Don't want these

On 21st of September as a starter we had to brainstorm what we don't want to have in our music video. These are the lists:
1)A lot of lighting-our style of the music is gothic and punk so bright scenes will not work
2)flowers-this is an example of a prop that we don't want
3)voyeurism of the girl-because we are performing as a band and the singer should look strong we will not film the artist in a voyeuristic way but may include close ups
4)a lot of colour-this links to not having a lot of light, we want limited colours to give more impct

by Sung min

Band Name

Our band name we decided to use is 'CherryDeadPsycho'. We also made up the band name members which are: Luna Blackheart, Misty Clouds, Jynx Williams. We gave each band member a different charactersic for example Jynx is sweet and kind so we made her nickname Cherry and vise versa for the other band members.This is where the idea for the name of the band came from, we put the names in that persific order because it is alphabetical. It would sound weird if it was in the order of how the band stood together, 'PsychoCherryDead'. 

By Louise Thorne

Band name

It was difficult to come up with a band name, the first idea was to call it Blackheart but this became the surname of the singer therefore we did not want to use surname of one of our band member. We wanted to have a name that represents our each character so we talked about it and came up with the name CherryDeadPsycho and I think it is a very meaningful name.
by Sung min

Star image

Richard Dyer said "A star is an image contructed from a range of materials".

Construction of a pop star
-The song (lyrical themes and musical structures/genres)
-The record covers (image of the star, singles and albums-digital age)
-Media coverage (interviews about career and private life through tabloid gossip)
-Live performances (image through the stage show)
-The music videos (draw upon the image presented in each of the other aspects)

Re-construction of image
-Each video may also draw upon its predecessor both in reinforcng the star's existing image and in taking the image on further, perhaps in new directions.
-Thus, music videos will act as a showcase for the star's talents and plat a significant part in the constucted ad maintenance of their image.

by Sung min

What is Narrative?

Todorov's Structual Theory-He believed that every narrative moves through a period of transformation in progressing towards its conclusion.
1)Equilibrium or normality
2)Disruption of the equilibrium
3)Recognition of the distuption
4)Attempts to repair the disrution
5)Return to equilibrium/normality

As a class we applyed the theory to Shrek 2.
1)Shrek and Fiona are married (a happy family)
2)Prince and Fairy godmother
3)Drinking the portion (happily ever after potion)
4)Goes back to an orgar and prevent Fiona from kissing prince Charming
5)Return to an orgar

Propp's 'Structural' Theory
He was a Russian critic and folklorist. He summurised character roles that motivate the story.
1)Hero
2)Villain
3)Dispatcher
4)Donor
5)Helper
6)Heroine
7)False hero

We are able to recognise these character roles from early stage of experiences which the industies have built up with their audiences. Not all characters may be found in all narratives and sometimes updated versions of the more traditional roles may be presented.

Through this lesson, I have learnt that if we include a narrative in our music video we have to think about the relationships between the lyrics and the narrative introduced. Also think about Propp's theory and Todorov's which will make the audience easier to understand when watching the music video because the characters introduced already have been experienced.

by Sung min

Narrative and pop video

 We applyed Todorov's Structual Theory to a pop video 'Love is a battle field' by Pat Banatar.
1)Equilibrium-a happy family
2)Disruption-getting kicked out of the house
3)Recognition-missing each other (letters)
4)Repair-standing up to the villain (dancing)
5)Return-happy again (freedom gained)

Poetic and suggestive narrative
-Narrative in songs, as in poetry, is rarely complete and often fragmentary. The same is true of music promos, which tend to suggest storylines or often complex fraagments in a non-linear order, leaving the viewer with the desire to see them again.

Intertextuality
-Music videos draw upon existing texts in order to spark recognition in the audience
-They draw upon the cinema traditions (fashion, art and photography)
As an example, music video 'She and him' shows high school, romance and glee.

Narrative and performance
-Often music videos will cut between a narratice and a performance of the song by the band
-Choreographed dance
-Artist as part of story;narrator and participant

by Sung min

Pop music

Music videos are successful when its theory of voyeurism, intertextuality and narrative are presented. The key element is voyeurism, this builds sense of pleasure from watching and looking. Also it makes the audience to feel that they are secretely looking or watching and its done by camera control, diclating in the male point of view. This idea comes from Freud, and it has been used in Media Studies particularly in explaining the gendered pleasure of cinema. It has been argued that the male viewer gain sexual pleasure when the objectified female body is on display. However, in my point of view not always theory of voyeurism works. I think it depends on the type of music, lyrics and the singers.

Goodwin on Voyeurism
-He argues that the female performer will frequently be objectified in this way, often through a combination of camera work and editing with fragmented body shots emphasising a sexualised treatment of the star.

Moving on further, audiences accept the fact that it's ok for female performers to be shown this way even though they know there is an uneven split of men and women in pop videos. An exmaple is men don't have to take off their clothes but women should but this makes money therefore female artists sacrifice themselves.

In male performance videos too, the idea of voyeuristic treatment of the famlae body is often apparent with the use of dancers as adorments flattering the male star ego.

Beyonce is known to be religious person however 'Crazy right now in Love' music video is showing completely different side of her from what she believes. This is shown by what she is wearing (like a table dancer), performing for the camera, being objectified (not the artist controlling), she is his accessories (dancing around him), man dressed up properly but not the artist, she is being fragmented and slow motion is used to emphasize and exaggerate voyeurism.

by Sung min