Halsey is an artist that is very diverse both in the way she looks and the type of songs she writes. Her birth name is Ashley Nicolette Frangipane and she is 21 years old, born on the 29th September 1994 in Washington, New Jersey. She has said that she is biracial, bisexual and bipolar. She has said in a number of interviews that she was an 'inconvenient child' as she never stayed in one place for a long time and got used to living out of a bag for most of her teen years. She started songwriting when she was 17 years old and in 2014 she signed her first recording contract with Astralwerks. Her music is identified as Electropop, this genre of music was influenced by her childhood, with her father listening to people/bands such as Slick Rick, 2Pac and The Notorious B.I.G. whilst her mother listened to bands such as Nirvana and independent singers such as Alanis Morissette. She has released two albums so far 'Room 93' and 'Badlands'. Many of her songs stem from the idea of equality and freedom, but others explore the journey of growing up in a society like ours and how everyone has troubles they have to face. A good example is a song by Halsey called 'Hurricane' which states how she isn't anyones property and that people nowadays become so attached to labels that we forget who we are eventually.
Halsey has a really strong stage presence and it is clear from fans video's that she embraces her time on stage and makes sure they enjoy their night. She has confidence throughout her entire performances and it is clear she enjoys doing it. Even when she is performing herself she embraces the moment and makes the music sound beautiful. She shows how you can make the music sound just as good without an entire band playing in the background.
The song I have chosen for my music video is called 'Castle' and it's by an artist named Halsey. My group decided to use this as it has a good beat to it and whilst we were listening to it we thought of a range of different ideas on how to make the video interesting. As a group we agreed that this would be the best choice of artist and song from the range we thought of. It was the most appropriate and it is easy to mime along to meaning the editing stage will be easier. We have decided to use the green room to create images that may not be possible where we live, for example the idea of the castle being in the video. Where we live there are no castles or abandoned houses so we decided the green room would be the best option.
Below there are screenshots of me asking Halsey through twitter for permission to use her song for our music video. It is important to as for permission ask if we don't we could be in trouble for copyright and that is a serious offence. The artist is entitled to know that their music is being used by other people than themselves and they must be aware of this other wise they can press charges against us.
The main purposes of a music video is for promotion, publicity and to make money - increasing sales. Availability of the artist, promotional, extension of income, extension of outlets, synergy and the strategies the producers use are all the main purposes when it comes to creating a music video.
Availability of the artist is important when it comes to creating music videos. The Beatles are a good example as in 1964 they starred in their first feature film 'A Hard Days Night' directed by Richard Lester. A year later they then began making promotional clips for distributing and broadcast in other countries, the purpose was so they could promote their record releases without having to make an appearance. However it was only after the success of Queen's 'Bohemian Rhapsody' that it became the norm for record companies to produce promotional videos for artists' single releases. These videos could then be shown on programs such as 'Top Of The Pops' without the artist having to be there. This meant that if the artist was unavailable at the time they were meant to be aired they could still show their music, Brian May said that promotional videos were made so the artists didn't have to mime to complex songs and they were unable to appear on the program every week as they were scheduled to appear on tour.
Another purpose of a music video is to promote the artist. Music videos quickly became a promotional tool for artists and for a long time it was their main function. Fundamentally music videos are adverts which are designed to draw attention to that artist from a large audience and to illustrate the song as well as appealing to the visual audience. A good example of a music video that appeals to the visual audience is 'Gangnam Style' by Psy. It is a good example because the lyrics, even though they are not sung in English throughout, seem to be catchy and we find ourselves singing along to a video we don't understand. Additionally the dance in the video is easy to replicate and many audience members can remember the dance to this song. After the song was released there was a large range of merchandise related to it including things such as tops and mugs. Therefore the video was a huge promotional tool for the artist.
Music videos have many purposes, one important purpose is creating a brand. Often artists or groups are sold as a brand and the music video acts as a product of the brand, with the intention that the audience will be interested with the product and buy it, therefore buying 'into the brand'. This is done most commonly through the mise-en-scene and extending the 'look' of the video into 'the rest of their lives' which means the artist will aim to have a constant image across a range of platforms, music video, websites, CD covers, etc. Most of the time the image is of a greater importance than the quality of the product. A good example of this is the Spice Girls. Each of the Spice Girl's had their own identity and had to live up to that identity whenever they were promoting their music. Their look was extremely important as they each had their own style and many audience members had their favourite. However sometimes the image of an artist isn't as important as their product, for example Ed Sheeran is an extremely successful artist and his image has little to do with the sale of his music. Another comparison we can make is the images of Lady Gaga and Adele. Both artists are highly successful but each have their own distinct images which means they appeal to different target audiences.
Extension of income is another purpose of a music video as it provides a great opportunity to increase income, watching the video may persuade audiences to purchase a number of items based upon that artist such as t shirts, CD's, wristbands, singles, and albums. This then raises the profile of the artist which means they will be widely recognised by a large audience which then encourages the artist to start touring and attending events worldwide. It can also be an opportunity for product placement, a good example of a music video with product placement is 'Telephone' by Lady Gaga and Beyonce.
Extension of outlet is also one of the purposes of a music video, this means that the music video allows the artist to extend the outlets in which they are accessible through. Examples include music channel, websites, youtube, and smartphones/tablets. Having these different platforms available means that there is a higher possibility of audience members becoming fans of an artists music. Many websites provide opportunities for fans to buy merchandise based on the artist and provide news of any tour dates coming up. This helps to promote the artist at the same time because people are likely to let their friends know about the artist. Sometimes websites also give audience the opportunity to sign up to a newsletter regarding any news about the artist and tour dates and a chance to pre order a single or album.
Another purpose to the music video can be to provide opportunities for Synergy, which is when two media products work together to mutually benefit each other. A good example is 'Skyfall' by Adele. The arrangement meant that both Adele and the producers benefited from the agreement. As the film promotes Adele's song her video has clips of the film to promote that at the same time, so they are effectively promoting each other and both gaining profit. The song became the first bond film to win at the Golden Globes, the Brit awards, and the Academy Awards. With competition from a variety of online platforms, music channels are no longer the strong promotional platforms they once were. It is fair to say that in many ways the music video channel is in danger of becoming defunct and irrelevant. Because of the advancements in technology, music videos are instantly available via online streaming and downloads.
There are many types of artists, Major Label, Independent, and Self-produced artists and for each of these the music video has a different purpose and they each use it in a different way but for all of these artists the music video is still an important tool. The music industry as we know it today is dominated by four multi national corporations; Universal, Sony Music, Warner Brothers, and EMI. These particular labels are commonly referred to as 'The Majors' and the majority of these are backed by conglomerates with stakes in other industries such as Film, TV, and Electronics. Many of these own or license a series of smaller labels which are known as 'Major Independents' in order to reach different kinds of audiences in different kinds of genres. Some of these labels are Columbia, Island, Syco, RCA, and Virgin. Independent/indie producers often see their work as an art-form and not just an advertisement for the music industry. Most of the time their videos are almost like stepping stones for up and coming directors to further their career, these types of producers often become well sort after by mainstream artists.
An example is Chris Cunningham who made his directorial debut in 1997 with the music video for 'Come to Daddy' by Aphex Twin. The video was praised, banned and raved about by many people in the business, he has since gone on to have a career in film making and advertising. Artist self-produced videos have the smallest budgets and are usually unknown artists, making a video is vitally important to them as it helps to promote their early career. Having websites such as Youtube allows them to utilise them as much as they can which sometimes can lead to great success if seen by the right people. Another good example is Justin Bieber who started his career with music videos he uploaded on to Youtube with only him and his guitar. In 2008 he was discovered by American Talent Manager Scooter Braun after he stumbled across Bieber's videos.
Andrew Goodwin analysed music videos and found that there are six key conventions when it comes to producing a music video. These were that music videos demonstrate genre characteristics, there is a relationship between lyrics and visuals, there is a relationship between music and visuals, the demands of the record label will include the need for lots of close-ups of the artist and the artist may develop motifs that recur across their work, there is frequently reference to the notion of looking and particularly voyeuristic treatment of the female body, and there is also intertextual reference (to films/TV shows etc). Andrew Goodwin clearly states that different genre's of music use different conventions in their videos.
A good example of this is Lady Gaga who has a specific style of music video and can clearly be placed within the Gothic genre. Many of her videos are easily remembered and there tends to be a relationship between what we can hear and what we are seeing on screen. Her videos have a lot of close-ups and she often looks straight into the camera. A good example of a music video created by Lady Gaga that is easy to remember is 'Born this way'.Additionally the beginning of the video starts with her in her underwear and continues with this image throughout which shows how the female body tends to be represented sexually. The lyrics relate to the video as she sings about how we should love ourselves no matter your sexuality or looks and this is represented by the range of different characters in the video.
Goodwin states that there are three ways that a music video relates to the song which are Illustrate, Amplify, and Ignore. Illustrate means that music videos can use a set of images to illustrate the meaning of lyrics and genre which is the most common. Amplify is when the images of the music video do not contradict the lyrics but add additional meanings. Finally ignore simply suggests that the meaning of the song is completely ignored. Pace of editing can also be used to clearly illustrate, amplify or contradict the song and music video.
A music video can use a set of images to illustrate the meaning of the lyrics and genre which is the most common form of music video. A good example of this is Vance Joy and 'Riptide'.
Throughout the music video the images that we see on screen relate to the lyrics being sung by the artist. The video starts of with the image of a girl at the dentist then a room that has gone dark with the lyrics 'I was scared of dentists and the dark'. This method continues throughout so we can always tell what is being sung from what we are seeing on screen. This is a good style of video as we are likely to remember the lyrics because we have seen corresponding images on the screen at the same time.
However the images in a music video can also add additional meaning that are not always obvious when we first hear the lyrics. An example of this is The Script and 'Hall of fame'.
When we first hear the lyrics to the song not many people understand the true purpose of it, however when we watch the video the visual images start to unravel additional meaning to the words being sung. It is clear that this song suggests how you shouldn't back down and you can always achieve your potential and that you should always have a goal in life because one day you'll be in the 'hall of fame'. One line reads 'you can be the hero you can get the gold breaking all the records they thought never could be broke' and it's not until we see the video that we truly understands what that means.
Sometimes music videos completely ignore the meaning of the song and create a video that has nothing to do with what is being sung. An example of this is 'Call on me' by Eric Prydz.
The video to this song completely contradict the lyrics and they do not relate at all. The video shows a group of women and a man in some sort of yoga or exercise class. Each of the women are portrayed sexually and almost objectified by the man in the class who is constantly staring at the women.
Andrew Goodwin's third convention suggests that the visuals in a music video will almost always have a connection with the pace of the music/song. Again the video can be edited so that it either illustrates, amplifies or contradicts the beat of the song. An example of this is 'Do I wanna know?' by the Arctic Monkeys.
This music video clearly shows how the beat of the song is used to create a visual image. The image on the screen is almost like the sound waves of the song being played so every time there is a beat drop or a range in the notes we can see the sound wave change on the screen. As the video goes on the sound waves start to change into images of women with tyres that are being placed in the floor in time with the music. The visuals change into several different lines and then a cartoon is shown on the screen, the video then finishes with the sound waves slowing down and this matches what we can hear on screen.
The fourth convention states that across all music videos the demands of the record label will attempt to develop a motif (a recurring style) that regularly occurs in their work. Lots of close ups of the artist are used to help create a clear visual style/image. An example of this is the work of Katy Perry who has a particular style when it comes to music videos.
Katy Perry has a style that seems almost alien like. The videos she creates tend to be really huge and expensive and have a strong female feel about them through the use of bright and vibrant colours. There's a lot of close ups of her face throughout both videos so we get an idea of her style. There is a strong theme of female empowerment in many of her videos.
In his fifth convention Andrew Goodwin states that in music videos there are frequent references to the notion of looking (screens within screens, telescopes, etc) and particularly voyeuristic treatment of the female body. An example that contains both of these examples is Beyonce&Lady Gaga's 'Video phone'.
Throughout the video there is a constant reference to the notion of looking and this idea is made very clear through the name of the song and the video itself. There is a continuous image of men dancing with camera's instead of heads and the main singer makes reference to a video phone throughout. There is a lot of technology used by different people within the video. Additionally the women in the video are objectified by the camera and dance in a provocative way throughout .
Finally, for his final convention Goodwin suggested that music videos are filled with intertextual reference, often to films,TV programs, or other music video's. An example of this 'I'm glad' by Jennifer Lopez.
This is a good example of an intertextual music video as the video is clearly a reference to the movie 'Flashdance'. The way in which she is dressed is similar to the character in the movie and certain scenes, especially the final performance, are recreated in this video. Many of the dance routines are the same and the locations are also similar. It's almost as if the video is an actual scene from the movie.
There are a number of genres when it comes to music videos, and each genre portrays the artists song in a different way. The genres include; Narrative, Animation, Parody, Pastiche, Performance, Intertextual, As hive/concert, Cinematic, and Abstract/concept. There are a number of forms of music video as well such as 'Stop motion animation', 'as live footage', and 'cinematic'.
The first form of music video is Narrative. This means that the video tells a story through the length of the song and there is a meaning behind it rather than just a video that doesn't relate to the song. An example of a narrative music video is Katy Perry's Part of me.
This is a good example of a narrative video as throughout the video a story is being told. The video starts of with Katy Perry in the car listening to the radio and watching her assumed partner flirting with another woman. She then goes in, confronts her partner and walks away. The idea behind the music video is to show that even after a break up the man can no longer control her and she is free to do what she wants. We get the idea that she turns almost bad and resentful and this leads her to join the womens army. This decision is made when she see's a sign in the petrol garage that reads 'All women are created equal, then some become Marines'. It's at this point that she starts to change her identity, she ultimately turns into a trained warrior.
Another form of music video is Animation. This means that the entire video is either digitally created or created through stop motion. An example of an animated video is The Beatles' Yellow Submarine.
Yellow Submarine by The Beatles is a good example of an animated video as they start the video as an animation and this is continued throughout, with a few shots of the band members appearing to be on holiday. The video follows a story about a man who lived in a town where they were born. This is a good way of creating a music video as it is enjoyable for all types of audience members. The animation appeals the the younger population who may enjoy seeing all the colours on the screen whereas the lyrics are enjoyable for those of an older age.
The third type of music video is Performance Based. This means that the video itself is shot like a concert but the actual shots focus more on the artist rather than the audience. An example of this is Coldplay's 'A sky full of stars'.
This is an example of a performance based music video as it mainly focuses on the artists themselves but also has the audience in it. It is shot almost as a live concert. The video starts with the main singer approaching the shot from the corner with a number of onlookers. He then proceeds to walk through the street dressed as a one man band and singing the song. The idea of putting the camera in front of the artist and having the audience in the background creates a successful shot as we can see the reactions of the public. The video then finishes with the band on a stage performing their song whilst audience gathers round them.
Parody is also another style of music video that is often used. An example of this is Madonna's 'Vogue'.
This music video is a good example of a parody because the entire song is based upon the idea of 'vogueing'. It belongs in the parody category as the dance used within the video is one that was inspired by dancers and choreographers Jose Gutierez Xtravaganza and Luis Xtravaganza. Madonna has also used 70's style dancing and the upbeat sound of a 90's song, additionally the spoken bit in the song is a list of Hollywood Celebrities from the golden-era. The music video was directed by David Fincher and includes various stylistic inspirations from the 20's and 30's. Furthermore, Madonna has very similar resemblances to Marilyn Monroe which again places it in the parody genre.
The next style of music video is Pastiche. A good example of this is Lady Gaga's 'Judas'.
Pastiche means pinpointing a certain era and 'Judas' is a good example of this because the video is a clear reference to the biblical figure of Judas Iscariot. Though a very controversial character he was known for his betrayal of Jesus and the theme behind this song is reflective of this figure. It's shot as a modern music video but each biker has the name of one of Jesus's disciples on their back. Furthermore the main character of Judas himself has a crown of thorns on his head. There are a number of repeated religious ideas throughout the video.
Intertextual is another style of music video and means that a song is almost written for a film and normally features clips or a section of the film within it. An example of this is Elton John's 'Circle of life' written for 'The Lion King'.
The original song was written by Elton John and then used for the movie. It is and example of an intertextual music video as the video has a story line to it which is easily remembered due to it being used in a successful movie such as The Lion King. The original video is of Elton John playing the piano in a studio with various clips of the movie. The second video has actually been created by using a whole sequence of the film in order to create the desired effect. The song written is recognisable by a range of people as there are people who are fans of Elton John's music or have seen the movie, for their own enjoyment or because of having children.
As hive/concert is another style of music video. This consists of creating a video from a number of personal video's or concert clips to create the desired video. An example of this is Olly Murs' song 'Right Place Right Time'.
This is a good example of a concert video as it shows the journey of the singer from the start to now. It consists of a number of personal videos and concert clips, with videos of Olly Murs meeting fans. This is an effective style of music video as it makes the fans feel like they know him personally and see that he is just a normal person like everyone else. It is also emotional as it portrays the incredible journey of a singer to get from where he started to the result of his success.
Cinematic is another style of music video. This is a music video which is longer than normal videos and usually tells a story. An example of this is Michael Jackson's 'Thriller'.
This is a really good example of a cinematic music video as the entire length of the video is 13:42 and is portrayed as a short film throughout. The first 4 minutes are filmed as though an audience are watching the film in the cinema and then the two main actors exit the cinema and that's when the music video starts. At almost five minutes Michael Jackson starts singing. This is an effective form of music video as its interesting to watch because it makes the audience feel like they are watching a film themselves and this is likely to keep them engaged throughout. However this may not be as effective as some people may not want to it down and watch the entire 13 minutes and will therefore turn it off or watch a shortened version.
The final style of music video is abstract/concept/surreal. This means that the video seems somewhat unrealistic and surreal. An example of this is Coldplay's 'Every tear drop is a waterfall'.
The style of this music video makes it a good example of an abstract/concept music video as it's almost like everything is coming to life in the video. The use of stop motion gives it an almost dreamlike effect and the use of close ups of the different, vibrant colours makes it enjoyable to watch. Using the stop-start idea makes it seem as though the singers are dolls and the colours behind them is like a scene from a cartoon. There is a lot of different things going on in each shot which makes it enjoyable to watch as we're left to wander where the music video is going and what will happen next. However some people may not like it due to this reason, some people don't like to watch a music video where lots of different stuff is happening as it can be confusing and hard to follow.
Before creating my final music video I used some existing clips and a soundtrack to practice different editing styles and techniques. During this process I experimented with different video effects and styles to find out what went well with the music. To start the video of I listened to the soundtrack and marked where the beat drops, which left markers on the timeline to make it easier for me to edit to. I then added the video of my choice and cut it at the exact point the beat drops, meaning I could use a number of different videos to get the desired effect. I then used a split screen effect to layer a number of different clips. I think that I was successful with the way I edited the video and I got an idea of how to create the desired effect I need. The techniques that I used in my short video may be used in a real music video as they make the image on screen more enjoyable to watch. The way the image is cut to match the beat of the music means that the audience will not lose interest in the video and a number of different clips can be used. Using the split screen was difficult at first as I had to make sure that the videos all stayed on at the same time and I had to ensure that there was no black screens. This is a good technique to use in real music videos as it means more than one image can be used at the same time and the audience can get a better idea of whats happening. Special effects are also helpful because you can completely change the image on screen, I used some special effects towards the end of my video as I wanted to try different ones out so I could decide what I wanted to use when I create my real music video.
To understand the techniques of music videos I created an animatic for 'The Pretender' by the Foo Fighters. To create the animatic I made a storyboard from a 20 second sequence of my choice, I then took individual pictures of each shot and edited them together on Premiere Pro. I added the soundtrack and exported it onto Youtube. From creating the storyboard I learned that a number of different shots edited together at the right pace can create the right performance. For example the song I chose to do is quite fast paced and there are a number of different shots in a matter of seconds, these shots change in time with the music and make the performance more effective. If the song was slower less shots may have been used but the same effect would have been created as the shots would match the speed of the song.
When creating a music video it is a good idea to include a number of different shots to make the video more memorable. There is a large selection of shots to choose from; high angle, low angle, wide shot, close up, long shot, tracking shot, 180 degree and extreme close up. The mise-en-scene changes depending on the song, for example this song has very little props and is filmed in what looks like an old warehouse. The singers have the instruments they need to make the music and there is a red backdrop behind the drummer. The mise-en-scene is basic but effective as it creates the desired effect for the song.
from creating this animatic I have learned that the pace of the song effects how the editing is done. The song I chose is fast paced which means the editing is fast as the different shots changing match the beat of the song. For example I chose a 20 second sequence of the song (30-50 seconds) and there were 23 different shots, all edited together to match the beat. For slower songs the editing will less rapid as there is no need to change the shots continuously, one shot could last a sentence of a song and still create the effect needed as it matches the tune.
Whilst filming this video I had to make sure I took a number of different shots from different angles whilst retaking shots that didn't quite work out. The process of creating it was challenging because I needed different shots of the same thing to make the editing more successful, to make sure that the actors were in the right place when I needed them to be I ensured that they could both hear me and see me so there was no confusion. When the camera was rolling I made sure I said 'action' to make everyone aware that filming was in progress. To make sure the performances looked realistic I asked the actors to actually sing the words, then when it came to editing I removed the audio and replaced it with the song. The editing process took longer than other editing I have done previously as it was done in a different way. To create the music video I edited on different levels so the footage was layered upon one another, this meant that I could cut from the main singers to the backing singers without ruining the shot. To make sure the lip-syncing was effective I uploaded the song and used the 'marker' button to pinpointing when the different singers started singing and when they finished, I could then match up the footage I took with the song. To make sure I edited to the beat I used the same method of marking when the beat came in and the key points at which you could hear a distinctive change in the music.
I think that overall the video was a success as the music was matched up well with the video of the characters singing. I was able to layer the shots so that the image changed when I needed it to make it run a lot smoother. The range of shots meant I could keep the viewer entertained whilst still creating the desired effect. However if I could go back and redo the video there are a small number of changes I would make to allow smoother running of the video. For example at around 53 seconds I inserted a footage of the main singer but the words didn't quite match up with the mouth of the singer and I then carried on that shot instead of changing back to a wide shot when Kiki Dee's part was sung. I would also ensure that when the backing singers started singing, the official video wasn't playing in the back of the shot, I could do this by mixing up the shot and shooting them from another angle. Other than this minor mistake I believe that the video was a success as it gave me the chance to see if I could edit to a beat when needed and I learned how to edit on a number of different levels/layers.
