Classification Research

'U'

The first classification is a 'U', which means it is suitable for audiences aged 4 years and over. The guidelines are:

Discrimination No discriminatory language or behaviour
Drugs No references to any illegal drugs or misuse apart from for educational purposes or for a strong anti-drug message suitable for young children.
Horror Scary sequences should be brief and unlikely to cause any anxiety to children of a young age.
Imitable Behaviour No potentially dangerous behaviour which young children will be likely to imitate and there should be no emphasis on easily accesible weapons.
Language Infrequent use of very mild bad language.
Nudity Occasional natural nudity with no sexual context in it.
Sex Mild sexual behaviour such as kissing and mild references such as 'making love'.

After looking at the BBFC classifications, we see that our video does not include any sort of violence, discrimination, drugs, horror, imitable behaviour, bad language, nudity, sex and the theme is treated with sensitivity and is also appropriate making this video fit into the 'U' Classification as it is suitable for all audiences.

Evaluation of Filming Day 1!

Unfortunately, the one of the main locations we planned to film in, turned out to be not available on the day of filming.
However, we filmed everything that we could in order for our rough cut to be completed by next week. We managed to film most of the outside scenes and last minute, Jade took the camera home and used her house as the main location and shot all the home scenes by herself.
We couldn't film any of the shots of both the characters as we didn't have a male character in the end, so we just focused on getting as many variety of shots as we could for the filming that we could do.

Due to this, after our rough cut, we would like to take out the camera again, in order to complete the shots we are missing and make sure the footage is to the best of our ability.

Blog Assessment of Another Group

Filming Schedule - 12/10/11

We are filming tomorrow and have organised a plan so that all members of the group know exactly what is happening and at what time.

1:05pm - We will collect the camera and tripod from college
1:30pm - Arrive at town in preparation to film park and restaurant scenes

• Shot 8 - park
• Shot 10 - restaurant
• Shot 11 - park
• Shot 18 - park

2:30pm - Finish filming the park and restaurant scenes
3:00pm - Arrive at Lucy's house in Chesterton for the remaining shots filmed in the house

• Shot 1
• Shot 2
• Shot 3
• Shot 4
• Shot 5
• Shot 6 
• Shot 7
• Shot 9 
• Shot 12
• Shot 13
• Shot 14 
• Shot 15
• Shot 16
• Shot 17

We will film each shot from different angles to ensure we have enough footage which is of a high standard for our music video.

13//10/11 9:00am - Return camera to media office

Things To Bring With Us
Jade  (main artist)

•  Costume - Three changes of outfit - 3 casual outfits for park, restaurant and house scenes & one outfit for evening attire for shot 9 
• Props - make-up
• Other - learn lyrics in preparation for easy filming

Ada (features in video)

• Costume - One casual outfit

Lucy 

• Props - Boxes and notepad

Charlotte 

• Props - Photos of the couple and iPod with song

Weather for Filming

I have decided to check the weather forecast for this week as we are choosing the best day to film our outdoor shots. As a group we have now decided that Wednesday will be the best day to film as sunny intervals are predicted. This means that we should be able to film our outdoor shots easily without having to worry about disruption from the weather.

Mise en Scene Reseach: Beyoncé - Irreplaceable

I have decided to view the mise en scene used in the song Beyoncé - Irreplaceable, as this video is similar to the narrative and performance characteristics that we plan to use in our own video. I want to see how professional mise en scene is created and will then look at how we could interpret these ideas into our own video.

Location:
- House
- Dressing room

Props:
- Nail file
- Rollers
- Box for males stuff
- Car
- Mirror
- Stall
- Instruments

Costume:
- Casual in relationship scenes
- Dressing up in heels and rollers for performance scenes

Lighting:
- Dimmed lighting to portray tense mood
- Natural lighting outside
- Lighting from behind to emphasise artist

Although this mise en scene was created in on a high budget, I believe that these elements can be created for our own project and we plan to experiment with this further.

Mise En Scene Research

Location: 
We have found that typical locations for our type of music video is normally based on the narrative of the song. For example, Beyonce - Irreplaceable; this was set at a home location shared by the couple. This is something that we could be easily portray, so ideas for this could be a home location which is easily accessible at one our own houses.

Our narrative will also look the relationship between the couple so we plan to use intimate locations that we know the audience will able to relate to. For example, the park and a restaurant are things that are usually associated with couples. Ideas for this is locations around Cambridge, such as Jesus Green. The college also has a green area with a bench at the back of the building, which could work well as this is easily assessable and we wouldn't need permission.

Props:
We plan to use casual everyday props in our video that can help to explain the narrative further. The type of props we will use have also featured in professional videos, so we believe these will be beneficial for us. These will include objects that help to make the narrative feel more realistic and helps the audience relate. Props will include; mobile phones, boxes for the males stuff, notepads, make-up, e.t.c...

Costume:
Casual costumes work well with this type of music video. Similarly to the props it helps create a life like situation that can be related to. Costumes tend to be everyday clothing, nothing extreme or over the top but just simple as this aspect doesn't need to over power the narrative, just fit in with it well.

As the female artist is key for the video, we have chose to use casual costume for the flashbacks which will then be contrasted in the performance aspect; where the artist will be seen more dressed up to add emphasis on her while she is miming to the camera, and making her a noticeable key element in the video.

Lighting:
Natural lighting for flashbacks makes the shots more casual and we think this will work well to portray the relationship in a realistic manner, however we have considered adding a black and white filter as this is something that we have noticed in professional videos.

For performances, brighter lights created through higher contrasts shots may be more effective to use to enhance the artist and show a clear break from the narrative.

Test Footage & Analysis

Analysis:
By producing test shots it has allowed us to achieve a feel for some shots types we will use in our real video. We think the the zoom into the house would make a good establishing shot and have decided that we will use this further in our project. As well as this, we enjoy the characteristics portrayed by the park locations, as this can emphasise the couples relationship and using it for flashbacks in the narrative could work well. We also experimented with a close up of the artist as we realise this is an important shot that must be included in our video.

Producing the test shots has also allowed us to get a feel for camera and movement. We realise that some shots can be improved by making sure the camera is stable so shaking is kept to a minimum. We could also research into filter effects as this can show us what natural light will look like on film.

The Auteur Theory - Michel Gondry's Videos

The French film theory created by André Bazin can be applied to many forms of media today, e.g. films, music videos, television programmes and others. The film director Tim Burton would be an example of an Auteur as he distinctly creates weird and wonderful movies with similar styles, effects and recurring themes, for example Alice in Wonderland.

I have decided to look at some of the creations of Michel Gondry, Director of a wide range of music videos for groups and artists including The White Stripes, The Foo Fighters and Kylie Minogue. After watching some of his music videos I strongly concluded that he was an auteur due to the style that seemed constant throughout the videos that he had directed, conveying that he had been given the authority and control to make the decisions for the video, the filming, framing and its main direction.
For each of the videos I noticed there were recurring themes and a wide range of similarities in styles. These featured effects, camera angles, cuts and movements even though the videos were different genres.
It seems that the videos all had an unconventional nature to them, giving them a sense of the unknown and slightly out of this world. In addition there were references within some of the music videos where there were dream states and the real world being framed and set in a different way either using colour or setting to differentiate them.

The Auteur Theory - Chris Cunningham's Videos

Chris Cunningham





1.  This video was very abstract and did not use genre characteristics, the song itself is a ragga jungle song, but it feels as if it has a view to being more mainstream that most songs in this genre, you can see this in the fact that a music video has been made for it as most songs in this genre would not. The way that the record company has decided to bring someone with such a distinct style as Chris Cunningham, reveals further the mainstream ambitions of this song, and by the MTV logo in the top corner we can tell it was played on TV music channels.

2. In the genre of music there will normally be no lyrics or a very small amount, in the form of samples rather than specific vocals recorded for the song, this means that the director when making the music video had no inspiration from the lyrics however it also means he had no limitations due to the lyrical content either, this suits the style of video that Chris Cunningham creates as he is more free to create a visually challenging and creative product which can seamlessly blend with the music whilst standing on its own merit as a video. 

3. The music is fast paced with a slow beat and repetitive drum loops, though the video dosent relate to the song due to its visuals, the director needs someway to tie in the video to the song itself to create some sort of singular product,  so he has created a relationship between the beat, the transitions/cuts and movement of the characters and camera in the video itself to bring singularity to the product overall.

4. There were many close ups of the artist in the video although his face was somewhat warped, meting demands of the record company.

5. There was alot of reference to the notion of looking, having the television used as a main prop within the video, providing an image of the singer

6.  There was limited intertextual reference to any other media due to the abstractness of the video.

What is the Auteur Theory?

The Auteur theory is a way to analyse a film or other media form. The theory was created by Andre' Bazin, a French film critic. He believed that films should reflect the personal vision of a director.

If you chosen as the director you become known is an auteur. The auteur is known to have full control and authority and will be left to be the leader of the production of the film or music video. They have connotations of the power that an author has of the writing and publishing of a novel, which shows the impact they can have. 

If a director is an auteur, there will generally be a resounding theme within other works in their portfolio and similar shot types, cuts and special effects being used.

Target Audience Research: Expectations & Viewing Habits

The Target Audience for our artist Lady Gaga is females between the ages of 16 - 25, and homosexual men, although she has fans in many other demographics. She advocates LGTB, (Lesbian, Gay, Transgendered and bisexual) rights and speaks at demonstrations. Her lyrics are for the most part reflective of her own experiences and explore certain elements of a bisexual life, due to her explicit subject children are not part of the target audience although if you asked many young teenagers (11- 15) you would most probably find many of them have heard her songs as well.
In Britain music videos need not be classified as such although most music channels at their discretion will only show censored videos, as the channels play throughout the day, operating before the watershed, this is to stop people complaining that the channels are broadcasting inappropriate content at a time when children may be watching. some channels for example, 4Music and MTV will play explicit/uncut videos but only after a certain time (usually 9/10pm) this is because at this time it is assumed children will not be watching and the videos are less likely to offend.

In 2010, a rumor circulated that Lady Gaga's video "Telephone" was banned by MTV, a rumor which reached some press outlets. The rumor claimed that MTV had banned the video because the content could not be shown within their programming. MTV denied the ban and showed the video frequently on European MTV programming to show that it was not banning the video. Lady Gaga's previous videos have also attracted criticism for their sexually suggestive content; the video for "LoveGame" was refused play on the Australian video music program Video Hits, however, other Australian programs aired the video uncensored.




Ciara's video for "Ride" was banned by BET, with the network citing that the video was too sexually charged. The video was also subsequently banned by all UK television channels.







Rihanna's video "S&M", which features the singer whipping a tied-up man, and taking hostages  was banned in 11 countries and was flagged as inappropriate for viewers that are under 18 on YouTube.

Video Genre & Characteristics

Our video 'Second Time Around' fits within the pop genre. To make sure we include the key characteristics of the genre I have deicded to research into what professional pop videos include to make the video a success.

Definition - Pop is usually understood to be commercially recorded music which is often oriented toward a youth market.

Characteristics -

• An aim of appealing to a general audience, rather than to a particular sub-culture or ideology
• An emphasis on craftsmanship rather than formal "artistic" qualities
• An emphasis on recording, production, and technology, over live performance
• A tendency to reflect existing trends rather than progressive developments
• Much pop music is intended to encourage dancing, or it uses dance-oriented beats or rhythms

Previous Music Video from the Artist -



Poker Face by Lady Gaga is known to be of the electro-pop genre.
Using Goodwin's Analysis
1. The song shows the general characteristics of pop music with performance being a strong element. There is the use of dance routines by Lady Gaga and also many close ups of her miming to the camera.

2. The lyrics of the song match with the visuals literally and metaphorically. There is the use of a real poker game with cards used as props which contradicts the metaphorical meaning where there is voyeuristic treatment of the female body to emphasise the lyrics. Lady Gaga is shown wearing minimal clothing to imply this further.

3. There is also links between the music and visuals as the typical genre features dance-oriented beats which are cut with the visuals with the pace of the song.

4. The demands of Lady Gaga's record label means there is the use of many close ups and miming to the camera within the video. There is also the use of dance routines which are present in many of her existing videos.

5. There is no reference to notion of looking, instead the video concentrates all attention on the artist.

6. There is no inter-textual reference to any films, TV programmes or other music videos.

Attempt to Contact the Artist

We contacted Lady Gaga via Facebook in regards to our video, we let her know we are making a music video for her song 'Second Time Around'. As you know Lady Gaga is a very well known artist so we do not expect a reply but being able to contact her through online media is very easy for us anyway.

Recce Still Shots

 Park Location

 Home Locations^ living room/ house

 Restaurant Location