' which operates alongside the reality principle, it works out realistic way's of satisfying the id's demands and finally 'the superego'  which is the regulator of pleasure, it will censor the id, but will also license it.

 Throughout the course of this study I will be applying this theory to 3 individual texts, David Fincher's 1999 'Fight Club’ (2), 'Birdman', which was released in 2014 and directed by Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu (3), and finally 'Black Swan', released in 2010 and directed by Darren Aronofsky (4).

Not only has Freud’s theory of Psychoanalysis been used to analyse films but it has also been a strong influence in the creation of films. In the early days of Hollywood psychoanalysts were mostly seen “evil quacks or hopeless fools” However after the second world war, psychoanalytical ideas gained more currency in America and therefore took on a new role, becoming as Hitchcock said ‘dream detectives’ (5). 

‘Fight Club’ directed by David Fincher and was released in 1999, the film focuses on a protagonist played by Edward Norton who is a depressed insomniac. He meets a strange soap salesman called Tyler Durden played by Brad Pitt and they set up an underground fight club together. However as the film progresses it becomes clear that Brad Pitts character Tyler Cruden isn't actually real, he is just the id the protagonist has created to help get way from his boring depressing life.

David Finchers ‘Fight Club’ is a perfect example of a film where Sigmund Freud’s Psychoanalysis can be applied as the film is heavily dictated by the theory itself. The id is formed from the desires of the individual and can be seen in the behaviours of Tyler Durden within ‘Fight Club’ “who steals, screws and hurts what he wants” (6). It doesn't matter what what scenario Tyler is in, if he has a desire he acts upon it, even if this causes pain or inconvenience to others (7). 

A key example of this is shown within the scene around the 1 hour and 17 minute mark, where fight club changes into ‘project mayhem’ where members of Tyler’s fight club begin wrecking havoc across the city, this scene shows that Tyler Durden does exactly what he wants when he has the desire to do so. Tyler and the unnamed protagonist smash up cars with baseball bats and then hold a shop assistant at gun point.

Freud's theory is shown via the  low key lighting and the mise en scene in the scene where the rules of fight club are introduced. The sequence takes place in a dark basement underneath a club, as it is in a basement it s representative of being deep inside the human psyche. The low key lighting is also a key part of the scene as just like the miss en scene the lighting symbolises the place where they are fighting being deep down within the human psyche.

“When he has a desire he acts upon it, even if this causes pain or inconvenience to others”(8). In this scene the fact that Tyler Durden is an id is upheld, he smashes cars without even acknowledging the fact that they are other peoples possessions, he drags the shop owner out of his shop and holds him at gun point, not acknowledging how scared the shop owner is and finally takes no notice when Edward Norton’s character questions Tyler’s actions. This particular sequence therefore clearly shows that Tyler is representative of an id, acting upon desires despite these desires causing other pain.

 Tyler Durden is represented within the text as the ID, in contrast to the narrator who represents the Ego. “The ego develops in order to mediate between the unrealistic id and the external real world. It is the decision making component of personality. Ideally the ego works by reason, whereas the id is chaotic and totally unreasonable. (9). In comparison to that of Tyler Durden, the narrator tends to follow all rules of society at the beginning of the film. Freud’s theory also includes ‘the superego’ which develops in order to mediate between the unrealistic id and the ego. It is the decision making component of personality. Ideally the ego works by reason, whereas the id is chaotic and totally unreasonable (10). So the ego works to help mediate the id and superego. 

In Fight Club the superego can be found in the support groups that the protagonist attends at the beginning of the film and the fight clubs which allow acts of aggression (11). We find out through the narrative that he goes to these support groups to help solve his problem of insomnia. The support groups also however help the protagonist to feel normal, as only when he is surrounded by death does he start to feel alive. This is subsequently ruined by Marla Singer (who is not ill) who enters the narrative attending support groups as well, due to her being there the protagonist is unable to cry and feel anything meaning the support groups no longer work for him.

Due to the protagonist no longer attending the support groups there is no superego to help mediate the ego and the ID. Because of this the ID begins to take over the protagonists mind and therefore forces him to creates Tyler Durden who he first meets on a ‘flight’.

I believe that the reason the ID takes over the protagonists Psyche is due to the lack of superego throughout the film to help control the id. The id or as he is more formally known within fight club Tyler Durden becomes stronger and stronger after ‘Fight Club’ is born. It goes from a small club where men come to fight each other, to a group of individuals spreading terror across the city in the form of ‘Project Mayhem’. Project Mayhem is what really signifies the id taking over as Tyler has his own gang which he has trained to spread terror across the city. At this point in the film Tyler Durden disappears, leaving the protagonist to look for him. However it is evident that Tyler has disappeared as the id portrayed by Tyler has completely taken over the protagonist that the ego no longer exists and the protagonist intact has became Tyler Durden. 

The next text which I will apply Sigmund Freuds theory of psychoanalysis to is Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu’s 2014 film ‘Birdman’.  The film focuses on a fading actor best known for his portrayal of a popular superhero, he attempts to make a comeback in acting by appearing in a Broadway play. As opening night approaches, his attempts to become more altruistic, rebuild his career, and reconnect with friends and family prove more difficult than expected (12).

Sigmund Freud’s Psychoanalytical theory can be applied well to Birdman as the narrative helps to show different sides of the human Psyche. We see sProtagonist Regan Thompson constantly battling with his id which is shown in the form of the superhero he used to play ‘Birdman’. In the scene around the hour mark we see began battling with his ID which is represented as  the diegetic sound of a deep voice talking to Regan himself. Regan is in his dressing room arguing with his id, the id shows the greedy but successful side of Regans personality as when Regan says “I was fucking miserable”  his id replies “yeah but fake miserable, Hollywood miserable” followed by “Fuck you, you coward, we grossed billions, are you ashamed of that? Billions!”. Regan replies to his id saying “yeah for filing shit everyday, does that make it good?” (13).

In this scene it becomes clear that Regan is trying to overpower his id by trying to make a career as an actor that actually produces respectable work rather than just use something he made years ago just to make money. The scene upholds the battle he is having within his mind of whether he should stick at acting within the theatre and become a respected broadway actor, or just take the easy option of going back to ‘Birdman’ where he makes billions “by making shit everyday” but becomes relevant and rich again.

Later on in the film we see Regan wake up on the side of a street after drinking heavily the night before. He is awoken by the voice of his own id ‘birdman’ telling him to get up. In this seen the use of diegetic sound is used to show how Regans id is trying to take over. The diegetic sound in question is the voice of the id being made to seem as if its coming from the back of Regans mind. We hear the id saying things such as “you’re a movie star man, you’re a global force” and “fuck it we’ll make a comeback, they’re ready for something huge”.

Throughout this sequence we get to see the full extent of Regan’s psychological state, he seems somewhat depressed and down about the way his acting career is going. We are able to see the physical appearance of the id for the first time via the use of a mid shot featuring both the id and Regan. This is done in order to show that the id is getting more and more powerful, not only is the id a piece of diegetic sound in the back of Regans head, it is now visible and walking behind Regan. The power of the id is then confirmed as Regan dissapears totally from the shot and we can only see the id, clicks his fingers and action begins to take place, explosions, helicopters and a big monster appears.

My next and final text in which I will apply Sigmund Freud’s theory of psychoanalysis to is Darren Aronofsky’s Black Swan, released in 2010. The film revolves around a ballerina called Nina who's life is compleltey consumed with dance. She lives with a controlling mother and lands the lead role in her dance company’s production of Swan Lake, however Nina can only perfect the white swan dance, not the black swan, another ballerina lily can perfect the black swan. Nina becomes more in touch with the black swan as the film goes on and ends up killing herself. (14)

Within this text Sigmund Freud’s theory can be applied, one way of doing this is talking about the id that is frequently referred to throughout the film as the black swan. At first we see the black swan as something Nina strives to become, however due to her obsession with being perfect she genuinely faces a battle of her id taking over, and eventually she becomes the black swan.

In the final scene of the film we see Nina fully transform into the black swan, and her id is shown by the camera showing a close up of her possessed looking deep red eyes. She dances around the stage and the powerful ferociousness of her id taking over is shown by the diegetic sound of the the swan lake music getting increasingly faster and louder and via the quick cuts between shots. The film ends with Leah lying motionless on a bed after a suicide stunt at the end of the film, her eyes now no longer red, the camera zooms slowly into her blank face, indicating the id is no longer present.

There are certain points within the film where we see that Leah’s id is present, the first being when she discovers the rash on her back. Later on we see a close up showing what appear to be black feathers growing out of it, only she sees this however and her mother says it was Nina scratching herself due to pressure of the show. The rash is frequent throughout the film, however the id is first seen when Leah flips out at her mother and we see a close up of her red eyes the first time.

The superego part of Freud’s psychoanalysis theory is shown, the superego   incorporates the values and morals of society which are learned from ones parents and others, and its function is to control the id’s impulses. In black swan the superego can be seen in the form of Nina, who is pure, childlike and lives under the rules and the reign of her mother. We see her childlike actions in a sequence that take place at her dance instructors flat, where he asks her if she masturbates, she responds very immaturely and doesn't give an answer as her mother has tried to shield her away from sex and boys.

Promotional Video Shooting / Editing

- Establishing shot of the room - Showing Surroundings.
- Shot of somebody working / doing something (could use a time-lapse)
- Audio of student / teacher being interviewed over the top of the film - music could be used too.
- Film interview also - film can cut from the action inside the class room, back to the image of the student being interviewed.
- Shots of the college in general, Study centre / Library / Canteen
- Make a point of showcasing specialist equipment in HNC / Photography / Music & Music Tech e.g. Film students on Apple Macs / Using DSLR cameras / Photography Studio / Actual sound recording studio.
- Could include footage from trips, Madrid / Birmingham / Manchester.

A contextual study of the American New Wave between 1967-1970

I will be studying the American New Wave from 1967 through to 1970. I will be focusing my research around on Arthur Penn's 1967 film Bonnie and Clyde, John Schlesingers's 1969 film Midnight Cowboy and finally Dennis Hoppers 1969 film Easy Rider. I have chosen these films in particular as they were so important in the change of American cinema, each offering a very new, fresh and interesting style of narrative. I will be looking at the social conditions of the production of the film and study its cultural impact. 

New Wave cinema was first introduced when a group of French film makers (La Nouvelle Vague) decided that they were to make films in a way that was different to what anyone had seen before. They did this by cutting in ways nobody had seen before and by filming on location rather than using a set. The term new wave has been defined as “a movement in which a group of people introduce new styles or ideas in art, music, politics, etc.”(1). In reference to film this allowed filmmakers to do things that had never been seen before and allowed them to include a more creative and exploratory narrative.

The American New Wave, just like The French New Wave, was promoting change in world cinema. The first new wave in America was introduced throughout the 50’s where films concentrated on including realism and a truthful depiction of American Society (2). Later on in the 60’s American new wave cinema continued to thrive and was dubbed “The New Hollywood Generation”, the films made during this period were representative of a counter culture and an aesthetic influenced by the French new wave (3).

1960’s in America was a time where a sub culture was to be born, the hippy movement involved a variety of social concerns and beliefs, they believed that life was all about being happy and if something felt good, then you should go ahead and do it (4). Hippies also rejected large and established institutions, “calling them ‘the establishment’, ‘big brother’, and ‘The Man’ hippies believed the dominant mainstream culture was corrupt and inherently flawed and sought to replace it in utopian society.”(5).  

Easy Rider, directed by Dennis Hopper is a film crucial to the American new wave of the 1960’s. Friends Wyatt and Billy travel across America in search of the spiritual truth, throughout the film they experience issues and hatred from many people in small towns across America, they also meet other traveler’s in search of an Alternative lifestyles. However Billy and Wyatt never find what they are looking for and are tragically killed off at the end of the film.

Dennis Hoppers ‘Easy Rider’ fits perfectly in with the sub-culture created with the hippy movement both with the narrative and the overall production of the text, the film goes against the rules of film that were in place at the time as instead of filming in a Hollywood studio, they were filming on location, taking drugs and constantly changing environments. By doing this it therefore rejected the large institution of Hollywood, just like the hippies moved away from the established institutions. 

 Protagonists Billy and Wyatt are seen throughout the text smoking dope. One key point of the text where the characters are seen smoking dope is the sequence that takes place between 54:27-01.00. Here Wyatt is seen encouraging character George to smoke marijuana rather than drink alcohol, without much persuasion George eventually gives in and begins to smoke joining in with the ‘hippy lifestyle’. Georges lack of will power to say no to smoking dope is very symbolic of the time.

Billy then spots a UFO in the sky which leads George onto talking about other societies in our solar system, he say’s “They’re people just like us within our own solar system, except their society is much more highly evolved, I mean they don't have no wars, they have no monetary systems, they don't have any leaders” Here, what George is talking about is exactly what the hippy movement of the 1960’s represented, “Hippies rejected middle class values, opposed nuclear weapons and the Vietnam war.” (6). George talks about a society with no wars or violence and a society where leaders are not needed as people are able to lead themselves. Dennis Hopper uses this sequence as a way of representing key social and institutional factors of the time, including the idea that the hippy movement involved peace and harmony to the people of America at the time.

The LSD scene at the end of the film Easy Rider involves a dreamlike, mad and surreal state which is created through clever editing. A mid-shot is used and it doesn't cut until after the characters have all taken LSD, once the drug has been taken the scene descends into madness, quick cuts between characters and and camera shots such as close ups long shots and some hand held camera work helps to reflect the madness and ensures that the audience are hypnotised by the visuals. (21) - Easy Rider

The counter culture of the time was represented significantly within the film Easy Rider through the mise en scene of the film. Characters drug taking and the way they looked was a reflection of the youth of the time. Prior to this film being made counter culture figures, if depicted cinematically at all, were side characters and or villains, never protagonists, and young people in general were portrayed like the squares in the beach part movies. Easy Rider spoke to a segment of society that felt marginalised by the Establishment, a segment that had been rarely reflected in movies. (20) 

Dennis Hopper was one of the directors of the American new wave that wanted to change the way films were made traditionally and this is exactly what he did with Easy Rider. In the documentary ‘Easy Rider Raging Bulls’ Hopper say’s “I didn't really like American films, I didn't like what was being done with most American films at the time”(7). This was the attitude of most directors at the time as they wanted to do something different, something that would be of interest to the people. Peter Bogdanovich says in ‘Easy Rider Raging Bulls’ “The studio system essentially collapsed, by 63 it was over and nobody knew what the hell to do”(8). This could be considered the start of American new wave cinema, due to the studio system of Hollywood failing and as Paul Shcrader asay’s in the documentary ‘Easy Rider Raging Bulls’ “There big old films weren't making any money” so therefore something had to change.

The film itself impacted a large American audience at the time, Easy Rider due to its extensive drug use involved within the film, which involved characters smoking marijuana and taking LSD.  Despite the hippy movement of the 1960’s drug’s were still considered a ‘taboo topic’, in the book ‘Easy Rider - York Film notes’ it writes "An alarmed reaction was merited. Not because acid meant madness and breakdown, but because the underground pleasures of it and other drugs broke a major taboo” (9).

The ‘Easy Rider - York Film notes’ also writes  "Many more like Billy and Wyatt made cannabis a more comfortable part of their way of life; dope as an enhancement of everyday living, not a pathway to nirvana. The smoking scenes in Easy rider provide some of its happiest moments.” (10). Even though the hippy movement of the 1960’s was in full swing, people after watching the film began smoking dope just like Billy and Wyatt and incorporating it into everyday life, in a way Easy Rider helped to accelerate the whole hippy movement .

Another film that was crucial to the new wave of American cinema was Arthur Penn’s 1967 film ‘Bonnie and Clyde’ the tale of bank robber Clyde who befriends waitress Bonnie Parker as he is stealing her mothers car. The pair go on to rob banks and embark on criminal activity together before they both meet a tragic end and are shot to death in a violent and faced pace ending sequence.

Bonnie and Clyde was released in 1967 and was therefore released whilst the Vietnam war was in full flow, it was the first war to be televised and so violence was becoming more and more of an everyday occurrence for American people. The war in Vietnam clearly had something to do with this, but other things such as The Civil Rights movement and the disillusionment of the Baby Boomer generation did too (11). Bonnie and Clyde when it was released was just another reminder of the violence that was current of the time in the 1960’s.

Other reasons that contributed to the controversy of Bonnie and Clyde being released were the assassinations of Martin Luther King and Bobby Kennedy, so at that point in time it was a serious point of violence and disruption in the states (16). Critic of the New York Times Bosely Crowther attacked the acting, direction and the script on 14th of August saying “This blending of farce with brutal killings is a s pointless as it is lacking in taste, since it makes no valid commentary on the already travestied truth. And it leaves an astonished critic wondering just what purpose Mr Penn and Mr Beatty think they serve with this strangely antique sentimental claptrap.” (17).

Bonnie and Clyde introduced extreme and graphic violence into the world of cinema, and is something that has stayed around to still be a huge part of cinema today. Initially the movie received negative reviews as people were outraged over the gratuitous violence but now is commonly shown unedited on American television. Bonnie and Clyde was a groundbreaking film, and one of the most important films in American history (12). 

One specific sequence in the film Bonnie and Clyde that represents the new found violence director Arthur Penn was promoting is the ending sequence where Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow are gunned down. The 2 characters are on the way to their safe house where they are tragically ambushed, the pair are shot repeatedly as blood soaks the clothing of Bonnie whilst bullets are ripping through her. Fast cuts between the gunmen and the 2 protagonists making for an fast paced, exciting and very violent ending. The camera then shows the pair both lying motionless. This sequence was revolutionary to American cinema at the time, the scene was the first time in which movie technicians learnt that blood, puffs of smoke and clothes ripping were the way bullets worked. Before 1967 getting shot in film was a more or less a tidy event, now because of Bonnie and Clyde’s ending sequence sachets of blood and small powder charges sewn into clothes of the actors would become part of films resources (13).

Although Bonnie and Clyde is now a hugely popular name for US cinema it didn't start of that way. On its release in September it grossed $2600 at one theatre in Cleveland, when it was played at the same theatre in theatre it grossed $26000 (14). That wasn't the end of the shocking increase in sales, by the end of 1967 the film had bagged $2.5million in rentals, however when the film was re-release in 1968 it netted $16.5million in rentals, becoming one of the top 20 grossing films of all time! (15)

Midnight Cowboy is a film based on a novel by James Leo Herlihy, the film itself is all about a young Texas boy named Joe Buck who works as a dish washer. He travels to New York in search of fortune but instead ends up in the company of street hustler Ratso Rizzo. The film ends with talking about getting a regular job to Razzo before noticing that his friend is dead, the driver tells Joe that there is nothing else to do but continue to Miami.

Midnight Cowboy just like Easy Rider was a film that included lots of drug taking and was something that the hippies of the 1960’s could relate to. Director John Schlesinger and his Polish Cinematographer ensured that the film brought a fresh and credible eye to their vision of the city, the film is also full of memorable images. The pair managed to introduce techniques such as rapid fire editing and trip dream sequences, this being a key representation of the movement of the time. This was the first time that these trips sequences had been brought from the underground film scene and put into the mainstream American Cinema. One issue regarding the production of this film however was concern that a british director would not be able to successfully capture the real New York. (18).

Planning

What do you want to happen when people finish watching your video?
When people finish watching my video I want them to feel the need to apply and go to King Edward IV college to study at a higher level academically and treat it as their own pathway to the university/apprenticeship/future job of their choice. I also want them to feel as if they have a strong idea of what the college is like and what it is all about.

What does this audience care about and how does your product or service relate to those concerns?
This audience cares about their education and furthering their studies by leaving school and attending a sixth form college. My promotional video for King Edward College IV relates to the concerns of its audience by showing them a video of just how good the college is, and helps persuade the audience that King Edward College IV is the correct choice to help further their education.

What specific problem am I trying to solve and how do I communicate the solution to the problem?
I am trying to solve the issue of the students being unable to decide what college they wish to attend. I will do this by communicating a clear message that KEGS is a great college and one this is suite well to the needs of the audience.

How are you going to get people to watch your video?
I will put the video on the college You Tube channel and also put it on the King Edward College website, so that people interested in going to the college can check the website and see a promotional video for the college.

What is the idea for this video?
The idea for the video is to show a range of different activities that take place within the college.

Plan - 

1- Pitch the idea to staff members of King Edward IV college in a staff meeting. This is so we are able to get our ideas and points across, explaining why we want to make a promotional video for the college, what it will entail and how it will benefit the college.

2- We will also communicate with teachers via email to try and schedule lessons which we will be able to attend and film.

3- We want to visit numerous subject and gather as much footage as possible to split into 10, 10 second videos of each subject, quickly summing up what that subject is all about and why future students should choose to study it.

4- We will then have to present the footage to see if it is good enough to be able to feature on the KEGS app.

5- If footage is considered good enough then we shall begin editing and putting the video together.

Promotional Video

Target Audience - This advert targets a very wide and mainstream audience.

Mode of address - The advert as a whole tends to be informal. this is shown via the lexis used by the narrator of the advert, phrases such as "peek into stuff" and "its rose gold its awesome". By doing this the advert creates a tone which is friendly and is like a friend is talking to you about the product. It is delivered in a jolly fast paced way which showcases different aspects of the iPhone 6s.

Technical Conventions - The advert uses background music which is jolly and upbeat, making the product seem fun. The edits throughout the advert are fast, constantly cutting to a new scenario where the iPhone 6s is being used e.g. Reading the news, taking a selfie, talking to Siri.

Conveyance/brand identity - The advert shows typical apple brand identity, with a friendly and happy advert which draws people in by showing clips of cool thing the phone can do.

Narrative - The narrative of the advert shows how the new iPhone 6s is new and improved and highlights how the product has advanced since its predecessor the iPhone 6, using the catchphrase "the only thing thats change is... everything. By doing this it makes the audience want to upgrade to this particular model so they do not feel behind and outdated by technology.

Target audience - The target audience for this advertisement is gamers, specifically people that enjoy first person shooters.

Mode of address - The mode of address is informal as the presenter is talking to the audience informally with sayings such as "nah bruh". The informality and comical elements link well with the serious action that is in the game, aiming to engage with viewers as the presenter is there friend and they want to play in the game with Kevin.

Technical conventions - The advert is extremely action packed and engaging, with violent and explosive images everywhere. The music used goes hand in  hand with action to help boost the 'awesomeness' of the trailer. The editing is sharp and rapid when the action is taking place, unless the presenter/narrator is communicating personally to you.

Conveyance/brand identity - Action packed, clearly a lot of money invested into the trailer due to actors and models being featured, typical of a high grossing first person action shooter.

Narrative - Follows a comical character called Kevin through the world of COD whilst a narration takes place.

Target Audience - The promotional video shows Ronaldinho showcasing his footballing skills. This video is being aimed at footballers and football fans as the audience may be persuaded to invest in these boots in order to recreate the skills of Ronaldinho.

Mode of Address - There is no dialogue in this video, meaning that the main selling point to persuade viewers to purchase the boots is Ronaldinho.

Technical conventions - It appears as though no editing has taken place in this video.

Brand Identity - The boots Ronaldinho was originally wearing were Nike, the ones he replaced them with were Nike and the ball he used, was Nike. The Nike tick is shown throughout the video several times. The tick of which is known worldwide.

Target Audience - This advert targets a broad audience of people over the age of 30, it is quite a mainstream band so it will appeal to a wide variety of people. It targets people over 30 as food from marks and spencers can be rather expensive and is certainly a place that younger people would not shop.

Mode of address -