There are no specific codes and conventions of a short film, but I did notice certain points when watching a selection of films.
There is no clear definition of the maximum length of a short film, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences classify it as 40 minutes, although this may vary.
Short films tend to focus on difficult topics which longer, more commercial films, will avoid. This is because they are not funded by big studios. Directors of short films benefit from freedom and can take higher risks, but they must rely on festivals like Cannes to achieve public display.
Most short films are better known outside of the United States that within, due to less expectation from other audiences. However, film shorts are often a popular extra feature on DVD’s. For example, Pixar DVD’s typically include a short film that was distributed with the feature film in its theatrical release.
One of the things I noticed when watching short films is that there is usually just one or two main characters. The film will most likely focus on one central protagonist throughout, and explore their journey through the story. This allows the story to be told from the characters perspective, which makes the point of view shot a popular choice in short films.
Another typical feature in short films is a twist in the storyline to keep the narrative unpredictable and therefore appealing to the audience. As there is not a lot of time in a short film, a twist in the storyline is the easiest and quickest way to interest the audience.
Voiceovers are typical in short film, sometimes preferred over dialogue, as it gives the characters a chance to connect with the audience. This will, however, depend on the plot of the short film. For example, if the film is exploring how a character feels alone/isolated, then a voiceover would be more suited that a conversation with secondary characters.
The narrative of a short film is required to be original and, if necessary – strange, to make them stand out from the rest. The topics highlighted in short films maybe more realistic than feature films as they explore human emotions in greater depth.
Monday, 30 November 2009
Monday, 23 November 2009
History of Short Films
The term ‘short film’ came to be applied in North America in the 1910’s, when the majority of feature films began to be made in longer-running editions. A typical film programme came to be expected to include a feature preceded by at least one short film. Short subjects could be live action or animated. Comedy was particularly utilized, and well-known comedians such as Charlie Chaplin are known for their short films as well as their features.
However, after the 1930’s, the industry for short films was starting to fade. Most short films were produced in-house. On occasion, short films were financed by big film companies. Owners of the companies would force the owners of short films to sell them to the companies. They would then be turned into big name features. This was referred to as block booking, which has since become illegal. In 1955, another competitor of the short film surfaced – Television. It was difficult to get short films on TV and thus, into the public eye.
Short films are often popular as first steps into the cinematic art among young and aspiring filmmakers. They are cheaper and easier to make, usually don't take very long to produce, and their length makes shorts more likely to be watched by financial backers and others who want some demonstration of a filmmaker's ability. Directors like George Lucas, Tim Burton, Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorcese and Pedro Almodovar started by making short films.
However, after the 1930’s, the industry for short films was starting to fade. Most short films were produced in-house. On occasion, short films were financed by big film companies. Owners of the companies would force the owners of short films to sell them to the companies. They would then be turned into big name features. This was referred to as block booking, which has since become illegal. In 1955, another competitor of the short film surfaced – Television. It was difficult to get short films on TV and thus, into the public eye.
Short films are often popular as first steps into the cinematic art among young and aspiring filmmakers. They are cheaper and easier to make, usually don't take very long to produce, and their length makes shorts more likely to be watched by financial backers and others who want some demonstration of a filmmaker's ability. Directors like George Lucas, Tim Burton, Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorcese and Pedro Almodovar started by making short films.
Monday, 19 October 2009
Analysis of Documentaries
A Very British Gangster
Donal MacIntyre (2007)
A Very British Gangster is an all access film inside one of Britain’s most dangerous crime family. For the first time, a gang of contemporary criminals open their lives to reveal a brutal world and a community which relies upon gangsters for justice, rather than the police.
The director of the documentary, Donal MacIntyre, explained the reason for him making the documentary “I wanted the viewer to discover this world just as I did one nerve-wracking step at a time. I want those watching to touch, smell and breathe the grit of this gangster and his family from the inside out”.
The subject of the documentary is Dominic Noonan, a gangster who goes by the alias Mr LATTLAY FOTTFOY, which is an acronym of his motto – look after those that look after you, f**k off those that f**k off you. There is extensive use of a low angle shot when Noonan is on screen to connote his power and authority over the community. At various points in the documentary, there is archive footage of news stories on Noonan and his gang. This makes the audience realise that the events have actually happened and are not made up for dramatic effect. There are varied camera shots, most of which, however have the same connotation of Noonan being in control. When the gang are walking up the stairwell, the camera is positioned as if it is a CCTV camera watching where they are going and what they are doing. This portrays them as criminals who cannot be trusted.
The music playing whilst the gang are in the club is very urban and connotes that the city of Manchester is almost a character in Noonan’s story. However, MacIntyre’s voiceover has a calming effect on the situation and allows the audience to appreciate the dramatic circumstance.
When MacIntyre is interviewing Noonan, it takes place in an informal setting, which indicates the type of person that Noonan is. During the interview, Noonan swears at someone and threatens them for talking whilst he is answering a question, he then turns to MacIntyre and apologizes for the interruption and his language. This shows that even though he is known as a brutal gangster, he still has manners, and people may start to understand him more. There is a crane shot of the area that Noonan lives during the documentary to show that it is a typical northern community. Also in the documentary, similar to archive footage, there are photos of past events shown. The black and white pictures look as if they are police photos of a crime.
When Noonan is arrested whilst filming the documentary, MacIntyre is live on camera improvising as he goes along because the event wasn’t scripted. The handheld camera following MacIntyre as he runs downs the street provides a connection between the subject, director and audience.
Later, when MacIntyre is once again interviewing Noonan, the 180 degree rule is broken, and the visually stimulating camera movement draws the audience in to keep them watching. At first, the interview appears very formal. However, when the camera pans round, the audience realise that it is set in a pub. This editing cleverly displays the juxtaposition of Noonan’s life, and there is a sense of irony to the interview.
Super Size Me
Morgan Spurlock (2004)
The 2004 American documentary Super Size Me was directed by Morgan Spurlock, who also starred in the film. The documentary follows a 30 day period (February to March 2003) during which, Spurlock is only allowed to eat McDonalds. The film documents this lifestyles drastic effect on Spurlock’s physical and psychological well being. The stated factor for Spurlock’s investigation was the increasing spread of obesity throughout U.S Society, which the surgeon general has declared “epidemic”, and the corresponding lawsuit against McDonalds on behalf of 2 overweight girls, who, it was alleged, became obese as a result of eating McDonald’s food.
“That's when the light went on for me, and I said 'Well, if it's that good for me, realistically I should be able to eat it for breakfast, lunch and dinner for thirty days straight with no side effects. I should be able to live the All American way of life of over eating and under exercising and be fine.' So that's what I did.”
The documentary film was nominated for an Academy Award for Documentary Feature. It is also the tenth highest grossing documentary film of all time.
The film starts with a shot of a group of children singing a song about 3 well known fast food chains (McDonalds, KFC and Pizza Hut). This immediately introduces the subject matter to the audience without being told to us directly. Also, it gives the impression that the children have been ‘brainwashed’ by fast food at such a young age. This will start to generate discussion amongst viewers. There is also a quote on screen from the founder of McDonalds which reinforces the subject matter.
The use of images in the film is helpful in conveying the message to the audience. For example, the map on the screen when Spurlock is describing facts about increasing rates of obesity, the audience don’t necessarily need to listen as the image is easy enough to read and interpret. It also has more of an effect as not only can you hear what he is saying i.e. statistics, you can see it changing in front of your eyes.
The voice over from Spurlock helps him to connect with the audience as he isn’t just reeling off a list of facts but he is talking to us as if he knows us. He also uses humour in some parts to engage the audience. Also, he is more relatable when he describes his childhood, along with the use of pictures. To make the facts he describes easier to understand i.e. 46 million people worldwide eat McDonalds per day, Spurlock makes comparisons i.e. this is more than the entire population of Spain.
The song Fat Bottomed Girls by Queen is played whilst various images are shown as a title sequence. This has connotations of Spurlock saying what he thinks without saying it outright. Later on in the documentary, there is an interview with a doctor. The interview is broken up throughout the documentary so that what is shown has relevance. Spurlock also uses vox pops in the documentary as the opinion of the public is vital to the film. He asks them simple questions like “How often do you eat fast food?” This shows that he isn’t only concerned about McDonalds, but all junk food.
March of the Penguins
Luc Jacquet (2005)
March of the Penguins, made in 2005, directed by Luc Jacquet, is the second highest grossing documentary film of all time. It is a French nature documentary film that depicts the yearly journey of the emperor penguins of Antarctica. The film won the 2005 Academy Award for Best Documentary feature. It was noted that, by the time of the 2006 Academy Awards, this documentary had out-grossed all 5 best picture nominees ($77 million vs. $75 million for Brokeback Mountain)
The significant thing to note about March of the Penguins is that it is a completely unconventional documentary, and is arguably more like a feature film. The entire film is made up of cleverly edited and structured shots, narrated by the Academy Award winning actor Morgan Freeman. The only time the audience see people in the film is in the credits. (7 minutes into the video below)
Breathtaking photography captures the beauty and devotion as they go on a journey to breed their young. The way the footage is shot and narrated makes the viewer feel as if they are there in the situation and part of the journey.Morgan Freeman is known for providing narration to films, and is famous for voice which people will recognise. Also, he is associated with playing characters with a calm demeanour. People will trust what he is saying because he has credibility. He has also narrated another Academy Award winning feature length documentary – They Long Way Home (1997).
Bowling for Columbine
Michael Moore (2002)
Bowling for Columbine is the 2002 documentary that brought international attention to Michael Moore as a rising filmmaker. The film explores what Moore suggests are the causes for the Columbine High School massacre and other acts of violence with guns. He focuses on the background and environment in which the massacre took place, and some common public opinion about the issue. In discussions with various interviewers, Moore has stated that in the documentary, he seeks to explain why the Columbine massacre occurred and why the United States has a high violent crime rate.
At the beginning of the documentary when Moore is introducing the film, there is use of actual footage, which the audience can relate to. He also uses humour to connect with the audience so that they are interested in what he has to say. When he goes into the bank to open “the account which gets you a free gun”, Moore is portraying how easy it is to get a gun in today’s society. He has an interview with the bank manager and questions whether offering a gun for a bank account is a good idea – echoing what the audience will be thinking. There is use of handheld camera when he is in the bank to give the audience the feeling of being there.
There is a video segment of an advert shown on TV for toy guns aimed at young children. The video is in black and white, connoting that the industry of guns has been around for a long time. Moore explains how he, himself, has won trophies for rifle shooting. He also makes reference to the well known actor Charlton Heston. There is also an interview with the police, which gives the film authenticity.
Later in the film, the song Happiness is a Warm Gun plays during a video montage in which various clips are played, for example:
-People buying guns
-People firing guns at fairgrounds and shooting ranges
-Carey McWilliams, a blind gun enthusiast
-The suicide of American politician, Budd Dwyer
The nest line spoken, “this is a great place to raise your children”, is ironic considering the footage previously shown.There are various vox pops in the film to show the public’s reaction to what happened. The archive footage shown is edited with actual footage in an attempt to get a certain message across to the audience. There is another montage of images/videos in the documentary. This time, they are shown whilst What a Wonderful World by Louis Armstrong is played. For majority of the montage, the audience can only hear the song playing whilst captions appear on screen. The section of video ends with handheld camera footage of the second World Trade Centre plane crash, with the audio consisting solely of the hysterical reactions of the witnesses, recorded by the microphone on the camera. Although there are parts of the montage that will be too old for a lot of people to relate to, there has been audio used on the 9/11 section as it is an event that everyone watching the video can relate to, especially the emotions that can be heard.
Donal MacIntyre (2007)
A Very British Gangster is an all access film inside one of Britain’s most dangerous crime family. For the first time, a gang of contemporary criminals open their lives to reveal a brutal world and a community which relies upon gangsters for justice, rather than the police.
The director of the documentary, Donal MacIntyre, explained the reason for him making the documentary “I wanted the viewer to discover this world just as I did one nerve-wracking step at a time. I want those watching to touch, smell and breathe the grit of this gangster and his family from the inside out”.
The subject of the documentary is Dominic Noonan, a gangster who goes by the alias Mr LATTLAY FOTTFOY, which is an acronym of his motto – look after those that look after you, f**k off those that f**k off you. There is extensive use of a low angle shot when Noonan is on screen to connote his power and authority over the community. At various points in the documentary, there is archive footage of news stories on Noonan and his gang. This makes the audience realise that the events have actually happened and are not made up for dramatic effect. There are varied camera shots, most of which, however have the same connotation of Noonan being in control. When the gang are walking up the stairwell, the camera is positioned as if it is a CCTV camera watching where they are going and what they are doing. This portrays them as criminals who cannot be trusted.
The music playing whilst the gang are in the club is very urban and connotes that the city of Manchester is almost a character in Noonan’s story. However, MacIntyre’s voiceover has a calming effect on the situation and allows the audience to appreciate the dramatic circumstance.
When MacIntyre is interviewing Noonan, it takes place in an informal setting, which indicates the type of person that Noonan is. During the interview, Noonan swears at someone and threatens them for talking whilst he is answering a question, he then turns to MacIntyre and apologizes for the interruption and his language. This shows that even though he is known as a brutal gangster, he still has manners, and people may start to understand him more. There is a crane shot of the area that Noonan lives during the documentary to show that it is a typical northern community. Also in the documentary, similar to archive footage, there are photos of past events shown. The black and white pictures look as if they are police photos of a crime.
When Noonan is arrested whilst filming the documentary, MacIntyre is live on camera improvising as he goes along because the event wasn’t scripted. The handheld camera following MacIntyre as he runs downs the street provides a connection between the subject, director and audience.
Later, when MacIntyre is once again interviewing Noonan, the 180 degree rule is broken, and the visually stimulating camera movement draws the audience in to keep them watching. At first, the interview appears very formal. However, when the camera pans round, the audience realise that it is set in a pub. This editing cleverly displays the juxtaposition of Noonan’s life, and there is a sense of irony to the interview.
Super Size Me
Morgan Spurlock (2004)
The 2004 American documentary Super Size Me was directed by Morgan Spurlock, who also starred in the film. The documentary follows a 30 day period (February to March 2003) during which, Spurlock is only allowed to eat McDonalds. The film documents this lifestyles drastic effect on Spurlock’s physical and psychological well being. The stated factor for Spurlock’s investigation was the increasing spread of obesity throughout U.S Society, which the surgeon general has declared “epidemic”, and the corresponding lawsuit against McDonalds on behalf of 2 overweight girls, who, it was alleged, became obese as a result of eating McDonald’s food.
“That's when the light went on for me, and I said 'Well, if it's that good for me, realistically I should be able to eat it for breakfast, lunch and dinner for thirty days straight with no side effects. I should be able to live the All American way of life of over eating and under exercising and be fine.' So that's what I did.”
The documentary film was nominated for an Academy Award for Documentary Feature. It is also the tenth highest grossing documentary film of all time.
The film starts with a shot of a group of children singing a song about 3 well known fast food chains (McDonalds, KFC and Pizza Hut). This immediately introduces the subject matter to the audience without being told to us directly. Also, it gives the impression that the children have been ‘brainwashed’ by fast food at such a young age. This will start to generate discussion amongst viewers. There is also a quote on screen from the founder of McDonalds which reinforces the subject matter.
The use of images in the film is helpful in conveying the message to the audience. For example, the map on the screen when Spurlock is describing facts about increasing rates of obesity, the audience don’t necessarily need to listen as the image is easy enough to read and interpret. It also has more of an effect as not only can you hear what he is saying i.e. statistics, you can see it changing in front of your eyes.
The voice over from Spurlock helps him to connect with the audience as he isn’t just reeling off a list of facts but he is talking to us as if he knows us. He also uses humour in some parts to engage the audience. Also, he is more relatable when he describes his childhood, along with the use of pictures. To make the facts he describes easier to understand i.e. 46 million people worldwide eat McDonalds per day, Spurlock makes comparisons i.e. this is more than the entire population of Spain.
The song Fat Bottomed Girls by Queen is played whilst various images are shown as a title sequence. This has connotations of Spurlock saying what he thinks without saying it outright. Later on in the documentary, there is an interview with a doctor. The interview is broken up throughout the documentary so that what is shown has relevance. Spurlock also uses vox pops in the documentary as the opinion of the public is vital to the film. He asks them simple questions like “How often do you eat fast food?” This shows that he isn’t only concerned about McDonalds, but all junk food.
March of the Penguins
Luc Jacquet (2005)
March of the Penguins, made in 2005, directed by Luc Jacquet, is the second highest grossing documentary film of all time. It is a French nature documentary film that depicts the yearly journey of the emperor penguins of Antarctica. The film won the 2005 Academy Award for Best Documentary feature. It was noted that, by the time of the 2006 Academy Awards, this documentary had out-grossed all 5 best picture nominees ($77 million vs. $75 million for Brokeback Mountain)
The significant thing to note about March of the Penguins is that it is a completely unconventional documentary, and is arguably more like a feature film. The entire film is made up of cleverly edited and structured shots, narrated by the Academy Award winning actor Morgan Freeman. The only time the audience see people in the film is in the credits. (7 minutes into the video below)
Breathtaking photography captures the beauty and devotion as they go on a journey to breed their young. The way the footage is shot and narrated makes the viewer feel as if they are there in the situation and part of the journey.Morgan Freeman is known for providing narration to films, and is famous for voice which people will recognise. Also, he is associated with playing characters with a calm demeanour. People will trust what he is saying because he has credibility. He has also narrated another Academy Award winning feature length documentary – They Long Way Home (1997).
Bowling for Columbine
Michael Moore (2002)
Bowling for Columbine is the 2002 documentary that brought international attention to Michael Moore as a rising filmmaker. The film explores what Moore suggests are the causes for the Columbine High School massacre and other acts of violence with guns. He focuses on the background and environment in which the massacre took place, and some common public opinion about the issue. In discussions with various interviewers, Moore has stated that in the documentary, he seeks to explain why the Columbine massacre occurred and why the United States has a high violent crime rate.
At the beginning of the documentary when Moore is introducing the film, there is use of actual footage, which the audience can relate to. He also uses humour to connect with the audience so that they are interested in what he has to say. When he goes into the bank to open “the account which gets you a free gun”, Moore is portraying how easy it is to get a gun in today’s society. He has an interview with the bank manager and questions whether offering a gun for a bank account is a good idea – echoing what the audience will be thinking. There is use of handheld camera when he is in the bank to give the audience the feeling of being there.
There is a video segment of an advert shown on TV for toy guns aimed at young children. The video is in black and white, connoting that the industry of guns has been around for a long time. Moore explains how he, himself, has won trophies for rifle shooting. He also makes reference to the well known actor Charlton Heston. There is also an interview with the police, which gives the film authenticity.
Later in the film, the song Happiness is a Warm Gun plays during a video montage in which various clips are played, for example:
-People buying guns
-People firing guns at fairgrounds and shooting ranges
-Carey McWilliams, a blind gun enthusiast
-The suicide of American politician, Budd Dwyer
The nest line spoken, “this is a great place to raise your children”, is ironic considering the footage previously shown.There are various vox pops in the film to show the public’s reaction to what happened. The archive footage shown is edited with actual footage in an attempt to get a certain message across to the audience. There is another montage of images/videos in the documentary. This time, they are shown whilst What a Wonderful World by Louis Armstrong is played. For majority of the montage, the audience can only hear the song playing whilst captions appear on screen. The section of video ends with handheld camera footage of the second World Trade Centre plane crash, with the audio consisting solely of the hysterical reactions of the witnesses, recorded by the microphone on the camera. Although there are parts of the montage that will be too old for a lot of people to relate to, there has been audio used on the 9/11 section as it is an event that everyone watching the video can relate to, especially the emotions that can be heard.
Friday, 16 October 2009
Codes and Conventions of Documentaries
Although most documentaries vary in one way or another, it is usually quite easy to recognise the different techniques that are typical for the style of filmmaking.
The opening 5 minutes of a documentary should, if made well, have the viewer hooked already. A powerful opening will make the audience interested and keep them watching, even if they are not so keen on the subject matter. This is because the central question/subject matter would be introduced and people could start forming their own opinion on the film. The audience are likely to have some idea of what the subject matter of the documentary is because of the channel it is shown on. For example, you wouldn’t expect to see a documentary about football on E4, you would expect something focused on celebrity gossip, music or film to be shown.
The music in a documentary can have some effect on how the audience perceives and responds to the film. However, it is important to note that the music should not overpower any of the spoken words in a documentary. This is so that the narrator/presenter is represented as the voice of authority and so that we take what they say as fact. Most documentary filmmakers will address the camera, and therefore the audience, directly. This makes us feel like they are only talking to us, so we are more likely to keep watching what happens.
It is common in documentaries to use archive footage of actual events. Whether this will be effective or not depends on how relevant the footage is to the documentary. If it is pointless archive footage that doesn’t have anything to do with the main subject of the film, it will appear that the filmmaker has been careless when researching the information. Reconstructions can also be used to create a specific impact on the audience, especially if archive footage isn’t available. They are mainly used in documentaries to construct step by step detailing of a crime.
In more recent documentaries, because of the improvements in technology, the filmmaker is able to display graphics, captions, facts and statistics on the screen. Documentaries are designed to shock people into realising the filmmakers point of view. Therefore the titles and information shown on screen will be dramatic/ poignant.
Depending on the subject matter of the documentary, the camera may be handheld to make the viewer feel included in the situation. The camera may also be placed as if it is covert/hidden to make us feel like we are watching something as it naturally happens.
Within the documentary, the narrator/presenter will have to show someone else’s point of view. This can be done in 2 ways. Firstly, a formal interview could be shown. This will give a professional point of view of the situation. The setting of this interview will be an indication of its authenticity e.g. office. Another method of portraying other opinions is through the use of vox pops (voice of the people). These are informal ‘interviews’ with people from the public. They are literally done by going to a public place and asking a random selection of people for their opinion.
The opening 5 minutes of a documentary should, if made well, have the viewer hooked already. A powerful opening will make the audience interested and keep them watching, even if they are not so keen on the subject matter. This is because the central question/subject matter would be introduced and people could start forming their own opinion on the film. The audience are likely to have some idea of what the subject matter of the documentary is because of the channel it is shown on. For example, you wouldn’t expect to see a documentary about football on E4, you would expect something focused on celebrity gossip, music or film to be shown.
The music in a documentary can have some effect on how the audience perceives and responds to the film. However, it is important to note that the music should not overpower any of the spoken words in a documentary. This is so that the narrator/presenter is represented as the voice of authority and so that we take what they say as fact. Most documentary filmmakers will address the camera, and therefore the audience, directly. This makes us feel like they are only talking to us, so we are more likely to keep watching what happens.
It is common in documentaries to use archive footage of actual events. Whether this will be effective or not depends on how relevant the footage is to the documentary. If it is pointless archive footage that doesn’t have anything to do with the main subject of the film, it will appear that the filmmaker has been careless when researching the information. Reconstructions can also be used to create a specific impact on the audience, especially if archive footage isn’t available. They are mainly used in documentaries to construct step by step detailing of a crime.
In more recent documentaries, because of the improvements in technology, the filmmaker is able to display graphics, captions, facts and statistics on the screen. Documentaries are designed to shock people into realising the filmmakers point of view. Therefore the titles and information shown on screen will be dramatic/ poignant.
Depending on the subject matter of the documentary, the camera may be handheld to make the viewer feel included in the situation. The camera may also be placed as if it is covert/hidden to make us feel like we are watching something as it naturally happens.
Within the documentary, the narrator/presenter will have to show someone else’s point of view. This can be done in 2 ways. Firstly, a formal interview could be shown. This will give a professional point of view of the situation. The setting of this interview will be an indication of its authenticity e.g. office. Another method of portraying other opinions is through the use of vox pops (voice of the people). These are informal ‘interviews’ with people from the public. They are literally done by going to a public place and asking a random selection of people for their opinion.
History of Documentaries
A documentary film is visual expression that is based on the attempt to document reality. Documentaries are continually evolving and are without clear boundaries. As a new generation of audience develops, the filmmakers adapt to the style that suits the audience.
Pare Lorentz defines a documentary film as “a factual film which is dramatic”. Others further state that a documentary stands out from other types of non-fiction films for providing an opinion, and a specific message, along with the facts its presents.
The filmmaker John Grierson used the term documentary in 1926, to refer to any non-fiction film medium, including travelogues and instructional films. The earliest “moving pictures” were, by definition, documentaries. They were single shot moments captured on film: a train entering a station, a boat docking or factory workers leaving work. Whilst researching the history of documentary film, I found it interesting that the first moving pictures (e.g. Auguste Lumiere – Workers Leaving the Factory – 1895) have influenced modern day entertainment. When we watch programmes like Big Brother, we are watching nothing more than people in a house. There are no special effects – we are ultimately behind a camera watching what happens in a given situation.
Documentaries have progressed over the years due to number of reasons. Firstly, the demand from the audience changes as time goes by. Also, different talking points in society develop with time i.e. what was relevant in the 1950’s way of life may not be so significant now and vice versa. The opinion of the filmmaker will have an impact on the documentary because it is most likely to be shown from their point of view. Improvements in technology have meant that documentary films can be edited to appeal to a wider audience. Each decade brought with it lighter and more advanced camera equipment, as well as film stock which could be used in a wider variety of lighting conditions. This made films easier to create. This may also give filmmakers more choice for the subject matter of the film, in the sense that they may be able to film/research something that would have been impossible 10 years ago. Also, the documentary format and style will ultimately depend on the filmmakers vision/idea, so it could be argued that there is no definitive template for a documentary.
Pare Lorentz defines a documentary film as “a factual film which is dramatic”. Others further state that a documentary stands out from other types of non-fiction films for providing an opinion, and a specific message, along with the facts its presents.
The filmmaker John Grierson used the term documentary in 1926, to refer to any non-fiction film medium, including travelogues and instructional films. The earliest “moving pictures” were, by definition, documentaries. They were single shot moments captured on film: a train entering a station, a boat docking or factory workers leaving work. Whilst researching the history of documentary film, I found it interesting that the first moving pictures (e.g. Auguste Lumiere – Workers Leaving the Factory – 1895) have influenced modern day entertainment. When we watch programmes like Big Brother, we are watching nothing more than people in a house. There are no special effects – we are ultimately behind a camera watching what happens in a given situation.
Documentaries have progressed over the years due to number of reasons. Firstly, the demand from the audience changes as time goes by. Also, different talking points in society develop with time i.e. what was relevant in the 1950’s way of life may not be so significant now and vice versa. The opinion of the filmmaker will have an impact on the documentary because it is most likely to be shown from their point of view. Improvements in technology have meant that documentary films can be edited to appeal to a wider audience. Each decade brought with it lighter and more advanced camera equipment, as well as film stock which could be used in a wider variety of lighting conditions. This made films easier to create. This may also give filmmakers more choice for the subject matter of the film, in the sense that they may be able to film/research something that would have been impossible 10 years ago. Also, the documentary format and style will ultimately depend on the filmmakers vision/idea, so it could be argued that there is no definitive template for a documentary.
Specification for Documentary
If I decide to do a documentary for my final project, there will be certain things I need to consider. The film would need to be an extract from a documentary programme lasting about 5 minutes. I would also need to think about completing:
- A double-page spread from a listings magazine focused on the documentary
- A newspaper advertisement for the documentary
- A double-page spread from a listings magazine focused on the documentary
- A newspaper advertisement for the documentary
Sunday, 11 October 2009
Film Trailers
Film trailers or film previews are advertisements for feature films that are soon to be released. The term ‘trailer’ comes from them having originally been shown at the end of a film. This soon changed, however, as people tended to leave the cinema after the feature film had ended. Although film trailers are popular in the cinemas, they are now even more popular on the internet because of youtube.com and other video hosting websites. Of around 10 billion videos watched online annually, film trailers ranked third after news and user created videos.
A perfect example of a film trailer being popular on the internet is the trailer for The Twilight Saga: New Moon, which is to be released on the 20th November 2009. It has already had around 20 million views on youtube.com. Also, when the trailer was released in cinemas on August 12th 2009 before showings of Bandslam, a lot of Twilight fans went to the film just for the trailer and then left the cinemas.
The first trailer for New Moon that was shown before Bandslam is 1 minute 48 seconds. The opening shot is an aerial shot over a stretch over water – this could be considered as an establishing shot showing where the film will be set. It also gives the impression of surveillance and authority. The first shot of any characters is a two shot of Edward and Bella (Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart), the two main characters in the series. They are in the centre of the shot together, indicating that the plot of the film will revolve around their relationship. In the next few shots, parts of Bella’s birthday celebration are shown. Also, if people are not aware of what the main plotline of the Twilight series is, there are various hints within the trailer e.g. Bella saying “You guys don’t even eat”, and Edwards ‘brother’ Jasper running towards Bella when she gets a paper cut and her blood is spilt. At the beginning of the trailer, Bella and Edward are shown mainly in two shots emphasising their close relationship. However, when Edward reveals he is leaving, they are shown in separate shots to reflect them breaking up. Bella is left alone to defend herself. At the end of the trailer, there is part of another big action sequence from the film shown. As Bella runs toward her friend, Jacob, she tells him to run away. Instead, to defend her, he leaps into the air, and in doing so, transforms into a werewolf. This suggests that in the film, the audience will learn more about his character than we did in the first one. Also, he is the last character shown on screen before the release date. This indicates that he will be and enigmatic character who is crucial to the plot of the film.
The next trailer has more of a plot to it than the first one and introduces a new set of characters – The Volturi. For this reason, among others, the trailer is longer than the first one (2 minutes 28 seconds). It is a longer trailer because the first one was intended to create a buzz about the film, and this one is designed to show more of what is going to happen. This also means that there will be more footage of the action sequences. As the first one was released earlier in the year, they didn’t want to give too much away, but as the release date of the film is next month, they want to make sure the trailer is fresh in people’s minds. The voiceover by Edward provides some explanation for what is happening on screen. There is a clear indication to people who are not aware of the film series of the major theme in the plot when Bella comments “vampires have rules?” There are some similar shots from the first trailer. The character of Jacob is also a lot more present in this trailer and is close to Bella when Edward leaves. There is also a voiceover from Bella, which makes us believe that Edward has left her and she has no one else to turn to. The arrangement and editing of the shots reveal the outline of the plot without giving too much of the film away. The editing also creates suspense and puts the audience on the edge of their seats. The final shots of the trailer appear to be where the story comes together, but it is unclear whether good or evil succeed. The music also builds up at the end to create a tense atmosphere.
Trailers consist of a series of selected shots from the advertised film. The main purpose of a trailer is to attract an audience to the film, for this reason, the shots that are used are likely to be more the most exciting or poignant parts of the film. However, the clever editing will mean that there are no spoilers in the trailer so that there is still reason to watch the full film. The shots that are shown are not necessarily in chronological order in order to keep the audience guessing, and also to make the film more interesting if they watch it. In most cinemas, the time limit for a trailer is two and a half minutes. Each studio/distributor is allowed to go over this time limit once a year, if they feel it necessary for a particular film.
Most trailers have a three act structure similar to a feature length film. They start with a beginning that lays out the basis of the story. The middle drives the story further and usually ends with a dramatic climax. The final part of the trailer features a strong piece of signature music. The final part often consists of a visual montage of powerful and emotional moments of the film and may also contain images of the cast if there are A –List stars that could help sell the film.
For some trailers, ‘special shoot’ footage may be used, which is material that has only been created for promotional purposes, and doesn’t actually appear in the film. One of the most famous examples of this is the 1960 trailer for Psycho, which featured director Alfred Hitchcock giving the audience a guided tour of Bates Motel after the events of the film, finally arriving at the infamous shower. At this point, Hitchcock throws the shower curtain back to reveal Janet Leigh with the equally infamous scream.
Voice over narration may be used briefly to set up the premise of the film and provide necessary explanation e.g. Star Wars. Music helps sets the tone and mood of a trailer. Usually the music in a trailer is not from the film itself. Although it is necessary in a trailer, the music could be, for example, a popular song that people can recognise and remember, or a piece of specially composed music.
There are 3 main songs used in the trailer for Fame. The first song is a remix of Irene Cara’s version of Fame, performed by Naturi Naughton, who also stars in the film. The version of the song in the trailer is more up to date that the original, but still has all the same lyrics. This suggests that the same will happen with the film – Even though the style has changed, it will stay true to the original. The song then fades into Black and Gold by Sam Sparro. This song explores religion/reality and our own existence/purpose, which, in some respect the characters in the film experience. The final song in the films trailer is Hold Your Dream performed by the cast of the film (led by Naturi Naughton). It is performed at the end of the film, and gives the a clear message from the film/story.
One of the most famous Hollywood trailer composers is John Beal who, in the course of a 30 year career, created original music for over 2,000 film trailers, including 40 of the top-grossing films of all time, such as Titanic, Ghost and Forrest Gump.
A perfect example of a film trailer being popular on the internet is the trailer for The Twilight Saga: New Moon, which is to be released on the 20th November 2009. It has already had around 20 million views on youtube.com. Also, when the trailer was released in cinemas on August 12th 2009 before showings of Bandslam, a lot of Twilight fans went to the film just for the trailer and then left the cinemas.
The first trailer for New Moon that was shown before Bandslam is 1 minute 48 seconds. The opening shot is an aerial shot over a stretch over water – this could be considered as an establishing shot showing where the film will be set. It also gives the impression of surveillance and authority. The first shot of any characters is a two shot of Edward and Bella (Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart), the two main characters in the series. They are in the centre of the shot together, indicating that the plot of the film will revolve around their relationship. In the next few shots, parts of Bella’s birthday celebration are shown. Also, if people are not aware of what the main plotline of the Twilight series is, there are various hints within the trailer e.g. Bella saying “You guys don’t even eat”, and Edwards ‘brother’ Jasper running towards Bella when she gets a paper cut and her blood is spilt. At the beginning of the trailer, Bella and Edward are shown mainly in two shots emphasising their close relationship. However, when Edward reveals he is leaving, they are shown in separate shots to reflect them breaking up. Bella is left alone to defend herself. At the end of the trailer, there is part of another big action sequence from the film shown. As Bella runs toward her friend, Jacob, she tells him to run away. Instead, to defend her, he leaps into the air, and in doing so, transforms into a werewolf. This suggests that in the film, the audience will learn more about his character than we did in the first one. Also, he is the last character shown on screen before the release date. This indicates that he will be and enigmatic character who is crucial to the plot of the film.
The next trailer has more of a plot to it than the first one and introduces a new set of characters – The Volturi. For this reason, among others, the trailer is longer than the first one (2 minutes 28 seconds). It is a longer trailer because the first one was intended to create a buzz about the film, and this one is designed to show more of what is going to happen. This also means that there will be more footage of the action sequences. As the first one was released earlier in the year, they didn’t want to give too much away, but as the release date of the film is next month, they want to make sure the trailer is fresh in people’s minds. The voiceover by Edward provides some explanation for what is happening on screen. There is a clear indication to people who are not aware of the film series of the major theme in the plot when Bella comments “vampires have rules?” There are some similar shots from the first trailer. The character of Jacob is also a lot more present in this trailer and is close to Bella when Edward leaves. There is also a voiceover from Bella, which makes us believe that Edward has left her and she has no one else to turn to. The arrangement and editing of the shots reveal the outline of the plot without giving too much of the film away. The editing also creates suspense and puts the audience on the edge of their seats. The final shots of the trailer appear to be where the story comes together, but it is unclear whether good or evil succeed. The music also builds up at the end to create a tense atmosphere.
Trailers consist of a series of selected shots from the advertised film. The main purpose of a trailer is to attract an audience to the film, for this reason, the shots that are used are likely to be more the most exciting or poignant parts of the film. However, the clever editing will mean that there are no spoilers in the trailer so that there is still reason to watch the full film. The shots that are shown are not necessarily in chronological order in order to keep the audience guessing, and also to make the film more interesting if they watch it. In most cinemas, the time limit for a trailer is two and a half minutes. Each studio/distributor is allowed to go over this time limit once a year, if they feel it necessary for a particular film.
Most trailers have a three act structure similar to a feature length film. They start with a beginning that lays out the basis of the story. The middle drives the story further and usually ends with a dramatic climax. The final part of the trailer features a strong piece of signature music. The final part often consists of a visual montage of powerful and emotional moments of the film and may also contain images of the cast if there are A –List stars that could help sell the film.
For some trailers, ‘special shoot’ footage may be used, which is material that has only been created for promotional purposes, and doesn’t actually appear in the film. One of the most famous examples of this is the 1960 trailer for Psycho, which featured director Alfred Hitchcock giving the audience a guided tour of Bates Motel after the events of the film, finally arriving at the infamous shower. At this point, Hitchcock throws the shower curtain back to reveal Janet Leigh with the equally infamous scream.
Voice over narration may be used briefly to set up the premise of the film and provide necessary explanation e.g. Star Wars. Music helps sets the tone and mood of a trailer. Usually the music in a trailer is not from the film itself. Although it is necessary in a trailer, the music could be, for example, a popular song that people can recognise and remember, or a piece of specially composed music.
There are 3 main songs used in the trailer for Fame. The first song is a remix of Irene Cara’s version of Fame, performed by Naturi Naughton, who also stars in the film. The version of the song in the trailer is more up to date that the original, but still has all the same lyrics. This suggests that the same will happen with the film – Even though the style has changed, it will stay true to the original. The song then fades into Black and Gold by Sam Sparro. This song explores religion/reality and our own existence/purpose, which, in some respect the characters in the film experience. The final song in the films trailer is Hold Your Dream performed by the cast of the film (led by Naturi Naughton). It is performed at the end of the film, and gives the a clear message from the film/story.
One of the most famous Hollywood trailer composers is John Beal who, in the course of a 30 year career, created original music for over 2,000 film trailers, including 40 of the top-grossing films of all time, such as Titanic, Ghost and Forrest Gump.
Tuesday, 22 September 2009
Analysis of Music Videos
Michael Jackson: Thriller (1983)
Michael Jackson’s 1983 video Thriller is one of the most recognisable music videos made. It is a 14 minute video for the song of the same name. The video was directed by John Landis, who also directed An American Werewolf in London and another music video for Michael Jackson – Black or White. It was the most expensive video of its time costing US $500,000. In 2006, Guinness World records listed it as one of the most successful music videos of all time, selling over 9 million units.
Often credited as the greatest music video of all time, Thriller proved to have a profound effect on popular culture, and was named “a watershed moment for the music industry” for its unique merging of filmmaking and music.
With regards to codes and conventions, Thriller was less of a typical music video and more like a short film because of the length of the full version. It is a horror film homage featuring choreographed zombies performing with Michael Jackson. During the video, Jackson transforms into both a werewolf and a zombie, as well as performing the climatic dance sequence.
The video was also iconic because at the time, MTV didn’t really air black musicians. However, when Thriller aired, Michael Jackson became the first African American to be on MTV.
Another reason the video will appeal to horror film fans is the voiceover from Vincent Price, who has been in horror films such as the original House of Wax.
At the beginning of the video, it is evident from the clothing worn that it is the 1950’s. Jackson and his date, in typical horror film tradition, run out of petrol in the middle of the woods at night. They walk off into the forest and start talking. Whilst talking, Jackson and his date are shown in separate shots, isolating them from each other on the screen, as oppose to a two shot, which would show them united as a couple. This changes when he proposes to her and they are closer to each other. However, as he reveals his secret to her, they become separated once again. The close ups of her face reveal her shock as he transforms into a werewolf. The close-ups also show Jackson changing into the werewolf in more detail, for example, his ears and hands.
The scene cuts away to a modern day cinema where Michael and his date are watching the scene unfold in a film called Thriller starring Vincent Price. When the couple leave the cinema is the first time that the music starts to play. As the couple are walking home along a foggy street, he teases her with the opening verses of the song. He dances around her as she strolls along, at certain points, he imitates a zombie chasing her. They pass a graveyard, where corpses begin to rise from their graves. It is at this point that Vincent Price performs part of his voiceover as if he is one of the zombies. Michael and his date find themselves surrounded by zombies, with point of view shots and close ups showing their terror. All of a sudden, the camera pans around to the girls point of view, and Michael has turned into a zombie himself. They then perform the famous dance sequence together. All of the other zombies are behind Michael and he is wearing significantly brighter colours, which makes him stand out more. This is followed by the chorus, by which time Michael has changed back to human form.
The girl is chased by the zombies, which now include Michael, to an abandoned house. As the zombies approach, we see the girl’s eyes in an extreme close up to portray how scared she is. The camera then cuts to her point of view as Michael and the rest of the zombies approach. As he reaches for her throat, she screams, when the camera cuts back to Michael, we realise at the same time as the girl does, that it was just a dream. As they leave the room, Michael is the centre of the shot and turns around to reveal his werewolf-like eyes, accompanied by the haunting laugh of Vincent Price. The camera zooms into his eyes as the credits appear
Duffy: Mercy (2008)
The official music video for Mercy, directed by Daniel Wolfe, features Duffy standing in top of a platform performing the song. Choreographed by Natricia Bernard, the dancing involves elaborate moves, as well as the use of fire. The video opens with a close up of someone’s feet as they are dancing. At this point, it becomes clear that the song is going to be upbeat and catchy rather than a ballad. Duffy is shown in the centre of the room on a raised platform with the light shining on her, suggesting that she is the dominant figure in the video. There is a low angle shot of her that reinforces this. However, the lyrics of the song imply that “I’m under your spell; you got me begging you for mercy”. It appears that she can’t help but be mesmerised by their dancing. The lighting in the video is effective as she is shown as innocent in the light, and the male dancers are more mysterious in the darker areas of the room. There are various close ups of Duffy in the video to give her identity to the audience, also, when the camera is on her, there are slow tracking shots and zooms, giving us more chance to connect with her. However, when the men are shown, we don’t really see their faces, and the quick cuts don’t give the audience enough time to connect with them. The closest shots of the dancers are on their feet, showing that their feet are their ‘weapon’. The dancers are moving their feet in time with the music, and during the video, their feet catch fire. The element of fire makes the dancing seem more elaborate. Fire has connotations of the devil/evil, which could indicate that the dancers in the video are dark characters, compared to Duffy, who is made to look innocent. The last shots of the video are very similar to the first shots, which could show that the dancers are still ultimately in control of the situation.
When asked of the lyrical meaning of the song, Duffy said:
"The lyrics were about having a feeling towards someone, whether it’s a romantic feeling or just some chemistry that you don’t want, and you desperately want to be released from that feeling."
Destiny's Child: Girl (2005)
The music video for Girl by Destiny’s Child is a very clever narrative video. There are obvious references in the video to Sex and the City – a lot of the video is a direct copy of the introduction to the TV show. The video is split into two different worlds, the first being Destiny’s Child in Beyoncé’s apartment, and the same trio on a fictional TV show styled exactly the same as Sex and the City. The audience are able to distinguish between the two different worlds from the clothes that the characters are wearing and also the shots/editing. For the characters at home, the girls are dressed casually in jeans and t-shirts, whereas in the TV version of themselves, they could be considered to be power dressing and very stylish. Also, the shots for the opening of the TV shots look exactly like they do on the actual TV Show and are a lot more edited than the shots when the girls are just chilling out at home.
The video begins with Beyoncé, Michelle, and Kelly in Beyoncé's apartment and settling down with snacks and wine as they watch a fictional TV show. There is a medium shot to shot all of the girls on the sofa together as a unit. After the mock credits, Beyoncé and Michelle meet Kelly for lunch. Throughout the video, the women at home respond to the events of the program through gestures and actions, while, on the television, the dialogue of the song matches the conversation of the women in the restaurant. The reaction of all 3 of the girls is exactly the same each time, indicating that they are on the same wavelength as each other and understand one another. Throughout most of the video, all 3 of the girls will be in the same shot (unless in different scenarios) to show their bond with each other.
Beyoncé confronts Kelly about her sad demeanor and suspected boyfriend problems, but Kelly feigns shock and insists that nothing is wrong. Neither Michelle nor Beyoncé are convinced. The video intercuts between two different scenes and the viewers can see that, on one occasion, her boyfriend took hours to come home without explanation and, when he finally arrived, a hurt Kelly threw his food away before running upstairs to cry. Kelly admits to some problems, while making excuses for her boyfriend, such as his busy schedule and her own moodiness. Beyoncé, however, rolls her eyes at the thin excuses, and assures Kelly that she and Michelle love her and she need not suffer alone. At this, Kelly begins to cry and laugh at the same time. Michelle goes on to tell her of the day she confronted Kelly's boyfriend when she saw him browsing through jewellery with another woman.
Later on, Kelly can seen be seen looking cold and angry as her boyfriend comes home. He arrives apologetic, but Kelly perks up, dangling a pair of furry handcuffs. He smiles and begins to follow her upstairs. In the immediately following scene, he is naked except for a pair of boxers and handcuffed to the balcony. With her bags packed and the handcuff key in hand, she leaves—laughing happily. The girls are finally seen walking down the city street, holding hands, as an image of them passes by on a city bus.
Michael Jackson’s 1983 video Thriller is one of the most recognisable music videos made. It is a 14 minute video for the song of the same name. The video was directed by John Landis, who also directed An American Werewolf in London and another music video for Michael Jackson – Black or White. It was the most expensive video of its time costing US $500,000. In 2006, Guinness World records listed it as one of the most successful music videos of all time, selling over 9 million units.
Often credited as the greatest music video of all time, Thriller proved to have a profound effect on popular culture, and was named “a watershed moment for the music industry” for its unique merging of filmmaking and music.
With regards to codes and conventions, Thriller was less of a typical music video and more like a short film because of the length of the full version. It is a horror film homage featuring choreographed zombies performing with Michael Jackson. During the video, Jackson transforms into both a werewolf and a zombie, as well as performing the climatic dance sequence.
The video was also iconic because at the time, MTV didn’t really air black musicians. However, when Thriller aired, Michael Jackson became the first African American to be on MTV.
Another reason the video will appeal to horror film fans is the voiceover from Vincent Price, who has been in horror films such as the original House of Wax.
At the beginning of the video, it is evident from the clothing worn that it is the 1950’s. Jackson and his date, in typical horror film tradition, run out of petrol in the middle of the woods at night. They walk off into the forest and start talking. Whilst talking, Jackson and his date are shown in separate shots, isolating them from each other on the screen, as oppose to a two shot, which would show them united as a couple. This changes when he proposes to her and they are closer to each other. However, as he reveals his secret to her, they become separated once again. The close ups of her face reveal her shock as he transforms into a werewolf. The close-ups also show Jackson changing into the werewolf in more detail, for example, his ears and hands.
The scene cuts away to a modern day cinema where Michael and his date are watching the scene unfold in a film called Thriller starring Vincent Price. When the couple leave the cinema is the first time that the music starts to play. As the couple are walking home along a foggy street, he teases her with the opening verses of the song. He dances around her as she strolls along, at certain points, he imitates a zombie chasing her. They pass a graveyard, where corpses begin to rise from their graves. It is at this point that Vincent Price performs part of his voiceover as if he is one of the zombies. Michael and his date find themselves surrounded by zombies, with point of view shots and close ups showing their terror. All of a sudden, the camera pans around to the girls point of view, and Michael has turned into a zombie himself. They then perform the famous dance sequence together. All of the other zombies are behind Michael and he is wearing significantly brighter colours, which makes him stand out more. This is followed by the chorus, by which time Michael has changed back to human form.
The girl is chased by the zombies, which now include Michael, to an abandoned house. As the zombies approach, we see the girl’s eyes in an extreme close up to portray how scared she is. The camera then cuts to her point of view as Michael and the rest of the zombies approach. As he reaches for her throat, she screams, when the camera cuts back to Michael, we realise at the same time as the girl does, that it was just a dream. As they leave the room, Michael is the centre of the shot and turns around to reveal his werewolf-like eyes, accompanied by the haunting laugh of Vincent Price. The camera zooms into his eyes as the credits appear
Duffy: Mercy (2008)
The official music video for Mercy, directed by Daniel Wolfe, features Duffy standing in top of a platform performing the song. Choreographed by Natricia Bernard, the dancing involves elaborate moves, as well as the use of fire. The video opens with a close up of someone’s feet as they are dancing. At this point, it becomes clear that the song is going to be upbeat and catchy rather than a ballad. Duffy is shown in the centre of the room on a raised platform with the light shining on her, suggesting that she is the dominant figure in the video. There is a low angle shot of her that reinforces this. However, the lyrics of the song imply that “I’m under your spell; you got me begging you for mercy”. It appears that she can’t help but be mesmerised by their dancing. The lighting in the video is effective as she is shown as innocent in the light, and the male dancers are more mysterious in the darker areas of the room. There are various close ups of Duffy in the video to give her identity to the audience, also, when the camera is on her, there are slow tracking shots and zooms, giving us more chance to connect with her. However, when the men are shown, we don’t really see their faces, and the quick cuts don’t give the audience enough time to connect with them. The closest shots of the dancers are on their feet, showing that their feet are their ‘weapon’. The dancers are moving their feet in time with the music, and during the video, their feet catch fire. The element of fire makes the dancing seem more elaborate. Fire has connotations of the devil/evil, which could indicate that the dancers in the video are dark characters, compared to Duffy, who is made to look innocent. The last shots of the video are very similar to the first shots, which could show that the dancers are still ultimately in control of the situation.
When asked of the lyrical meaning of the song, Duffy said:
"The lyrics were about having a feeling towards someone, whether it’s a romantic feeling or just some chemistry that you don’t want, and you desperately want to be released from that feeling."
Destiny's Child: Girl (2005)
The music video for Girl by Destiny’s Child is a very clever narrative video. There are obvious references in the video to Sex and the City – a lot of the video is a direct copy of the introduction to the TV show. The video is split into two different worlds, the first being Destiny’s Child in Beyoncé’s apartment, and the same trio on a fictional TV show styled exactly the same as Sex and the City. The audience are able to distinguish between the two different worlds from the clothes that the characters are wearing and also the shots/editing. For the characters at home, the girls are dressed casually in jeans and t-shirts, whereas in the TV version of themselves, they could be considered to be power dressing and very stylish. Also, the shots for the opening of the TV shots look exactly like they do on the actual TV Show and are a lot more edited than the shots when the girls are just chilling out at home.
The video begins with Beyoncé, Michelle, and Kelly in Beyoncé's apartment and settling down with snacks and wine as they watch a fictional TV show. There is a medium shot to shot all of the girls on the sofa together as a unit. After the mock credits, Beyoncé and Michelle meet Kelly for lunch. Throughout the video, the women at home respond to the events of the program through gestures and actions, while, on the television, the dialogue of the song matches the conversation of the women in the restaurant. The reaction of all 3 of the girls is exactly the same each time, indicating that they are on the same wavelength as each other and understand one another. Throughout most of the video, all 3 of the girls will be in the same shot (unless in different scenarios) to show their bond with each other.
Beyoncé confronts Kelly about her sad demeanor and suspected boyfriend problems, but Kelly feigns shock and insists that nothing is wrong. Neither Michelle nor Beyoncé are convinced. The video intercuts between two different scenes and the viewers can see that, on one occasion, her boyfriend took hours to come home without explanation and, when he finally arrived, a hurt Kelly threw his food away before running upstairs to cry. Kelly admits to some problems, while making excuses for her boyfriend, such as his busy schedule and her own moodiness. Beyoncé, however, rolls her eyes at the thin excuses, and assures Kelly that she and Michelle love her and she need not suffer alone. At this, Kelly begins to cry and laugh at the same time. Michelle goes on to tell her of the day she confronted Kelly's boyfriend when she saw him browsing through jewellery with another woman.
Later on, Kelly can seen be seen looking cold and angry as her boyfriend comes home. He arrives apologetic, but Kelly perks up, dangling a pair of furry handcuffs. He smiles and begins to follow her upstairs. In the immediately following scene, he is naked except for a pair of boxers and handcuffed to the balcony. With her bags packed and the handcuff key in hand, she leaves—laughing happily. The girls are finally seen walking down the city street, holding hands, as an image of them passes by on a city bus.
Codes and Conventions of Music Videos
There are 3 main types of music video, each one of which will have their own typical codes and conventions. It can be broken down even further by suggesting that each genre of music will also have their specific codes and conventions.
The 3 types of music video that I will be looking at are:
-Performance
-Narrative
-Abstract
Music videos employ a wide range of film making techniques including animation and live action filming. It is not uncommon to see more than one of the techniques blending together to give a more unique edge to the video.
It is also possible to see two types of music video mixed together in one e.g. performance and narrative. However, there will be slightly more emphasis on one of the styles.
Performance
In a performance music video, the focus is based primarily on the singer (and band, if applicable) performing the song. There isn’t really much of a story behind the video, as the audience will be concentrating on the performance. It is also common in these types of videos for the performer to look into the camera and perform to the audience.
This style of music video has been used recently by Beyoncé. She is well known for her dancing ability, and has used performance music videos to showcase this to a wider audience. The Kings of Leon use performance music videos whilst incorporating some use of the narrative style.
In the video, which is choreographed by Frank Gatson and JaQuel Knight, Beyoncé performs as her alter ego Sasha Fierce. It shows her in an asymmetrical leotard and high heels, along with two look-alike back up dancers. The video features Beyoncé dancing against a plain background which alternates between black and white, thus placing focus on the complex choreography. The camera angles and lighting make the video more visually stimulating. The routine incorporates various styles including jazz, tap, hip hop etc. Towards the end of the video, Beyoncé flashes her $5 million wedding ring, which connects with the song lyrics “If you liked it, then you should have put a ring on it, don’t be mad once you see that he want it”. It is as if she is not only empowering women, but she is also sending a message to men as well, saying that they shouldn’t be jealous. This video is the perfect example to illustrate the effect that a music video can have worldwide.
The video for Sweet Dream is similar in some ways to Single Ladies in the way that Beyoncé is dancing with the 2 back up dancers. It is, however, different in the sense that their are more dimensions to the video than Single Ladies. There are different settings for the video that connect to the lyrics of the songs i.e. dreams/nightmares can take place anywhere at anytime. Also, at the very beginning of the video, the audience see Beyoncé tossing and turning in bed. The montage of clips that follow make us think that the music video is the dream that she is having. This allows for some slightly more abstract elements to the video.
The 3 types of music video that I will be looking at are:
-Performance
-Narrative
-Abstract
Music videos employ a wide range of film making techniques including animation and live action filming. It is not uncommon to see more than one of the techniques blending together to give a more unique edge to the video.
It is also possible to see two types of music video mixed together in one e.g. performance and narrative. However, there will be slightly more emphasis on one of the styles.
Performance
In a performance music video, the focus is based primarily on the singer (and band, if applicable) performing the song. There isn’t really much of a story behind the video, as the audience will be concentrating on the performance. It is also common in these types of videos for the performer to look into the camera and perform to the audience.
This style of music video has been used recently by Beyoncé. She is well known for her dancing ability, and has used performance music videos to showcase this to a wider audience. The Kings of Leon use performance music videos whilst incorporating some use of the narrative style.
In the video, which is choreographed by Frank Gatson and JaQuel Knight, Beyoncé performs as her alter ego Sasha Fierce. It shows her in an asymmetrical leotard and high heels, along with two look-alike back up dancers. The video features Beyoncé dancing against a plain background which alternates between black and white, thus placing focus on the complex choreography. The camera angles and lighting make the video more visually stimulating. The routine incorporates various styles including jazz, tap, hip hop etc. Towards the end of the video, Beyoncé flashes her $5 million wedding ring, which connects with the song lyrics “If you liked it, then you should have put a ring on it, don’t be mad once you see that he want it”. It is as if she is not only empowering women, but she is also sending a message to men as well, saying that they shouldn’t be jealous. This video is the perfect example to illustrate the effect that a music video can have worldwide.
The video for Sweet Dream is similar in some ways to Single Ladies in the way that Beyoncé is dancing with the 2 back up dancers. It is, however, different in the sense that their are more dimensions to the video than Single Ladies. There are different settings for the video that connect to the lyrics of the songs i.e. dreams/nightmares can take place anywhere at anytime. Also, at the very beginning of the video, the audience see Beyoncé tossing and turning in bed. The montage of clips that follow make us think that the music video is the dream that she is having. This allows for some slightly more abstract elements to the video.
The Kings of Leon video for Sex on Fire is a mixture of performance and narrative styles. It is almost like they are performing the song whilst having flashbacks, which provides the narrative aspect of the video. This could be perceived from the point of view shots used in the video, also the match on actions between the performance and narrative sections (56 seconds into the video above).
Narrative
A narrative music video will see the story of the song played out through the film. The ‘acting’ in these music videos is usually done by the musicians, although in some cases the video cuts away from the band to actors who act out a drama inspired by the lyrics. This is usually the case with songs used as soundtracks from films. In some cases outtakes or re-shot sequences from these films are used to create a narrative link to the filmed musicians.
There are lots of current artists that use narrative music videos as their songs are usually intended to tell a story, so the video gives them a chance to let the audience visualise the song.
Taylor Swift’s music video for You Belong with Me won the 2009 MTV VMA for Best Female Video. It is clearly a narrative music video, and there is no question what the story behind the video is. Even though the lyrics of the song assist in the telling of the story, if there was no music playing, it would still be an easily understandable narrative. It is a typical and recognisable scenario – the boy and the girl are friends, but neither of them knows how the other one really feels. The story is almost the basis for a romantic comedy film. In the video, there is a clear beginning, middle and end – she is singing as if she is narrating everything as it is happening.
The music video for I Will Always Love You begins with the performance of the song Whitney Houston gives at the end of The Bodyguard. The video then cuts to her sitting in an empty theatre, with the spotlight on her, singing the song. The video is intercut with scenes from The Bodyguard and gives the audience the chance to relive the moments with her, as she does also. At one point in the video (1 minute 7 seconds), she is sitting in the theatre and the image of Kevin Costner from the film is edited onto the screen so it appears that she is singing to him. This also occurs with some of the other scenes in the film and it looks like she is singing about them as she remembers them, in the sense that the lyrics fit with what she – and the audience are witnessing.
Abstract
Abstract music videos are less likely to include the performer as they are more random than the other two styles. Even though they may follow the story/lyrics of the song, it is more subtle than the narrative form of music video. It is not very common to find a music video that is 100% abstract, they are more likely to be a mixture with another style. A popular way of presenting abstract music is through animation.
The video for Don’t Give Hate a Chance is Jamiroquai’s first ever computer animated video. The title of the song is a reference to Give Peace a Chance by John Lennon.
The opening titles to films from the James Bond franchise are arguably music videos in their own right, even though they are not classed as official music videos. Nearly all of the openings could be classed as perfect examples of abstract music videos. The openings all give hints as to what will happen in the film. For the opening of Casino Royale, the primary focus centres on playing cards and the different suits of cards. The song lyrics go with the theme of the film. Casino Royale was a reboot of the franchise establishing a new timeline. However, everyone is still aware of the character, and the film is going back to the beginning (007 status confirmed). Something that appears in every Bond film, without fail, is a gun. They are used in both of the videos below as they are apparent in all the films. In the video for Tomorrow Never Dies, the audience are once again given an insight as to what will happen in the film. Technology appears to be the main theme in the opening of the film. Another object that is clear in the opening is the Rolex watch which is famously worn by James Bond. The figures in the video appear to look like robots underneath, but are shown as women on the outside. This implies that there will be a woman in the film who is two-faced and not as she appears.
History of Music Videos
A music video is a short film that accompanies a song or piece of music. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote and increase the sales of records.
People have been viewing different embodiments of music videos ever since the 1940’s, with the invention of the Panoram. The Panoram was a visual jukebox that would play films synced with music when money was inserted. The artists most associated with the Panoram include Duke Ellington, Count Basie and Cab Calloway, who are notable for their jazz music. The music videos made for the Panoram were one-song films called Promotional Clips. These were popular at social gatherings, but their popularity faded during World War II.
In the late 1950s, the Scopitone, a visual jukebox, was invented in France and short films were produced by many French artists, such as Serge Gainsbourg, Françoise Hardy and Jacques Dutronc to accompany their songs. Its use spread to other countries and similar machines such as the Cinebox in Italy and Color-Sonic in the USA were developed.
One of the earliest performance clips in 1960s pop was the promo film made by The Animals for their breakthrough 1964 hit House Of the Rising Sun.
This high-quality colour clip was filmed in a studio on a specially-built set, it features the group in a lip-synched performance, depicted through an edited sequence of tracking shots, close ups and long shots, as singer Eric Burdon, guitarist Hilton Valentine and bassist Chas Chandler walked around the set in a series of choreographed moves.
In 1964, The Beatles cemented their newfound international fame by starring in their first feature film A Hard Day's Night, directed by Richard Lester. The musical sequences provided the basic templates on which countless subsequent promo clips and music videos were modelled and it has exerted a huge influence on the style and visual vocabulary of the genre.
Film critic Roger Ebert credits Lester with constructing "a new grammar":
" ... he influenced many other films. Today when we watch TV and see quick cutting, hand-held cameras, interviews conducted on the run with moving targets, quickly intercut snatches of dialogue, music under documentary action and all the other trademarks of the modern style, we are looking at the children of A Hard Day's Night".
In 1965, The Beatles began making promotional clips, known as filmed inserts, for distribution and broadcast in other countries—primarily the USA—so they could promote their record releases without having to make personal appearances.
The colour promotional clips for Strawberry Fields Forever and Penny Lane, made in early 1967 and directed by Peter Goldman took the promotional film format to a new level.
They used techniques borrowed from underground and avant garde film, including reversed film and slow motion, dramatic lighting, unusual camera angles and color filtering added in post-production. Reflecting the fact that these studio masterpieces were impossible for the group to perform live, their psychedelic mini-films illustrated the songs in an artful, impressionistic manner rather than trying to simulate an idealized performance or depict a narrative or plot.
The monochrome 1966 clip for Bob Dylan's Subterranean Homesick Blues filmed by D. A. Pennebaker, which featured in Pennebaker's Dylan film documentary Don't Look Back.
Deliberately avoiding any attempt to simulate performance or present a narrative, the clip shows Dylan standing in a city back alley, silently shuffling a series of large cue cards (bearing key words from the song's lyrics) in time to the music, while his friends converse in the background. The cue-card device has been imitated in numerous other music videos.
Although the origins of music videos and their style go back much further, they came into their own in the 80’s, when MTV was launched- dedicating an entire channel’s programming to music videos. In 1981, Video Killed the Radio Star by The Buggles, became the first music video broadcast on MTV.
It could be argued that artists owe their careers to music videos, as it gives them more chance to showcase their talent to the public and critics. Thirty or so years ago, music video was less important than it is nowadays, because of the importance that MTV gave them.MTV has been highly controversial, some saw it as the beginning of a fresh era in music, others considered it to mark the end of true musical talent, as artists have been become more appreciated for their looks instead of their vocal abilities. Music videos are as important as the song itself, and are becoming a distinctive form of art in their own right.
Musical films were another important precursor to music video, and several well-known music videos have imitated the style of classic Hollywood musicals from the 1930s to the 1950s. One of the best-known examples is Madonna's 1985 video for Material Girl which was closely modelled on Jack Cole's staging of Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend from the film Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.
Several of Michael Jackson's videos show the unmistakable influence of the dance sequences in classic Hollywood musicals, including the landmark John Landis clip for Thriller, which was, at the time, the most expensive music video ever made, and the Martin Scorsese-directed Bad which was influenced by the stylised dance "fights" in the film version of West Side Story.
In December 1992, MTV began listing directors with the artist and song credits, reflecting the fact that music videos had increasingly become an auteur's medium. Directors such as Michel Gondry, Spike Jonze and Chris Cunningham all got their start around this time; all brought a unique vision and style to the videos they directed. Some of these directors, including, Gondry and Jonze, went on to direct feature films. This continued a trend that had begun earlier with directors such as David Fincher.
As the concept and medium of a music video is a form of artistic expression, artists have been on many occasions censored if their content is deemed offensive. What may be considered offensive will differ in countries due to censorship laws and local customs and ethics. In most cases, the record label will provide and distribute videos edited or provide both censored and uncensored videos for an artist. In some cases, it has been known for music videos to be banned in their entirety as they have been deemed far too offensive to be broadcast. Madonna is the artist most associated with music video censorship. The controversy surrounding her marketing of sexuality began with the video for Lucky Star, and amplified over time due to clips such as Like a Virgin. Outcry occurred over the subject matter discussed in Papa Don't Preach. Like a Prayer courted heavy criticism due to its religious, sexual, and racially-oriented imagery.
In 1990, Madonna's music video for the song Justify My Love was banned by MTV due to its depiction of sadomasochism, homosexuality, cross-dressing, and group sex which generated a media firestorm. Madonna's video for Erotica was aired only three times (each time after midnight) due to its sexual depictions of sadomasochism. More recently, Madonna's What It Feels Like for a Girl was banned in 2001 due to its graphic depiction of violence. She also pulled her American Life video because of its controversial military imagery that seemed inappropriate once the War in Iraq began, subsequently, a new video was made for the song. Some artists have used censorship as a publicity tool. In the 1980s, the show Top of the Pops was censorious in its approach to video content, so some acts made videos that they knew would be censored, using the resulting public controversy to promote their release. Examples of this tactic were Duran Duran's Girls on Film and Frankie Goes to Hollywood with Relax.
2005 saw the release of the website YouTube, which made the viewing of music videos online much easier and faster. The internet and websites such as YouTube gives lesser known artists and bands to showcase their music. The internet and such websites are an indicator of further developments for music videos and how they are made and presented in the future.
People have been viewing different embodiments of music videos ever since the 1940’s, with the invention of the Panoram. The Panoram was a visual jukebox that would play films synced with music when money was inserted. The artists most associated with the Panoram include Duke Ellington, Count Basie and Cab Calloway, who are notable for their jazz music. The music videos made for the Panoram were one-song films called Promotional Clips. These were popular at social gatherings, but their popularity faded during World War II.
In the late 1950s, the Scopitone, a visual jukebox, was invented in France and short films were produced by many French artists, such as Serge Gainsbourg, Françoise Hardy and Jacques Dutronc to accompany their songs. Its use spread to other countries and similar machines such as the Cinebox in Italy and Color-Sonic in the USA were developed.
One of the earliest performance clips in 1960s pop was the promo film made by The Animals for their breakthrough 1964 hit House Of the Rising Sun.
This high-quality colour clip was filmed in a studio on a specially-built set, it features the group in a lip-synched performance, depicted through an edited sequence of tracking shots, close ups and long shots, as singer Eric Burdon, guitarist Hilton Valentine and bassist Chas Chandler walked around the set in a series of choreographed moves.
In 1964, The Beatles cemented their newfound international fame by starring in their first feature film A Hard Day's Night, directed by Richard Lester. The musical sequences provided the basic templates on which countless subsequent promo clips and music videos were modelled and it has exerted a huge influence on the style and visual vocabulary of the genre.
Film critic Roger Ebert credits Lester with constructing "a new grammar":
" ... he influenced many other films. Today when we watch TV and see quick cutting, hand-held cameras, interviews conducted on the run with moving targets, quickly intercut snatches of dialogue, music under documentary action and all the other trademarks of the modern style, we are looking at the children of A Hard Day's Night".
In 1965, The Beatles began making promotional clips, known as filmed inserts, for distribution and broadcast in other countries—primarily the USA—so they could promote their record releases without having to make personal appearances.
The colour promotional clips for Strawberry Fields Forever and Penny Lane, made in early 1967 and directed by Peter Goldman took the promotional film format to a new level.
They used techniques borrowed from underground and avant garde film, including reversed film and slow motion, dramatic lighting, unusual camera angles and color filtering added in post-production. Reflecting the fact that these studio masterpieces were impossible for the group to perform live, their psychedelic mini-films illustrated the songs in an artful, impressionistic manner rather than trying to simulate an idealized performance or depict a narrative or plot.
The monochrome 1966 clip for Bob Dylan's Subterranean Homesick Blues filmed by D. A. Pennebaker, which featured in Pennebaker's Dylan film documentary Don't Look Back.
Deliberately avoiding any attempt to simulate performance or present a narrative, the clip shows Dylan standing in a city back alley, silently shuffling a series of large cue cards (bearing key words from the song's lyrics) in time to the music, while his friends converse in the background. The cue-card device has been imitated in numerous other music videos.
Although the origins of music videos and their style go back much further, they came into their own in the 80’s, when MTV was launched- dedicating an entire channel’s programming to music videos. In 1981, Video Killed the Radio Star by The Buggles, became the first music video broadcast on MTV.
It could be argued that artists owe their careers to music videos, as it gives them more chance to showcase their talent to the public and critics. Thirty or so years ago, music video was less important than it is nowadays, because of the importance that MTV gave them.MTV has been highly controversial, some saw it as the beginning of a fresh era in music, others considered it to mark the end of true musical talent, as artists have been become more appreciated for their looks instead of their vocal abilities. Music videos are as important as the song itself, and are becoming a distinctive form of art in their own right.
Musical films were another important precursor to music video, and several well-known music videos have imitated the style of classic Hollywood musicals from the 1930s to the 1950s. One of the best-known examples is Madonna's 1985 video for Material Girl which was closely modelled on Jack Cole's staging of Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend from the film Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.
Several of Michael Jackson's videos show the unmistakable influence of the dance sequences in classic Hollywood musicals, including the landmark John Landis clip for Thriller, which was, at the time, the most expensive music video ever made, and the Martin Scorsese-directed Bad which was influenced by the stylised dance "fights" in the film version of West Side Story.
In December 1992, MTV began listing directors with the artist and song credits, reflecting the fact that music videos had increasingly become an auteur's medium. Directors such as Michel Gondry, Spike Jonze and Chris Cunningham all got their start around this time; all brought a unique vision and style to the videos they directed. Some of these directors, including, Gondry and Jonze, went on to direct feature films. This continued a trend that had begun earlier with directors such as David Fincher.
As the concept and medium of a music video is a form of artistic expression, artists have been on many occasions censored if their content is deemed offensive. What may be considered offensive will differ in countries due to censorship laws and local customs and ethics. In most cases, the record label will provide and distribute videos edited or provide both censored and uncensored videos for an artist. In some cases, it has been known for music videos to be banned in their entirety as they have been deemed far too offensive to be broadcast. Madonna is the artist most associated with music video censorship. The controversy surrounding her marketing of sexuality began with the video for Lucky Star, and amplified over time due to clips such as Like a Virgin. Outcry occurred over the subject matter discussed in Papa Don't Preach. Like a Prayer courted heavy criticism due to its religious, sexual, and racially-oriented imagery.
In 1990, Madonna's music video for the song Justify My Love was banned by MTV due to its depiction of sadomasochism, homosexuality, cross-dressing, and group sex which generated a media firestorm. Madonna's video for Erotica was aired only three times (each time after midnight) due to its sexual depictions of sadomasochism. More recently, Madonna's What It Feels Like for a Girl was banned in 2001 due to its graphic depiction of violence. She also pulled her American Life video because of its controversial military imagery that seemed inappropriate once the War in Iraq began, subsequently, a new video was made for the song. Some artists have used censorship as a publicity tool. In the 1980s, the show Top of the Pops was censorious in its approach to video content, so some acts made videos that they knew would be censored, using the resulting public controversy to promote their release. Examples of this tactic were Duran Duran's Girls on Film and Frankie Goes to Hollywood with Relax.
2005 saw the release of the website YouTube, which made the viewing of music videos online much easier and faster. The internet and websites such as YouTube gives lesser known artists and bands to showcase their music. The internet and such websites are an indicator of further developments for music videos and how they are made and presented in the future.
Specification for Music Video
If I decide to do a music video for my final project, there will be a certain criteria that I will have to follow. The music video would have to be a maximum of 5 minutes long. As well as the music video, I will have to also complete an ancillary text. This will include two print artifacts:
-A cover for the music videos release
-A magazine advertisment for the music video
-A cover for the music videos release
-A magazine advertisment for the music video
Sunday, 13 September 2009
Introduction
This is my A2 Media Blog that I have set up in order to keep track of the work I will be completing leading up to and including the completion of my final project. This will include research into existing products, planning my final piece, and evaluating it. For my final project, I will have to create one of the following:
-A music video
-A film trailer
-A documentary extract
-A short film (5 minutes)
-A music video
-A film trailer
-A documentary extract
-A short film (5 minutes)
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