Research into similar products - Music videos portraying the negativity of drugs

This music video is about a girl that is addicted to drugs. It has a powerful message and shows what a negative impact drugs can have on a persons life.

Lyrics:

The first lyrics to strike out were 'Struggling to pay rent. Long nights, strange men'.

This shows that this lifestyle can be rough. 'Struggling to pay rent' could be reference to the amount of money some drugs cost. This could mean that she is spending all of her money trying to pay for her addiction or it could also be interpreted that she turned to drugs to help her cope with her already difficult life, which would not help and clearly just makes the situation worse.

After this I noticed 'But lately her face seems. Slowly sinking, wasting'.

This reference tells the listener about how the drugs are affecting her physically as well as emotionally. You can tell just by looking at her that she is unhappy and you may be able to tell that she is an addict because of the affect drugs have had on her. He says that she is wasting away which shows her depressive lifestyle and that the way she is living is not good for her.

As well as this the song says 'Cos we're just under the upper hand. And go mad for a couple of grams'.

This shows that drug has the upper hand on the girl and has taken over her life, controlling her. She is addicted so she is a changed person that is brainwashed by drugs and the impact they have on her. The song suggests that she started using drugs to help her with her difficult life but they have only made it worse.

The next lyrics that I thought were powerful were 'Or sells love to another man'.

This is telling the listener that she is selling her body to men for sex, which is very low and not a nice lifestyle to lead, but she needs the money. The drug addiction has got the better of her and has taken over her life, making it much more difficult to stay afloat.

These are the lyrics that stood out the most to me in this song and I feel that these portray drugs in a negative light and show the negative affects that the drug lifestyle can have on people.

Camera shots:

The video opens with a shot of a girl crying and looking very distraught.

1. The camera then cuts to a shot of a girl lying dead and it pans upwards to reveal the crying girl again which is effective as it is emotive and shows the drastic impact drugs can have on a person's life and is a very dangerous thing to do. It reveals that drugs impact other people as well as the person taking them.

2. There is then a close up of the dead woman's face, which looks sad and distressed, giving a powerful message to the viewer. This is also emotive as it is very dramatic and gives the viewer a shock as you do not expect something so graphic. The shock is effective as it gets the message across immediately.

3. After this, there is an establishing shot to show the change. The video goes back in time to when the woman that died was alive which is also very powerful as it shows her life and how she lived and it is then a realisation that she has died from a drug overdose at a young age. 
4. There is a wide shot from the back of the woman, showing her location. This shows that she has been sleeping in a park and is depressing as you see what kind of lifestyle she lives. 
5. The long shot of the woman standing up shows her clothes and how her appearance is. This is also shocking as she has little clothing on under her coat and is wrapped in a duvet in the middle of a park. Her tights are ripped and tatty and she looks a mess, showing that she is not living well and that she does not lead a nice lifestyle.
6. This wide shot shows her walking in a busy city, with a blanket wrapped around her, looking a state. This shows the negativity of her lifestyle and that she is not in a good place. The shot makes her look small and irrelevant in a big city and she is being completely dismissed by passers by which is upsetting as she obviously needs help.
7. The close up of her face shows her looking very tired and worn down, which is probably a mixture of her unstable home and drug abuse. It is emotive as it shows her looking in need and unhappy and crying. This shows the negativity of drugs as it shows they do not make you feel any better. 
8.  This medium close up shows her looking like she is dreading what is about to come and she doesn't feel happy about doing so but desperately needs the money to support her lifestyle of drugs. This shows negativity as it reveals that most addicts will do anything to feed their addiction. 
9. This close up shows her face to be filled with regret and unhappiness which again shows that this is not how she wants to be living but she has no choice as her drug addiction has power over her and she has to do what she can to get money for it. 
10. This shot shows the drugs at the forefront, implying that they are powerful and in control. She is in the background making her look weak and desperate. 

Colour scheme:

The whole video is in black and white, which brings out the grey tones in everything. Grey is linked to depression and sadness. It is never a glamorous colour and is known as shabby and dull. This colour scheme is effective as it really shows the negativity in everything, and brings out the girls emotions and how the viewer is feeling watching the video. The colour grey is never at the centre of attention, representing the girl as being less important and excluded from society. 

Research into similar products - further research into magazine advertisements and album covers

This is Nelly's 2002 album. This advertisement follows the majority of the conventions for magazine advertisements. The main image is the same one as the image used on the album cover. This makes the album recognisable in shops and gets the viewer familiar with it. The artists name is clear on the advertisement to make sure the reader knows who's album is being advertised but it is not on the album as the person buying it will already know who he is. The same font is used on both for the album name 'Nellyville' which is written clearly and boldly. However, the writing is in a different colour on the advertisement to make it stand out as more information needs to be fitted on to it. The advertisement includes the date the album is released so that the reader knows when the album is available to purchase in shops. The advertisement also offers the information that it includes a popular single that the reader may be familiar with and enjoy listening to. This is a good advertising technique as it may encourage people to listen to his other music if they like this song. The CD cover has a parental advisory sticker to advise people that the album has explicit language and may not be suitable for younger listeners.

This is Wretch 32's 2008 album. Exactly the same image has been used on both the advertisement and the album. The advertisement even has an image of the album cover on it and this helps the audience recognise the album in shops. A clear, bold font has been used for the name of the album and the name of the artist so that the audience know who the advertisement is for and so they can remember the name and recognise it in shops on the shelves. On the advertisement, the date the album is released is very clear so that the reader knows when the product is available to buy and it also has a list of shops that it can be purchased from so that the reader knows where they can get it from. There is also information about the album on the advertisement to attract the readers attention if they see a name they like.  

Research into a potential target audience - In depth audience research

I have already done a questionnaire to help with audience research, but I felt as if I should do more as it was not detailed enough. I wanted to be more precise and link it to my actual music video to see if my ideas were on point and good enough to create what I want. 

I have a friend that is into creating trap music and performs gigs and events so I thought it would be ideal to give me a good detailed response.
His name is Dan Rigby and he is a nineteen year old man that is studying at the Academy of Contemporary Music College in Guildford. He and his friend Dom work together to create trap music and DJ at gigs under the name 'GOV'. They are working on an album which should be finished soon.
I felt that his input would definitely help with my audience research as he knows what trap music fans want. I have explained my ideas to Dan so far and also shown him my blog so that he has a good idea of what I'm thinking of so far. 

The questions and answers are as follows: 

1. I am working on the song 'Stay high' by Keys N Krates, what connotations does the name of the song bring to mind and what would you expect from this based on the name? 
"The song definitely sounds like it should be based around drug use. I'm not sure if it is in a positive or negative way yet but from what I've heard, a negative look into the use of softer drugs and alcohol that are common in the teen world nowadays will be a really good idea. You should use this idea and run with it, I think you could create a good music video from this song"

2. How do you think I can show that this video is portraying alcohol and drug use in a negative way?

"Okay, I feel that this can be done in a really obvious way that basically shows the message as 'drugs are bad, alcohol is bad' or you could do it in a subtle way, which is more like 'they do not help with your problems, like at all' and I think the latter is the best way to go. From what I've heard, you want the story to be about a girl trying to get over a bad break up by using drugs and alcohol and you want it to not work for her. I think that in the video you should show that every time she uses these ways to try and get rid of her emotions, you should show her emotions getting worse by it, which is actually what happens so it's realistic too."

3. Can you think of any similar music videos that I can get inspiration from? Where do you think I should look for inspiration?
I think the ones you've looked at on your blog so far are really good ones to gain ideas from and they will really help you with your own so you are doing well. Focus more on them and maybe look at videos from edgy pop stars like Rihanna to get ideas on style and camera angles and things. It's difficult with trap music as there are not really any trap music videos out there. Although I'd love to create a video for one of my songs one day. Maybe do some research into music videos that portray alcohol and drugs in a bad way and also songs about break ups and anything relating to your video, you can get inspiration from anywhere. 

4. Do you think it will be good to include shocking images in the video or leave it to the imagination?
I think you should use a few shocking images but not really bad shocking. Just show the girl really upset or in a state after throwing up - not necessarily showing her actually throwing her guts up. So that the audience do know what has happened and what affect it has but they don't have to be repulsed or very upset by anything. Showing the girl visibly upset with her make up down her face will have enough of an impact and get the message across, don't over do the shock factor. 

5. What do you think I have to include in my video for it to appeal to my target audience?
I think lots of bright colours throughout and a sick song will get the trap music fans buzzing and interested in what you've got. Advertise it well, use an attention grabbing image on the cover of the album and magazine advertisement, use a really good, exciting font. Use yourself and what you would like to see. I know you like my music and are into trap music yourself so what would appeal to YOU in a video? Don't rule your own opinions out and go with your instincts. People our age want parties, a good song, a good, interesting story behind the video. Go with your ideas, you will do amazingly.

Thank you Dan!
No problem Jenn, you'll do great.

Research and planning - how to make a successful music video

On the NME website, I found an interview with Sasha Nixon, who is the head of music videos and and executive producer at Partizan, where she talks about about music video's and how we consume them. Partizan. Partizan was established in 1991 and is twice listed as the Gunn Report's 'Best production company in the world'. Partizan is one of the world's principal content creators compromising music videos, commercials, documentaries, feature films, animation, digital branded content online and interactive events and installations.

This is part of what it says about music videos on the website.

  I found it interesting to read considering I will be creating my own very soon. In this interview, Sasha Nixon talks about what she feels makes a great music video as well as how the internet has changed music videos and other things on the topic.

Sasha Nixon interview

This gave me inspiration to continue looking into what makes a successful music video.

Huffington post had an article on 'five ways to make a great music video.

Huffington Post article

In this article, it explains that you need a good concept which made me think deeper into the story I want to create for my music video. I really need to get across the point that everything that is shown in the video is in a negative light.
It also says to innovate. Even though my video will be low-budget I still need to work with what I've got and make it the best I can and find locations that stand out.


As well as this, I found another website about how to make a successful music video and this one is focused on beginners. 

How to make a music video for beginners

This focuses on the equipment, camera shots and angles, composition and planning. 

Organisation - Video editing

While searching for tips on how to edit music videos, I came across the site 'about video editing' which has many links on it providing free digital video editing information. As I don't know much about video editing, I think this will be a good research tool for me and I can learn a lot from it. It includes tutorials to help me understand and has a lot of information that I needed to know before I start editing.

Here is a link to the website: about video editing

Research into similar products - analysis of sound in a music video

Research into similar products - Binary oppositions

Binary oppositions are where two opposites are strictly defined and set off against each other.

It is the contrast between two mutually exclusive terms such as on/off up/down.

My video will be using binary opposites to show the negative side of alcohol and drug use as it will show the good and the bad side contrasted together to give a stronger effect.

The video will begin with everyone in the video happy and having fun but the mood will change further on and will eventually show everyone unhappy and in a distraught, disorientated state after the consumption of alcohol has had an effect. 

This will show alcohol in a negative way as it will show that instead of making you happy like people think it does, it does the opposite. It will also show that it doesn't solve problems or make anything better, only worse. 

Research into similar products - analysis of magazine advertisements

This magazine advert for Jessie J follows most of the typical conventions of a magazine advertisement for an album. It features the name of the artist very clearly and in an eye catching font which stands out from the rest of the page. The name of the album is also on the advertisement in the centre of the page so it shows what it's promoting. The main image is the same as the one on the album cover to make the album recognisable and so readers know what to look out for. This ensures brand identity. Jessie J also has her name written in a recognisable way as it is the way it is always written. The two 'J's connect together and this is instantly recognisable. There is no release date on this advertisement but this may be because it was already released at the time. Although if it followed the conventions, it should say 'available now' or 'in stores now'. This advert has information about the album on it to promote the album and make it more appealing by showing the popular songs on the CD. The record label is featured in the corner so that it does not distract away from the main image. The website is also featured but is written small so that it does not attract too much attention.
Jessie J's advertisement has a black and gold colour scheme which makes her look powerful and strong.

The name of the artist stands out very boldly on this magazine as it is white writing inside a black box. This has a newspaper type style in black white and grey colours with the name of the popular songs in red and in a different font which really makes them stand out. The album cover is not as obvious as on other advertisements but the main image is the same as the album so the audience can recognise it from that. The record label is on the advert but it is very small and does not attract much attention so the focus is mainly on the image of Rihanna. The image and style makes Rihanna look dangerous which gives it a dramatic effect.

The image links to the name of the album which is effective as audiences can recognise this and it makes the cover more memorable. The name of the artist and the album are very clear and bold as they are in white writing on a black background. This will ensure that the readers of the magazine will know what the product is and remember the artist. It has the release date on it to inform readers of when the album is available to purchase. It also shows the types of ways you can buy it such as digitally or on vinyl as well as CD. The record label is small and in the corner so it does not distract any attention from the artist. The image is the same one that is on the CD so it will be recognisable in shops. 

Organisation - response to feedback

A while back, Mr Stevens created this chart to show the class how they are doing and what they need to improve on. I needed to improve on target audience but since then I have added posts on target audience and improved my work.

Research into similar products - Typical conventions of a magazine advertisement

The functions of a magazine advertisement are to promote the artist, and to sell the song so it must be eye catching to draw attention to it and make people want to hear the music. 

A magazine advert must include the artists name so that the readers know who the artist is who the advertisement is promoting. 

It must also include the name of the song/album so that people know what the product is and so they can listen to it and buy it.

 As well as this, it is important that there is an image of the album cover to ensure that people know what the product looks like so that they can recognise it in shops. This will also promote the artist as the cover should be interesting and eye catching. This will make the artist more recognisable to the public.

The release date is important so that the audience know when the product is available in order to buy it.

The record label logo is usually included on the advertisement to show where the music has come from and to promote the record label as well as the artist. This also may encourage people to buy the album if they think it is a good and respectable record label. It will also give an indication to the type of music the album has on it.

Also, the advert should include where the product is available and which shops will be stocking it so that the readers can actually buy it.

  

Drafting and planning - video clip of work in progress

This is a smoke trick that I recorded someone doing. It is like the scene I plan to use at the beginning of my music video where the smoke blows across the screen at the first 'high'. It is only a rough copy and will need to be improved and look more professional for the actual video but it is to practice and give an idea about content.

Target audience - survey results analysis

The majority of people that filled out this survey are aged between 16 and 20 which is the audience I am targeting. However, it has been filled out by people of all ages which gives me a better understanding of what the public think of trap music and music videos. 

I asked the question 'how often do you watch music videos?' to get an idea of how often my music video will be played and who will watch it the most often. 

Out of the people surveyed, hip hop music was the favourite music genre, which is the most similar to trap music. This means that my survey will have been filled out by people that like the genre of music I am working with and have an understanding on it. However there is a mixture of genres including pop and rock so there may be a variety of answers. Some people answered trap music for their favourite genre so their answers to the survey will be ideal. 

The majority of people had heard of trap music which is a good thing as they know what they are talking about and this shows me that most of them have seen trap music videos before. 

I found out that sound cloud is the most popular music streaming website and this will help me when it comes to publisising my video. It is followed by spotify, which is the site I use and know a lot about. 

Most people watch music videos on the internet which is good as it is where mine will be. This will make my video more popular. 

The most common answer I got for the question 'what kind of people would you expect to see in a trap music video?' was young and attractive people. This helps a lot as I know what the audience are expecting to see and how I can make my video fit in with the genre. 

Nearly everyone that took the survey said that it was a good idea to represent alcohol in a negative way. This is good as this is what I plan to do in my music video and I am happy with this response. 

I am still coming up with ideas about my album cover so the last question has put some thoughts into my head and is helping me along the lines of planning. 

Organisation - Equipment

Along with fake smoke, cigarettes and alcohol bottles, my music video will contain many more props to make it look realistic and interesting. But before props, I need equipment such as a camera and stand to actually film the video. The equipment I will be using is:

A video camera

A camera is the most important thing needed to film the footage for the video and get the right shots that you need. 

A tripod

This is needed to balance the camera and make the video look professional.This will keep the camera steady and allows you to move the direction and angle of the camera at ease and keep it looking smooth.

Lighting

Parts of my video will be filmed in the dark so it is important to use the correct lighting to make sure that the characters are visible and it is clear what is going on. It is also essential that the video is not too bright as it will distract the viewers away from the action and story. 

Computer software

I will be using computer software to edit the video and add the finishing touches as well as put together scenes. This is important as without this the video would not be very good at all as it would all have to be filmed at once.