Props and Costume

Props and Costume

Props

Props in mise-en-scene often help the narrative and help to define a genre. They can also tell a lot about a culture and connote different messages according to how they are used within the story. I aim to keep props to a minimum within my  music video (I will not use them excessively) so that the mise-en-scene is not distractive, overcrowded or confusing. The possible semiotic codes of each prop should be thought about in conjunction with my intended audience to ensure that I understand all the possible means of audience reception for my final music video. 
Below are the props which I propose to use in my music video.


The Bike
The bike is essential for the actions of the cyclist to take place, naturally. I think that the bike should be as small to ensure that the planned falls are not dangerous for the actress (a 'backstage' health and safety note), but also to enhance verisimilitude; as a new rider, the cyclist would not be likely to use a large bicycle. The best colour for the bicycle, as such an important prop and as a symbol of the physical challenge, should be any which stands out against the proposed green, 'natural' background. Ideal colours would include yellow, orange and red. 

The Helmet 
A helmet is an important prop because it makes the sequence more realistic - the learner implements the best safety measurements for their 'real' task. Using a helmet also encourages the audience to take safety advice too, thus conveying a moral message or tip as well. 

The Earphones
The runner's earphones are a stock prop when thinking about a jogger, especially nowadays. In this way, the character is formed as contemporary and perhaps more relatable to for the audience. It is a sign of the times and provides context.

The Coat
The coat of the cyclist is arguably part of the costume design, however early on in the music video it is planned that the cyclist take off their coat and drop it to the floor. From this perspective, the coat could symbolise the diminished fear and gaining of courage of the cyclist, who has always wanted to ride but has been too afraid to try it. It is also relevant that it is cold at the set tie of year, so a coat is expected to be seen. 

The Water Bottle 
Water is a requirement for any person taking part in physical activity, so the bottle of water in the video is used to enhance believability and remind the audience of the correct necessities for exercise or training. If the water bottle is branded, this is an ideal opportunity for product placement within the music video; in reality this would generate a lot of money for the record label. 

The Remote Control
The remote control is simple and a necessity to show the source of the runner's inspiration. It is a simple device which allows the use of the television within the narrative (a television or other type of 'looking' device - such as a mirror - is often used within modern music videos, so the remote control would allow my music video to conform to this convention). The remote control could arguably symbolise the idea that the runner is in control of their own desires and aspirations and whether or not they choose to act upon their impulses to make their goals come true. 

The iPad
Tablets and other devices are a fundamental aspect of the modern lifestyle, especially for people of the character's ages (and the audience demographic). By using an iPad, the music video would be kept relevant to the modern audience and thus more interesting and realistic to watch.

The iMac
The iMac, like the iPad, is a modern piece of daily equipment which the audience members are likely to own too. It is a device that the running character can interact with which clearly explains their future aspirations in a modern, relevant way. 

Costume

I would like the two characters in my music video to look like a member of my music video's target demographic and psychographic group, so that the majority of the audience can relate to the characters within the narrative. By doing this, the main message of the narrative should also feel a lot more personal to the audience, resulting in a successful product across the board.
In total there would have to be three different costumes - one for the running character, one for the cyclist character and one for the performer. In many pop music videos it is common that the performer wears more than one costume, however I feel that keeping all three characters' costumes consistent will aid the clarity and distinctions between the different narrative/performance sections. It is vital that my music video's narratives are easy to understand for the audience, or the product would result in being unsuccessful. 
Below are the costume ideas for my characters. 




Character 1 - The Runner 

The runner will wear casual, comfortable clothes which are suitable for physical activities such as running. This will ensure believability and create a character who is serious about achieving their goals. The grey hooded jumper is a garment which is commonly owned by most people, making the character relatable and relevant to their intended audience. The socks are an essential part of most costumes, however they should be plain so that they do not attract any excessive attention and distract the viewers from the narrative. The trainers could be branded for the same reason as the water bottle mentioned above; an opportunity to generate money from product placement and advertisement. 




Character 2 - The Cyclist 

The cyclist, as a beginner to the activity, should not wear specific cycling clothes for reasons regarding the verisimilitude of the narrative. Instead, they should wear comfortable, warm clothes that appear casual (something that the character may wear everyday). The style of clothing matches that of the contemporary era, ensuring that the audience can associate themselves easily with the character. The coat in the narrative acts as a prop at the same time as part of the costume, carrying symbolic significance, yet it is also necessary because it is likely to be cold outside during shooting (it has its practical reasons as well). The sweatshirt is an example of a typically casual garment that would be worn by a person of the demographic and psychographic of the character and the intended audience alike. Jeggings are also a contemporary casual garment. 
The sheepskin boots are the perfect footwear for the cyclist; not only are they warm and comfortable and ideal for the terrain, they are also ideal in terms of safety. They protect the actress' feet because they are soft and they have no shoelaces which have the potential of getting caught up in the chain of the bicycle. 



Character 3 - The Performer 

The costume for the Performer is not as casual as those for the narrative's characters. This is to ensure that the performance and narrative sides of the music video remain distinct from one another. Also, in pop music videos, the performer wears more extravagant costumes to portray themselves as more fashionable (fashion is a large aspect of pop culture). For my music video, I think that the performer should wear semi-casual items of clothing. A shirt/top with lots of detail (like a lace-looking material, for example) could be worn to separate itself from plain, casual garments. Plain leggings draw the attention to the detail on the performer's top. 'Try Everything' is a song written by Shakira, an artiste who is known for wearing denim frequently, so I have included a denim waistcoat into the costume of the performer to add the concept of intertextuality and external pop culture reference. 

Overall, I think that it is important for the audience to be able to relate to the characters who they see in the music video, as this will create a more personal and familiar feeling for the viewers. This is welcoming and makes the video more comfortable to watch.

Risk Assessment - Field / Wood Location

Risk Assessment - Field / Wood Location

A risk assessment is essential before any type of filming because it makes you aware of what risks there are on set and how you could go about preventing these risks from happening; ensuring you and your cast / crew are safe. The table below features potential hazards in the locations chosen for my music video and their risks. I have also explained the likelihood of the risks happening, the potential severity of them and, most importantly, how to prevent them...

Hazard	Risk	Likelihood	Severity	Action
Tree roots	Someone could trip over the roots	Tree roots are common at the location; quite likely.	Can range from bruising and grazing to cuts and broken bones.	Before filming, do a walkthrough of the area being used and make note of any roots.
Loose shoe laces	The actress on the bike could get loose laces caught in the gears.	Quite likely, since the actress’ required movements are quite dynamic.	Severe. The bicycle could land on top of the actress and they could not be able to free themselves.	Either frequently ensure that the laces are not loose, or design the costume without laced shoes.
Walking backwards to film shots	Uneven ground could cause cameraman to trip.	Very likely – the location is not man-made, the terrain is uneven.	Bruising and broken bones (including coccyx if falling backwards).	A walkthrough of the area being used is necessary. A smooth surface should be selected when choosing a location to film backwards.
The use of a bicycle as a prop	The actress could fall off.	Quite likely, especially since falling off the bike is required for the narrative.	Can be extremely severe, should any head injury occur.	The actress must wear a helmet while riding the bike. If possible, the bike sequence should be shot on softer ground such as grass rather than concrete.
Discarded litter at the location	Sharp objects such as glass or cans could hurt an actress who is using the floor for a shot.	Not very likely - the litter should be seen before shooting.	Potentially very severe, since it could lead to cuts which could lead to infection in extreme cases.	Double check the area before shooting and use natural objects such as leaves (or a coat outside the frame) to protect the actress.
Logs and stumps as props	A log or stump could be unstable to be used as a prop and the actress could fall from it.	Quite likely, because it is not always obvious which logs are safe for use as a prop.	Bruises and grazes and maybe fractures could be caused as a result of the fall from height.	Double check that the log is stable or that the stump is well rooted before using it in the video. This could be done by kicking or pushing the log or stump beforehand.

Filming Locations

Filming Locations

There will need to be several different locations within my music video: two different locations for the two different halves of the narrative, and another location for the performance section. By visiting a range of locations, I have discovered which ones are best suited for video style and genre. 

1. Pylon Clearing 

The first location that I chose to visit was the pylon clearing. Originally, I thought of filming the video here because it was a location that I was familiar with, it had a solid mossy-concrete surface for good camera stability, and had plenty of trees surrounding it (which helped fit with the theme of nature). Upon arriving and after taking some photos, I decided that this was not a good location for my project because the clearing looks unnatural and somewhat dystopian, unlike I had imagined. To add to this, the ground turned out to be too hard, to the extent that it could present a hazard if filming the bike scenes. The pylons in the background also look ugly and contradict the natural theme that I want to capture in my video. 

2. Rolling Fields

These rolling fields, again, were thought of because they offered beautiful natural scenery and were unique from my most local locations. Although it was cloudy on the day of my visit, I thought that the pastoral landscape would offer bright, clear lighting on a sunny day. The biggest problem with this setting was that the uneven grounds made it very difficult to walk and run while holding a camera, and even a tripod was difficult to set up upon the hills. The narrative ideas for my music video were not ideal for the terrain either; riding a bike down a steep hill in a controlled fashion could be dangerous, and running up and down the hills would wear the actress out too quickly, possibly resulting in a higher risk of continuity issues. 

3. Woodland (including the woodland clearing)

So far, the woodland location has been my favourite location. The manmade clearing from logging still looks somewhat natural and the surrounding ground is firm but soft. There are plenty of trees, conforming to the natural theme, and there are no manmade structures to disturb the tranquil setting. The reduced number of people who use this area also means that continuity should not be a big problem, since there are no background people who would have to be 'directed'. The clearing area provides a source of uninterrupted natural light (perfect conditions for filming on a nice day), and there are enough places to explore in the woods that can be used within the video should one area not suffice. Since there are lots of twigs and uneven grounds in this natural environment, the running sequence to the narrative is best to be filmed here. 

4.  Grassy Field 

In this location, there were lots of trees that surrounded the grassy field, keeping the natural theme central. Although there were pylons in the distance, I discovered that I could avoid them using camera angles and shots to keep them out of the frame (which was not possible in the pylon clearing that I first explored). The grassy ground was firm but soft, perfect and safe for the bike riding sequence, and not too many people were around to intrude the shot. This location is also distinct from the woodland setting, making the two parts of the narrative distinguishable from one another in terms of setting. 

Music Video Analysis - Toxic, Britney Spears

Music Video Analysis - Toxic, Britney Spears 

The music video for Britney Spears' 'Toxic' was a music video that was discussed in class. 

Lyrics 

This song arguably marked Britney Spears' transition from popular child star to mature adult artiste. The lyrics explicitly feature more mature themes with direct reference to drugs/alcohol and sex. 

The mature themes mentioned suggest the Spears wanted a rapid shift in her demographic. After all, she was 21 at the time of the song's release and her original audience was growing up too. This drastic change in the type of lyrics and themes within the song could also be akin to the artiste's desires to explore a new and/or wider audience. Unlike her previous songs, the lyrics in 'Toxic' do not discreetly hide messages within, and this could be reference to her desires to have a more mature celebrity image. 

Music 

The music of the song has a high tempo which is ideal for dancing to; this is matching the popular music of the time, as well as Britney Spears' personal style. The music also features a lot of electronic sounds or auto-tuning used to distort singing voices which makes the song distinct and unique.

Genre / Mise-en-scene

This music video most definitely fits into the pop genre. As in the typical modern pop music video, the artiste features as a central part of the main plot in the narrative, as well as a part in the performance aspect of the video. In this video, seeing as Britney Spear's herself was in a transition phase with her music style and celebrity image, she is on an aeroplane acting as a stewardess. Connotations of sex (and voyeurism) are central to the song itself and the music video, so it is no surprise that the costume that the artiste is wearing is revealing and flamboyant, as to attract male attention (it is worth noting that all passengers on the aeroplane happen to be males). The costume that she wears as part of her performance sections are even more revealing; emphasised by the use of bright, cold lighting. 

The setting on the aeroplane is relevant to the lyrics in the bridge of the song, wherein it says "too high can't come down", which possibly metaphorically has dual meaning (the other, of course, referring to drugs). 

Camerawork

It is clear as a pop artiste that image is important, therefore there are many close-ups on Britney Spears to encourage the viewer to see much of the artiste, in detail, and deduce an image to be associated with the artiste from what they see. The use of close-ups also provide a sense of intimacy for the viewer; an element that the new Britney clearly wants to address. To portray the artiste in such ways with the use of this type of camera shot also helps the record label brand and sell the artiste and her voice via marketing. 

The common use of the mid-shot allows the viewer to clearly see the artiste as she is seemingly making eye contact with the camera (and her audience). This direct address could be seen as voyeuristic and intimidating for the viewers. 

There are also a lot of low-angle shots used on the aeroplane, which serve as a tool to make the artiste appear bigger, taller; powerful and more dominant and controlling. There are also many extreme close-ups of props such as the items on the side on the surface in the bathroom which are knocked over and the throttle of the aircraft being pushed forwards. All of these give off sexual connotations and could metaphorically reference what currently is not in the frame. Later on in the video, many objects are filmed with extreme close-ups in order to aid the narrative. For example, the breaking and entering sequence to retrieve the poison is sped up with the use of fast-paced editing and extreme close-ups of objects which are used in the process. 

Editing 

The editing is very fast-paced and matches to the beat of the music. The editing in the video is also used so that when the artiste sings the work "toxic" in the lyrics, the image shown on the screen reflects it. This is particularly noticeable. The fast pace of the editing also mirrors the fast-paced action of the narrative, in which Britney Spears acts as a superhero-like character on a quick mission. 

Intertextuality 

There are not overall many obvious intertextual references in the music video, however it could be argued that the motorbike sequence, which features a woman have her skirt blown around by the draught of the motorbike, could contain a subtle reference to the famous Marilyn Monroe in "The Seven Year Itch". 

The choice of weapon of 'Superhero Britney' is also similar to the batarang: one of the weapons of Batman. The scene also takes place in the setting of a city, which is the common location for the action of superheroes such as Batman, Superman and Spiderman (among others). 

Narrative/Performance 

The 'Toxic' music video is a combination of a narrative and performance music video. The narrative also acts somewhat as a performance, with the artiste being the star role in every scene as to promote and reinforce her new brand. The narrative itself is a relatively complex one with lots of things happening in a short frame of time, and the narrative is made a lot more confusing with the use of the same actress (Britney Spears) in every sequence. The performance aspect of the video is a lot more simple and bright in colour and lighting in order to make the differences between the narrative and the performance more noticeable. The performance part is not very dynamic, whereas the narrative is in its extreme.     

Part of the performance section

Part of the narrative section

Intended Institution Analysis

Intended Institution Analysis

Although slowly declining since the popularity of YouTube, music channels are a great way to consume music videos of all types. Each genre has a network best suited to it, with some institutions covering all genres with the use of multiple channels. It is important to know your intended institution because this is the best way of ensuring that your video is reaching the ideal demographic that the video needs in order to be enjoyed and to thrive in the music industry. 

Knowing that my music video, 'Try Everything' by Shakira, would be a pop music video, I have analysed a series of networks that I thought could be suited to show it. Upon analysing them all, I came to a conclusion as to which network would be the best for broadcasting my new music video; to give it the best chance of success...

https://prezi.com/p/9ubyttvxrw9z/

Past Student Textual Analysis - Ben Noris

 Textual Analysis

Ben Norris A2

The student’s song choice is not very well-known; written and sung by an American indie-folk band called ‘The Mountain Goats'. The song, ‘Sax Rohmer’, fits within the genre of indie-rock and can be interpreted as a very sombre song with its depressive descriptions of elements of life and history. An evident theme running throughout the song could be death or being trapped (in a dark world). Despite this, however, there is an underlying sense of optimism and hope (conveyed through the lyrics). 

The song’s verses have a melancholy air: “And a rabbit gives up somewhere, and a dozen hawks descend / Every moment leads toward its own sad end", however the chorus is quite the opposite and portrays a somewhat romantic meaning: “And I am coming home to you / If it’s the last thing that I do”. It is clear that the student has used the lyrics of the chorus as a foundation for the music video concept, since the video’s narrative revolves around the journey home of a teenager, presumably from school. 

The narrative - the long walk home after a father is unable to give his child a lift - fits well with the genre because, just like indie bands, the music video focuses on the narrative and explore’s the meaning of the lyrics instead of showcasing the band’s image by means of performance. The student’s decision of conforming to the typical conventions of an indie-rock means that it should appeal to the niche audience and keep the video interesting for people who have never heard of, and possibly have no interest in, the band itself. 

The location chosen for the music video fits the indie-folk music genre, since its location (busy high streets and quite suburban streets) suggests that it is a low budget video; exactly what an indie band would be. The location. The start of the video is shot at a lake-side setting which is useful at showing creativity and good knowledge of camera use (in regards to light exposure and positioning of the camera to combat this). The gradual changes in location are also effective at reflecting the narrative: the student starts off in town, then walks through the suburbs, and then finally walks though a more pastoral setting before he arrives at his country-looking home. This emphasises the main focus of the narrative: the long journey home. 

Something that stands out as particularly professional in the video is the 3D text that appears by the side of the boy’s phone which shows his father’s text message. This, again, is something that an indie band with a low budget would still have access to. It makes the video more realistic and interesting for the audience. To add to this, the home screen on the phone features the movie poster for ‘The Rabbit Proof Fence”. Although seemingly unrelated to the narrative, it could be reference to the previously mentioned lyric, “And a rabbit gives up somewhere, and a dozen hawks descend”. If this is intertextuality, it is not explicit enough to be noticeable or effective. 

At 1:18m into the video, there is a shot which attempts to change the depth of field by altering the aperture of the camera manually. However creative, this shot was not pulled off as effectively as it could have been, resulting in a very beginner-looking shot. The cross dissolve just before this shot also appeared messy, since the two shots either side of the cross dissolve were from the same angle (the 180 degree rule was broken). Here, there is no evidence of match-on-action and causes the editing to look unfinished. A great deal of planning and creativity can be seen by the variety of shot types which have been used by the student. For example, there is one shot where the actor is seen walking by in the reflection of a shop window, and another where he passes by an alleyway. This keeps the simple action of walking a lot more interesting to watch for the audience. 

The over-the-shoulder shots are effective at connoting the isolation of the character, but the aggressive shaky movements of the camera appear quite clumsy rather than make it more immersive. The visible editing technique used a lot is cross dissolve. While this is a good technique at showing that a length of time has passed, it is used quite excessively throughout this project and makes the otherwise effective ones seem invaluable. The normal cuts often do not flow, and this makes some cuts difficult to watch or even comprehend. There is also a point at which slow motion editing is used to make the action seem more dramatic, but the slow motion is not completely obvious and it could be argued that this is an unnecessary or wasted attempt at using the technique. Overall, though, the variety of camera shots and movements - such as low-angles, wide angles, long-shots, tracking and panning - keeps the narrative interesting and enjoyable. 

Target Demographic - Intended Audience

Target Demographic - Intended Audience

Class Demographic
In order to work out who my music video's intended audience should be, it could be relevant to refer to the traditional social grades. The table below features the characteristics of different social grades and their letter code. 

Although it is arguable that the pop genre - being the most prevalent music genre in today's world - appeals to all social groups, I think that the social grades which would make up the majority of my intended audience are social grades B and C1, since the pop genre as a whole has a demographic that fits mainly into these categories also. To add to this, it is notable that the song of my choice is featured in a modern film whose demographic also happens to appeal to the same social grades B and C1. This information further solidifies the reasoning behind the selected social demographic for my proposed video.

Psychographics
Another important part of understanding an audience is by carrying out a psychographic analysis. Again, these psychographic groups can be categorised and named; Mainstreamers, Aspirers, Succeeders, Resigned, Explorers, Strugglers and Reformers. This type of audience analysis is slightly more complex in the way that the groups are labelled, since it is completely possible that a person or a group of people have attributes that fall under more than one category. Therefore, it is necessary to analyse carefully to ensure that the most accurate group is chosen. The table below presents the group names and their characteristics...

With the title of my chosen song being 'Try Everything', and the main message of the song being to try new things and not give up on your goals and aspirations, it could be suggested that the psychographic group which best suits my audience would be the Explorers, since are typically younger people who enjoy discovering and adventuring. The song is particularly upbeat and full on energy, just like the Explorers are described to be. Some people agree that the film from which the song is taken, Zootropolis, has children as its main demographic (meaning the song may have this same demographic too). This is further evidence to suggest that my music video's main psychographic group is the Explorers.