First Pitch

In order to succeed Pop Videos need to satisfy certain expectations of the audience.
It is like in a Genre Movie which has fixed conventions. People need/want those conventions so they feel familiar with the story even if they have not seen the film. However some film and pop videos are also very successful because they subvert those conventions. This makes the film special and less predictable.
In a typical pop video those conventions have to met these are according toKeith Negus.


-The explicit and unashamed promotion of the artist's "inane" (aesthetic/generic/ideological) as a specific product with a brand identity, ready for mass consumption. According to Dyer the artist should be young, glamourous, rebellious, edgy and should have some sort of sexual magnetism.
-A pop video should also feature the artist (almost without exception). There should be at least 30 seconds footage of the main singer and 20 sec of the other band members.
-A wide and extensive use of shot types, camera angles and movement should be used. This gives the video a kind of change and depth.
-Also repetition of reoccurring thematic elements and generically specific iconography are needed (one key element often being dominant and providing the skeletal structure for the promo). This should be shown at least 3 times to the audience in order to highlight its importance.
-The flexibility of disregard Realism (Discontinuity) should be used. Also the shots should be cut tightly to the beat of the track. This creates some sort of a flow and makes it easier to watch. Using special effects such as lighting, animation, CGI, in-camera effects are there to heighten the originality of the video. It needs to catch the eye of the viewer it must have a High impact instantly!
-My three ideas consist out of a typical pop videos which will have all of the conventions mentioned above. My other idea will challenge these slightly by using camera techniques that do not belong into the pop video genre (skate videos). Finally my third idea subverts conventions like cutting shots tightly to the beat this is because the message of the video is not something that reinforces thinking outside of the box so cuts are randomly chosen.
When I pitched my ideas to ,our teacher and Executive Producer I first played him the songs so he could get the mood of the music and to help him visualizing my ideas. I explained my three ideas. He said that they needed development but they could work. Some of them (Bob Dylan- Blowin' In The Wind) would be hardto shoot but he liked the idea. The other twos were a bit to mainstream for him, which I personally like because there is nothing bad about going with the flow. I argued that I do not want to challenge any pop conventions with my other two ideas (Rollin'-Limp Biztkit and Energy-Keri Hilson) I just want to create a visual spectacle for the viewers. The Executive Producer and I decided that i would think about those two ideas and develop them further and advised me to choose tracks that are not that famous.

It is hard to decide which road to go down to. Mainstream, Indie?

Research and Development - First Ideas

The first thing we have to do in order to create a good pop video is RESEARCH. We would have to find our audience and decide if we want to target our video towards a niche audience or a mass audience. Another question we would have to ask ourselves would be wether we want to challenge/subervt the typical conventions of a pop video or if we want to use similar videos for our inspiration. Picking a song and picturing its possible treatment are also a very important factor. We also need to a establish a timeline where we can frame our shots and give the video a narrative. Than we needed to cast our artist and especially camera test them. We would put them in front of the camera and let them roughly do what they had to to in the music video. This would helped us to decide wether they work on camera or not. We also need to write treatment and picture a storyboard which would make the Shooting day a lot easier and productive. Things like a Call-Sheet where all the planning and information for the mien shooting day is written down is essential. Locations, Costumes, Props, Effects, Make-Up, Lighting all these aspects have to be thought of an be planned so NOTHING goes wrong.

I began to research my pop video ideas by looking up several different music videos on YouTube. I looked up all kinds of Videos from Pop and Rap to Hard Core and Rock. I wanted to create 3 different styles influenced by many components such as documentaries, pop videos and skate videos.

Those three “Genres” a very different and try to achieve a variety reactions from the audience. For example pop videos are used to present the artist and to make him or her as sexy and attractive as possible whereas a music video in a documentary style is there to present the artist views and ideologies. The other Genre which I thought is very different compared to the ordinary pop videos in the industry is shot like a typical skate video hand held and with a wide angle lens. This would reinforce there freedom and views of the artist which would be represented as a Rebel. For the pop video I looked at artist like Keri Hilson (http://www.kerihilson.com/), or Rihanna (http://www.rihannanow.com/) who are heavily promoted and advertised through very expensive and planned music videos. Their lyrics are not about climatic change or about war they are manly about clubbing, love, or boys. This is mainly consumed by people between 12 to 22

They have to presented

as sex symbols and in terms of JICTAR CATEGORIES the audience would belong to A-E. This is why they are called MAINSTREAM music because the product and artist aims at all the different social classes in order do gain the most money. The consumers are categorized in terms of their needs and desires, such as aspiring to a richer lifestyle or those who want to make the world a better place. I will know explain my three mien ideas which will cover a variety of genres and expectations. People like genres because they give the audience a holding point Genres are based on an audience foreknowledge and their expectations the circulate between the media text,

the audience and the industry.

Blowin' In The Wind - Bob Dylan

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8cjXewP8kcI

This music video would be focused on the message and ideological views of the songs and not on the personal presents of the artist. However we have to consider that it is the artist first pop video and in order to sell his records the audience needs to be able to identify with his views and the artist himself. This is done by giving the video a part where the artist is performing. Next to this part I choose to have 2 other sequence where we can cut to. One would be actual real war footage that puts the audience in a shock state. The other would be the artist walking down streets of poverty. He sees that the actual war is going on in the streets right in front our eyes and he wants to realize people that there is a wore going on right here and not only a war in a foreign country that is hundreds of miles way. The video would make people aware of the fact that there are problems to be solved and that they could start. There are no excuses like distance. War exists everywhere just in a different form some are more obvious some are nearly invisible. It would start with a nice and slow pan which goes into a closeup of the artist. Then we would get a mid shot of him playing the guitar again. After a while we would get a dissolve to the the scene of him walking. The dissolve would be on the words "How many miles must a man walked down. " Then finally we would combine that with real war footage that gets cit into the different scenes depending on the context of the words.

Rollin' - Limp Bizkit

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RYnFIRc0k6E&ob=av3e

This music video would be especially targeted to a male audience. This is a very aggressive and rebellious song. To keep these definitions up this video would be shot like a skate video. This means hand held and often with an wide angel lens. The performance scene would be shot like that. The actual narrative events where the band just runs out during their final exams and finds their way to the stage where a cheering crowd is already waiting for them would be shot in normal ways and continuity editing. This would increase the rebelliousness of the band and work really well as a juxtaposition. The end is that the whole performance part and the finding the way to the stage was all a "dream" of the main singer who sits still in the exam with the rest of the band who ran out of time. This video would be something special because it would combine two sort of "genres"(skate videos and pop videos).

Energy - Keri Hilson

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bHVQXMCux78&ob=av2e

This would be a typical pop song where the main artist is presented in a very sexual way. I will try to achieve a combination of strong visual image and fitting it into the context. She would be singing in a recording studio sweating because she sings it with passion and her soul- The other part would be her dancing with her boyfriend. however the dance will break out into a fight which makes her upset. She copes with that by singing. This is the main point. In this music video I will make the editing technique to a priority loads of fast cuts are used, focus pulls, flash frames and many other things. even if it is the shortest of the 3 ideas I think it is the strongest and definitely worth a try!

The first five stages of production

Research And Development: This is where the planning processstarts. First the produces, directors, artist, etc. decide who they are going to target the video to. Who is going to be their audience? Which Social Class are they going to be in, How old are they going to be, and really impotent what music do they listen to will the video satisfy the needs of the audience. Also are their similar videos that the upcoming video hast to compete with. How can they make it more special an better in order to get consumed by more people. Also does it challenge/subvert the normal convention of pop video or does it go with the flow? Another point for RESEARCH is the treatment which will be developed in greater detail in the other stages such as DEVELOPMENT. Development involves the creating of a timeline where theshot can be listed chronographically and narrative events become a clear structure. It also involves also a Casting where the individuals are tested on their appearance on camera (Camera Testing). Then every shot is going to be brought to paper (Storyboard) this helps the crew on the actual shoot day. Every thing is planned so nothing goes wrong, because if something goes wrong it takes time and time cost money.

Pre-Production: This would involve the making of a Call-Sheet where every single information is recorded. All the important times for actor when they have to appear on set, when and where the lighting crew hast to light out the e.g. Green Screen. The confirmation of the cast and location is also a very important part of Pre Production. Costumes, Props, Effects, Make-Up, Lighting, Studio Design, etc. every thing is planned so nothing goes wrong on the actual shooting days (normally 3).

Production: Is the actual shoot which might involve pick ups which are just needed if the director or auditor realizes that a shot is missing an essential for the continuity of the music video.

Post-Production: Involves Editing, Colour Correction, After Effects, etc.

Distribution: This is the process where they decide if the product is going to TV, Cinema, DVD or Blu-Ray, etc. Because we are talking about a pop video it is most likely that it will end up on TV and on YouTube.

Exhibition: Is the actual process of showing the product to an audience.

Permission Letter

Legally and morally we are obliged to find and ask permission of the copyright owner for us to record, edit and publish on the web the pop video based on their song. The letter we wrote is below.

HURTWOOD HOUSE

HEADED PAPER

Virgin Records

553-579 Harrow Road

Kensal House

London

17.09.2010

Dear Sir or Madam

We are a group of A Level students working on an A Level project for a qualification in Media Studies. We are writing to request permission to use the following track as part of this project:

Camille - Ta Douleur

With your permission the track would be used as the accompaniment to a short form video that is made purely for assessment purposes and will have no commercial usage. The video will be viewed only by members of the school community and the assessor of the examination board.
-
The artist and the copyright holder will of course be fully recognised in the pre-production and evaluation material that accompanies the project. We can also include a full copyright notice if required both in the planning material and on the video itself.

Yours sincerely


Felix Klinkhammer
Hurtwood House School

Pop Video and Marketing Campaign

MY POP VIDEO 2011.

THE BRIEF

You have to create:

- THREE MULTI MEDIA PRODUCTS

- TO ESTABLISH THE IMAGE AND BRAND OF YOUR SINGER AND GROUP and

- HELP SELL THE SONG FROM THEIR FIRST ALBUM.

The group or singer must be a NEW GROUP (even if they are doing a copy of an existing song).

The song is a SINGLE from their FIRST ALBUM.

The actual products to be produced are:

- THE POP VIDEO

- A DIGIPAK for the ALBUM

- A MAGAZINE ADVERT for the ALBUM.