My groups other ideas

Jane in my group also pitched an idea for a music video outdoors with a one man band performing.

She got very good feedback from this idea, however we decided to create a few more ideas and do very different styles to see which we preferred.

Simon in my group pitched a very different music video idea styled in the 1920's with a modern twist. This idea was also very good, however after pitching we decided it would be too difficult to get all the set and props to look classy and expensive without a high budget so decided to rethink our ideas.

We also had another idea for a punk/rock song which was very different to our other ideas. It is about little girls beauty pageants and would juxtapose the song, however then as the song picked up the girls would be screaming and have tantrums and the parents and judges would get angry. However we felt we did not have much depth to go on for this video and it would be difficult finding such a big cast and to find all the costumes, stage and children.

Pitching concepts to my class and feedback

I presented my prezi to the class, explaining my idea about a music video.

Afterwards I got some really good feedback from the class on things they thought were good and on things that were issues and could be improved.
Everyone really liked the stylistic idea of the UV paint on people in the dark, someone also suggested that we could film this section in the studio as that would illuminate difficulties filming outside in the dark. People also liked the idea of a big open field and having the whole video and atmosphere very chilled and casual with a group of people watching the band perform, they agreed that MGMT Time To Pretend was a good song to create this effect as it was upbeat and different. However most of all they loved the bouncing balls idea as it is a very visually exciting element to have in a music video. However we then discussed how I could tie in the bouncing balls with the field performance as they wouldn't bounce if we had them in a field as we would need a hard surface. I then thought perhaps we could have them rolling down the field or a hill, or if the band performed on a small stage we could have them bouncing on the stage to the beat of the song.
I also received some useful constructive criticism which has helped me understand the practicality of some of the aspects of the video. Most people loved the bouncing balls and UV paint, however decided it would be too much to have both ideas, picking just one would make it easier to link the video and make it flow. The issue of a field was also raised as a lot of music videos are set in a natural environment eg field, woods etc, so I should consider the originality of this and make sure it is unique and interesting. If I wanted to use old vintage cars, eg the combi, it would be difficult and expensive to find and hire for the day. Another big issue with filming outside would be the weather, as it will be Autumn time when filming the weather will be unpredictable and if it rains and is dark it will not have the summer festival chilled vibe to it and will look odd. Another suggestion was to film three different strands in order to interchange between them to make the video more exciting and not just people in a field.

Presentation of music video

Music Video Idea 2

Another idea for a music video I had was of an old woman looking at a scrap book of memories and photos in her living room. As she flicks through the pages there are objects stuck in the pages along side the photos. The camera then zooms into a photo of her when she was young with her boyfriend; this image then comes to life, like a flash back, and we see a short clip of this memory. They are around 16 and walking in a forest laughing and having fun, he picks up a feather and puts it in her hair. This feather is stuck in the scrap book next to the photo. It then cuts to her turning the page or maybe having an effect where the screen turns the page of the clip like she's visually turning to the next memory. The next photo that comes to life is of their wedding as they come out the church with family and friends throwing confetti at them and them driving away in a 'Just Married' car. The next of them holding their new born baby. These flashbacks could be edited in a vintage style to suggest it was some time ago in the late 30's/early 40's. World War II started in 1939 so the husband was sent to war when he turned 18, leaving her with their new born baby. In the scrap book there are letters he has written to her while at war, these could also become flash backs of her receiving them/him writing them.
I then thought of two different endings; one being that her husband then died in the war and she remembers this time, when she finishes the scrap book she shuts it and closes her eyes, the feather that was stuck in the book falls out onto the floor and floats away, symbolising she has past away.
However I thought this could be too depressing and heavy for a music video and thought of an alternative ending. When she finishes looking at the book she goes to buy some flowers and walks to a grave yard where she places them at a grave stone and stands for a while, the audience might imagine her husband died. However then she turns around to see him walking towards her, they embrace and visit the grave of their old friend together as a twist to the end of the story.  

Music Video Idea

An idea I had for a music video was to the song Time To Pretend by MGMT. They are an indie/pop boy band and the song is upbeat and easy going. My idea is set in the 60's; there is a group of roughly four/five guys in a VW Combie on a road trip on a sunny day. They arrive in a big field and set up a tent, there are lots of other groups who also arrive with tents and picnics. They all watch the sunset, paint body paint on each other, chilling and chatting. One of guys gets out the MGMT vinyl record and plays it while they watch the sun set and all dance.

A background to the music industry and some basic theory

Out of all the different media, pop music is one of the most dependent on the genre. Genres are constantly being invented and changed, some coming back from the past; it is important for the producers and fans of the music to understand the categorisation of genres of music. The category pop music is simply just a play on words for popular music, whereas genres such as house music have complex definitions that define and enforce the music.

The main categories being: pop, dance, R&B, hip-hop/rap, rock, punk, country, folk, jazz, blues, Latin, gospel, reggae and new age. All of these categories contain a myriad of sub-genres and also link creating hybrids and mash-ups. However they all have their own unique musical characteristics, such as the rhythm, lyrics and instruments used in the songs. They can also be separately associated with other factors like clothing, hair and lifestyle of the artists, but also by the fans who follow these rules. Each other these genres is heard in a different place and way, for example pop music being the most accessible as it is the most 'popular', finding it on many radio stations, music channels, concerts, magazines, etc. Whereas more niche genres can be heard on specific designated places, like rock radio, or reggae magazines, even specialist record shops or websites.

The genre and artist's image is a very key paradigm for music genre, how the artist looks categorises them before they even start performing. To truly fit the genre category, the artist/band must represent the genre visually as well as musically, on record sleeves, public photos and music videos.



A few examples here show the difference of these artists image and what genre they are.

Jay-Z is under the hip-hop/rap genre and I feel this is straightened well from his appearance, the vintage black and white effect shows the grime and urban feel to his music, while dressed simply in black with a bandanna, doing his trade mark sign of the triangle.



Nicki Minaj is a slight hybrid as she incorporates some rap into pop, but I would categorise her under the genre pop. This is demonstrated through her very load and colourful album cover, which also suggests her music is fun, colourful and catchy, much like all pop.


This Kiss album cover shows the extreme image of rock, their title even labelling them as rock and roll; their face paint and black hair show their type of music and image very well.


I chose an album cover of Bob Marley to show the reggae genre, typically known for smoking weed and being very chilled. This image sums up his aura and music genre very well as it is simple and happy.

One Direction also is under the pop genre but as a boy band has a different image to Minaj. They show they are all great friends and are happy and sweet like their music. This cover sums their image and music up very well.

Studying Pop Stars

Looking at the 100 greatest singers of all time list you can clearly see a lot of them have deceased but still their music continues to sell.
For instance the members of the '27 club' who are known for living fast and dying young have continued to have long lasting careers, way more successful than alive artists who were once popular and now are forgotten about! They music has been adopted by successive generations of fans and their whole persona.
Most pop music is short lived and quickly forgotten about, loosing all meaning overtime; it constantly evolves and changes quickly, however the type of singers seem to stay the same. There are certain qualities that make artists successful, such as youthfulness, rebellion, sexual magnetism, creativity, originality, etc.
However there is a clear pattern among these stars, the longer they remain successful, the more difficult it is to continue this standard, as eventually their originality burns out and fans loose interest. Living fast erodes these stars away and it is very difficult to quit while ahead to maintain the high successful standard, however most dont quit and eventually music moves on and forgets you.
This might be why artists who have died young have been so successful, as they don't become old and unattractive, keeping their musical talent still intact. This also gives an appealing story to fans, with a beginning, middle and an end.