Textual analysis of existing text

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n1bcQMCZ5gU

Camera work:

In the music video for Perfect by Pink, there are a variation in shots. The different shots help to explore into more depth the emotion of the character and the song. For example, there is a low angled shot as the girl carves words into the toilet cubicle wall. It shows her annoyance with the "skinny b**tches" outside the cubicle.

A low angled shot has been used again when the girl is cutting her hair. We see it fall to the ground and then their is a mid shot of her smiling. This indicates a new beginning for the girl, which we then get to see in the music video.

There is also some panning shots when the flashbacks are presented on the walls, which I personally like because it's a bit less harsh than loads of cuts. Particularly seeing how the pace of the song isn't very fast.

Editing:

The editing helps to separate the flashbacks from the rest of the video. The flashbacks have been set in a sepia tone, whereas the present day is in a normal tone. Some of the flashbacks are also presented on the walls of the room Pink is singing in.

Again, there isn't a fast sequence of cuts (thanks to the flashbacks on the wall), which compliments the pace of the song. It is still quite fast in some places but not like MTV cutting.

Mise en scene:

Generally (appart from when the mother picks the girls clothes for her), the girls clothing is consistently dark and a bit scruffy. Her make up is also dark, especially around the eyes, and her hair is the same dark colour throughout the video.

During the childhood years, her room is quite bright with hints of pink. There are also paints stands in them. As she gets older though, the rooms we she her in are bland with dark lighting in them. One thing that stays cosistent though is her love for art, as we see her through the video drawing and painting.

There is also a prop used throughout the whole video, which is a teddy bear. It has been with the girl since she was little and in the end, she gives it to her little girl saying "you are perfect to me."



Music Video Questionnaire - Results

So overall, I collected results from 22 people. Here are there age ranges and genders:
In my survey, I collected quantitative data. Here are the questions I asked and the responses given:

These results show that music videos are still a popular form of media, especially with young people. However, the way we view them is clearly changing.

People like the music video to be related to the song. If it doesn't, then people become confused and may instantly dislike the song. However, they don't have a preference when it comes to the tone of a music video. I'm guessing as long as it is good quality music video, it doesn't really matter.

Majority of people think that the pace of the video should be in sync with the pace of the song. Too fast or too slow may again instantly put people off the video or even the song and artist. I will have to consider this when creating my video as the song goes at a medium pace. They also like the idea of a hidden moral in the music video. This is good as my music video has a hidden moral, which is that you should think of yourself as perfect and not let the bullies get you down.

As well as collecting quantitative data, I also collected qualitative data in my survey by asking what were peoples favourite/least favourite music videos and why. Here are the general reasons I was given:

Favourite video:

• Good location
• Humourous storyline
• Awesome dancing
• Beautiful cinematograhy
• Shows emotion
• Makes you think
• Highlights current issues
• Good props
• Interesting theme that relates to the lyrics

Least favourite video:

• Lame visual effects in the background
• Innappropriate and crude
• Over the top
• Too weird
• Overrated
• Just dancing-boring after a while
• Just hate the song!

This has helped me see what generally people like and dislike. I therefore will take all of these answers into consideration when I am creating my music video.

Target audience

The target audience of my media project would be teenage girls.  They are probably from the socio-economic groups of B, C1 or C2. They're also most likely to be school students too, hense why one of the main locations is a school. 


Plus, the storyline will be relatable to teenage girls because, in this day and age, there a large proportion of teenage girls who feel insecure about the way they look. This song is about feeling perfect, so therefore it will relatable to teenage girls, even empowering. 

Of course due to the penumbra effect, we cannot presume that all of the audience will fit into these categories. For example, teenage boys may also like my music video as well.

Digital Technology

The digital technology I will be using in order to create my music video are shown below:

Obviously, I'll be using this to film the scenes. It will be my own camcorder from home.

The tripod will support the camera so it is easier to film without any shaking in the film.

I also used a miniature tripod to have a steady camera from low angles. It could also be handy to use when/if doing any hand held shots, just to make the film look steadier.

I'll be using iMovie 09 on the school's iMacs to edit the whole music video.

I will be using the internet to blog my work on blogger. I will also use it to use search engines. 

Music Video Questionnaire

I have just made a questionnaire about music videos to help me collect more research about what my target audience want to see in the music video. My target audience will teenagers and will probably be mainly for a female audience. I created the survey using surveymonkey.com

Here is a link to it:

Click here to take survey

I have also posted links to the survey onto Facebook and an internet forum, The Student Room, as most people on these websites are in my general age range (in terms of target audience).

Storyboard with audio commentary

Above is the storyboard for my music video, "Perfect" by P!nk.

Camera work: Variation of close ups, mid shots and long shots throughout the whole video. Birds eye view for when the envelope comes through the door. Some point of view shots from the view of the conscience and the girl.

Mise en scene: The girl will be wearing dark clothing to show that her personality/mood is dark as well. The conscience though will be wearing lighter clothing to show a happier, more angelic personality/mood.

Editing: Cloning will be used to show the girl not seeing the conscience.

A Brief History of Music Videos

In 1964, The Beatles starred in their first feature length film "A Hard Days Night", which set the stage for what later became music videos. Two years later, Bob Dylan released a promotional video for his song "Subterranean Homesick Blues". This kicked off a new wave of promoting songs through the medium of video.



Top of the Pops was important for promoting bands and their music videos during the 1970s. A good video would increase the sales of the song as viewers hoped to see the video again. For example, in 1975, Queen ordered Bruce Gowers to produce a promo video for the song "Bohemian Rhapsody" to be shown on Top of the Pops, which is noteable as it was entirely shot and edited on video tape.



In 1981, MTV was launched and the song "Video Killed The Radio Star" is the first to be broadcasted on the channel. This sparks a more sophisticated approach to making music videos with added storylines, such as the infamous "Thriller" (1983).



In 2005, iTunes is launched and once music videos could be downloaded from the site, 1 million were downloaded within 20 days. Not only that, internet site Youtube was set up, allowing music artists such as OK Go to become more successful through the ability of viewers watching them online.