Research into similar products - Codes and Conventions of a Music Video

I've created this powerpoint to show my knowledge on the codes and conventions of a music video. I did a lot of research and have previous knowledge from GCSE media. This presentation is 20 slides long and has information about the style, camera, editing, sound and mise en scene.

Research into similar products - Original music video analysis

Tove-Lo - Habits music video analysis

The video starts with the girl looking very tired and worn out. She looks miserable, showing that the lifestyle she is living isn't making her happy or actually numbing the pain that she is trying to get rid of by drinking/smoking/partying. This also shows the negative effects of alcohol, as the next day you feel worse than you did before you started drinking, not only do you have your emotions to deal with again but you are also hungover and feeling awful

The video then moves on to the girl travelling home in the state that she is in. She looks ashamed and vulnerable, which stresses the point that the lifestyle she is choosing to live to get over somebody is not working, and is not giving her the chance to sort out her life and get over the person she has broken up with. 

After this, you see the girl preparing for another night out. This means she is not learning from her mistakes and is carrying on partying to make herself forget about her problems for a night. 

As the girl is travelling to her night out, she looks miserable still, and not excited like most people are before a night out with their friends. Her decisions to get drunk are only masking her issues for the time she is drunk, it is not helping her get over them or get through them. It is a way many people decide to try and forget about their problems, when in reality it just causes more. 

The video then shows the girl getting drunk and the way she is deciding numb her pain and broken heart. The atmosphere and environment is very dark and dingy, representing the lifestyle she is leading and giving an uncomfortable and dangerous vibe. It doesn't look like the place anyone would wish to be in. 

There is a close up of the girl drinking from a beer bottle, showing the mixture of drinks and how much she is drinking to numb her pain. 

There is another shot of the girl taking a shot. A shot is strong alcohol so it is showing how much she is drinking as she is doing several of them. 

There is a close up of the girls lips when she is drinking another drink through a straw. This is again emphasising the amount she is drinking and the mixture of drinks. This proves that she is only drinking to get very drunk and to attempt to get rid of her pain and not to actually have a good night or have fun. 

The video then moves on to the girl breaking down and crying which shows that by drinking away her problems, she is not actually numbing the pain she is feeling, if anything it makes it worse. Alcohol/drugs/sex are not an answer to your problems and cannot help you get over someone or numb your pain, making you feel better. Alcohol is a depressant and only makes you feel bad. Also, with this lifestyle you are only going to feel guilty and embarrassed about your actions and ashamed of yourself, overall giving you more problems than you already had. 

A close up of the teardrop expresses the pain and sadness that this girl is feeling and highlighting how her lifestyle is not making her feel any better or helping her. This shows the negative side of alcohol. 

This shot shows the girl getting attention from another man when she is drunk. This is another way she is trying to get over the person she loved, by sleeping around and getting attention. This is something most people regret doing and will only bring on more negative emotions as she is not over the person she loves. 

The video moves back to the girl breaking down, again showing she is unhappy with the way she is living and it is not helping her to live this lifestyle. 

I think the analysis of this video will help me create mine as it helps to show the negative side of alcohol and how it is not a solution to your problems, which is the kind of message I want to get across in mine. These shots have given me inspiration for my music video and have given me many ideas as to how I can get my point across and make it clear and relevant. 

Organisation of props/planning of music video - Ideas for content

As the music video contains references to drinking and smoking, the actors need to look in a state and messed up after a night out. Smoke tricks can be included to make the video be more appealing and interesting to watch and can be made to go with the beat. 

Organisation of actors/costumes

The look of the music video will be grungy and rough looking to fit in with the theme and style of the song. The song involves the negative side of alcohol and drugs which is what will be represented in the video. My ideas so far are to have scene type teenagers partying away their troubles by drinking and smoking. 

The look of these teenagers will be individual and grungy like the girls in the images below. The girls will have coloured hair and look very edgy and the boys will have long hair, hats etc to make them look indie and edgy. 

Drafting and Planning

The song I have decided to create a music video for is a Keys N Krates remix of 'Tove Lo- Habits'.

Original song: LINK - Tove- Lo - Habits

The original song is about the empty void that loneliness creates and that people try to fill it with drugs, sex and alcohol, which doesn't work, but does make you forget it for the moment. The artist is singing about missing someone, and that she is trying to forget about them and needs to numb the pain that she is feeling.

This song closely links to depression where you feel numb and the point where you would do anything to feel alive and happy again.

Remix: LINK - Keys n Krates - All the Time

The remix changes the meaning of the song as it focuses on the lyrics 'I've got to stay high all the time to keep you off my mind' and 'Can't go home alone again, need someone to numb the pain'. This is about the mask of alcohol and drugs and how people avoid their problems by abusing it and also how people use sex as a rebound and as a fall-back method of getting over an ex partner.

I like the remix better as the rhythm of the song is more fast paced and lively, which makes the song less depressing and more fun to listen to.

Research into similar products - how to analyse a music video

There are many tips on how to analyse a music video.
I have researched into Andrew Goodwin who has a theory on music videos and explains the steps to analysing a music video.
The powerpoint below explains his theory.

His theory basically is that music videos have genre characteristics that you should look out for, such as dance routines in pop music videos. There should be a link between the video and the lyrics and the connection should be fairly obvious. This may contradict, illustrate or amplify. The music and the visuals should also connect with each other in some way, the video should match the speed of the music. There will usually be a lot of close ups and shots of the artists to help the record label develop the artist and so they build up a style. The notion of looking will be referenced by things such as screens within screens and women may be particularly shown in a sexual manner. There is usually influence from other media texts.

Research into similar products - Artist Research - Keys and Krates

My favorite trap artists are an electronic band called 'Keys and Krates'. The band consists of three members Adam Tune (drummer), David Matisse (synthesizer/keyboardist), and Jr. Flo (turntablist).

Keys and Krates have done many remixes and have millions of fans that have watched their youtube videos.

They also produce their own original music such as 'Treat Me Right'.

LINK - Keys N Krates - Treat Me Right

Research into similar products - Trap Music

The genre I have decided to use is Trap music. Trap music is created electronically and usually accompanied by singing or rapping. It's recognized by its aggressive lyrical content and sound which accompanies incorporates sub bass kick drums, double-time, triple time and other faster time division hi-hats, pitched-down vocals, layered synthesizers and cinematic strings. This genre is related to the grime/rap genre but can be completely different depending on the type of style.

Research into similar products - Hip Hop Genre

This is a genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music which usually includes rapping. Rapping is a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted. Hip hop is a genre of music that has spread to urban and suburban countries around the world. Beat boxing - a vocal technique - can also be used in hip hop music.

The ten most sampled songs in hip hop are: 

Skull Snaps - It's a new day 

Run DMC - Here we go

Public Enemy - Bring the noise

Lyn Collins - Think about it

Melvyn Bliss - Synthetic Substitution

James Brown - Funky president 

Doug E. Fresh & Slick Rick - La Di Da Di

The Honey Drippers - Impeach the President 

James Brown - Funky Drummer

Beside - Change the beat

The top 10 rap stars of all time - hip hop legends

1. 2Pac
Tupac Shakur is one of the worlds most famous rappers after selling over 75 million records worldwide. This makes him one of the best selling music artists of all time.
2Pac - Ghetto Gospel

2. Notorious B.I.G
Biggie Smalls was an american rapper that sold over 17 million records. Two albums have been released since his death.
The Notorious B.I.G - Juicy

3. Jay-Z
mjhtfgc nbhuyu 6xc m7 6k, .

4. Ice Cube

5. LL Cool J

6. Snoop Dog

7. NAS

8. Eminem

9. 50 Cent

10. Lil Wayne

Research into similar products - House music

House Music

There are many sub-genres to house music such as: Tech House, Funky House, Electro House, Progressive House, Deep House and Tribal House. It tends to be electronic dance music that originated in the 1980s in Chicago, More recently, house music has been mixed into mainstream pop and dance music. It has several characteristics that are similar to disco music, however, house music is more electronic and minimalistic.

House music has a repetitive rhythm, mainly provided by drum machines and this is very important to how the song sounds and fits into the genre. Drum is the main instrument used, whether it is actually played or used electronically. It varies in style - Deep house being the most 'hard core'.