Influential Material part 3

Rihanna - Don't Stop The Music:

I have previously looked at this music video however this I feel is the perfect basis of what I want to achieve for my video. The immediate presence of femininity provides an intricate focal point for the video and a vivid contrast with the dark, urban environment. The vibrant hints of colour reinforce the party atmosphere and help maintain the viewers attention. What I love about this video is the constant and also erratic cutting sequences within the footage as they create a youthful and exuberant appeal about the video, however it also helps frame the lead female singer as we see her in the centre of many different shots. The storytelling nature of this video is also incredible as it provides the viewer with a visually stunning experience - this is seen for example in the costuming which exudes femininity and provides the partygirl stereotype which is portrayed throughout the entire video. What I want to take from this video is the storyline and also a few different shot techniques which I want to incoporate into my video.

Influential Material part 2

Pixie Lott - All About Tonight:

What I love about this song is the immediate sense of youth and vibrancy which is portrayed through the visual aspects of the female lead singer. Her costuming exudes femininity as it reinforces the typical stereotype of women in modern society - blonde, thin, tanned, fashion conscious. I love the fact that it is filmed in an industrial environment as this provides a vivid contrast with the female lead singer - the masculinity against the femininity I believe is a key aspect of this video. I love the make up of the female character as it is subtle and yet emphasises her natural beauty, therefore enforcing her femininity. Another inspirational factor of this video is the fast pace cutting which strongly reflects the intricate dance sequences. The articificial lighting helps make this video much more of a performance and frames the lead singer throughout the footage. The video yet again is reinforcing the party girl characteristic which I want to acheive in my video.

Influential Material part 1

Sex and the City:
For me this is a huge influence upon my music video as I want to recreate the party girl stereotype which exudes from the hugely popular Sex and the City TV series and films. What I love about this show is the strong portrayal of the female character within modern society. They all reinforce the young, energetic woman and this is shown through their lives - such as partying, drinking and simply having fun but also this is shown through their costuming which is extremely feminine and exuberant. The setting of the show - New York is exactly the type of background setting I want to acheive in my music video - the rough, urban environment I feel will create a great contrast with the feminine character.

What I want to take from this medium is the femininity which is created through the visual aspects of the show, mainly costuming as I want to try and recreate the party girl stereotype.

Generic Conventions of a Music Video

The conventions of a music video:

• Fast cut sequences - no shots longer than five seconds
• Having the star or band do some action sequences which are then intercut with them performing the song.
• The use of multiple locations throughout the video
• Main artist singing throughout the video (optional)
• Dance sequence (optional)
• The use of many long shots, close ups and medium shots. This creates heavy emphasis upon the artist, the location they are in and the various emotions which are portrayed. 
• Some music videos are shown in black and white which is done to emphasise the certain mood of the footage and other videos have the inclusion of artificial lighting which creates an enhanced look for the artist.
• The inclusion of props help enrich the plot and whole experience of viewing the video as it also increases the realism of the footage (optional)
• The main cutting technique used is jump cut as it maintains the excitement and youthful appearance of many modern music videos
   
   
  

Music Video Directors - Dave Meyers

Dave Meyers is an American music video director in which he has worked for many iconic female solo artists such as Pink and Missy Elliot. Many of his music videos have got global recognition - for example the video 'Get The Party Started' for Pink won Best Female and Best Dance video at the 2002 MTV Music Awards. His style has also been slightly criticised for being too futuristic and bizarre, and iconic example of this was Missy Elliot's video 'Ching-a-Ling' which was produced in 3D, the first ever music video to be made in 3D. Meyers has generally worked with more recent and upcoming artists such as Britney Spears with her song 'Radar' - therefore he is considered to be a more youthful and energetic director due to his famous clientelle.

Music Video Directors - Davd Fincher

David Andrew Leo Fincher is an American film and music video director who has directed videos for some of the worlds famous artists such as Madonna, The Rolling Stones, Aerosmith, George Michael and Michael Jackson. In the early beginning of his career, Fincher joined a video production company called 'Propaganda Films' in which he began directing music videos and commercials and after some experience he then moved onto feature length films. Fincher has directed some very influential films within the thriller genre for example Panic Room, Fight Club and Seven. After this success he then began to direct and produce various music videos that have become iconic pieces of art within modern society such as 'Vogue' for Madonna and certain videos for The Rolling Stones. Due to his access to a wide variety of huge celebrities this then allowed him to make a predominant name for himself in the music industry.

Music Video Directors - Jonas Akerlund

Jonas Akerlund is a Swedish film and music video director who is well known for his unusual style and approach to music production. Akerlund was a member of an eighties rock band called Bathory for a few years before he left and became a music video director. He mainly became famous for the role of video director to the popular Swedish band Roxette, however he created quite a bit of controversy within the media due to his direction in the video 'Smack My Bitch Up' by The Prodigy, which involved the crude depiction of drugs, violence and small amounts of nudity. Akerlund has been associated with some the most famous musical acts in the world such as Madonna, Christina Aguilera, U2 and even Lady Gaga. He has done quite a lot of work alongside Madonna such as the videos 'Music' and 'American Life' however yet again this video was heavily criticised and banned due to the intense, graphic content. Overall Akerlund is a very contemporary and creative director however there are occasions when his work pushes the moral boundaries of what is acceptable within society. An example of this is the hugely popular song 'Telephone' by Lady Gaga.