We have decided to create a music video for the song, Adorn by Miguel. We have chosen this song for multiple reasons. Firstly, we feel that this is a prime example of the male R&B genre without it including rap within the song. This will allow us to use conventions of the R&B genre within the video and it will turn turn out realistic and successful. Secondly, it is done by a male figure which allow us to interpret more views from both sexes which can often make a video more approachable to the real world if it was to be chosen. Thirdly, the song includes an older, new jack swing sound which allow us to more away from it being a typical R&B vulgar video to it being classy and looking a lot more naturally effective. Fourthly, the artist allows us to use his star power to bring a swerve and sophistication to our main character and the back up dancers.
Finally, the song allows us to include both performance and narrative and the performance within narrative, often seen in the R&B genre. This would allow our video to fit in with other videos around today successfully. the bet of the song would allow us to create close up of moving object even though there wont be a band present.
We decided to create a poster, displaying the lyrics, the analysis and what the artist wanted it to portray and the way we would portray it in our music video.
In order to make our music video process more professional we had to create and present a teacher for our teacher on our song choice and music video ideas.
During our pitch we decided to made a mood board on our school board.
For our music video we have to consider music channels that we would want put video to be promoted and broadcast on. As our song as R&B we would have to take that into consideration and broadcast the video on the niche as well as the main channel which would allow the video to reach people who just listen to this particular genre but the mass audience who listen to multiple genres.
Black Entertainment Television, better known as BET is a cable TV channel that has been broadcast since January 25 in 1980. It was the first TV channel which was target especially to the black (African American) community. It was first founded by Robert L Johnson but was sold to Viacom in 2003. This made the channel the first black owned enterprise on the stock market.
It was originally shown as a two hour block in channel, Nickelodeon but due to high demand they made a separate channel.
I have decided that our video would be shown on their flagship programme, 106&Park. 106&Park is a music countdown show on BET which allow their viewers to get a daily incite to their most popular shows. It also give a direct promotion to up and coming artist who are black or who sing in the R&B, rap or blues genre. They also include a walk of fame, where an artist who have been continuously popular and their songs have been on their chart that they transfer them to the hall of fame. consequently, they have given to permanent titles of Mr and Mrs 106& Park to Bow Wow and the late Aaliyah.
Their website displays their Icon in the middle while they have separated the different ares that the site promote.
They have also incorporated the Breast cancer research sign into the icon, indicated that they join with other charities as well as their own.
The play list allow the viewer to see what they have to offer and to recommend other artist similar to the artist that a viewer might already know, introducing a new artist giving promotion and gaining them new fans.
They have split it up into categories such as Best of, Latest Videos and Mix tape reviews, yet another platform for new up and coming artist. this is prefect for our artist as this was one of the songs and the debut album.
What they also have is BET Top Picks, this allows a chart to see what were the most popular picks of the day just in case the viewer who has just come to the website also wants to see it.
This particular one includes;
The cypher which is a part freestyle designed for their hip hop awards that is hosted every year.
The tribute to the late Chris lightly who took his own life earlier in the year. he was an influential music producer.
and finally Rick Ross' performance at this years BET Hip Hop awards.
MTV Base is a music channel that has been broadcast in the united kingdom and the republic of Ireland on July 1st 1999.
The channel is a sister channel of the fellow channels such as MTV Rocks, MTV Classic and MTV Hits. This channel mainly focuses on the music genres of R&B, Hip Hop, Reggae and Soul and later introduced Urban to their list.
MTV Base Channel
I have decided that if I didn't put the music video on BET's 10&Park I would broadcast the video on the show The Lick. This is another music show but however they do not do their own separate countdown and they rely on the chart according to their artist genre such as the official urban chart and the base chart.
Similar to the BET website, MTV Base also have a play list for their music which is popular at the moment for their target audience, which is also my own. However they also have a special feature button which directs you to the music video if the song and runs on an automatic video feature in the centre of the page.
As you can see our song we have chosen for our video is already in high demand as it is in their MTV Playlist.
Even though BET have a advantage of a music countdown that help up and coming artists and video we would go with MTV Base first because of their popularity in the UK already and more UK listeners tune in them where as BET is an American channel and only be considered if we wanted the video to go international and overseas.
My Target audience would be the Hipsters and Get paid crew.
Below I have put together a mind map of my target audience and image evidence that I researched from UK Tribes.
Next Jessica and I decided to create an interview type video to show what our target audience would expect in a music video and what they like.
Firstly, we got a group together of similar characteristics which they all listen to similar music video I decided to create and interview with them. I asked them questions such as:
"What do you typically expect from a music video?"
For the information we have received from the interview allowed us to create a storyline that is relevant to the video and its lyrics as well as making a performance scene that fits the stereotypes of the R&B genre.
"You know when like the little doggies running around"
The song black heart is the most successful song of girl band Stooshe's career to date. The song peaked at number 3 in the UK Singles chart, and well in other British and European countries.The song was produced and written by Future cut with a collaboration with Jo Perry and Shaznay Lewis. The video was directed by Matt Shawski and was released on the 29th April 2012.
The video displays clear characteristics of the R'N'B genre for the following reasons. Firstly, the video has the performance within the narrative which is common, using both the elements simultaneously. Secondly, there is a separate performance low lit coloured room which is different to the bright pop back drops and the darker palettes of the rock genre. Lastly there is a male protagonist with which is often emotionally attached in the video. in this case it is the cheating boyfriend. Because they are a girl band, it is common in R'N'B to have matching coordinating outfits often having similar style or colour scheme. This would also fit in with the colour of the backdrop.
The video references the sixties studio performances seen in films such as Hairspray and Dream girls, but the video pays special homage to the girl band The Supremes. Using their iconic three piece setting and hand and body movements and gestures, in addition to the sixties style back drop, props such as the microphones, curtains and cameras. Stooshe wanted to show the grace and soul of the sixties without making it inaccessible to modern day understanding the video.
The lyrics and the video have a direct correlation with the visuals as the story of a cheater to portrayed through the character of one of the singers with the other two playing the supportive friends when they find out, warn then comfort her when she sees for herself what a cheater he is. This take inspiration from the film dream girls as close friends look after each other through their relationships through, before or after a performance. As well as this, they sing in unison and create small actions to the lyrics.
http://www.metrolyrics.com/black-heart-lyrics-stooshe.html "I don't like it when you break it honey." When she says this it shows her singing to a light up mirror and then it shows a close up of the man with another woman. His face looks smug while he eyes up another person in juxtaposition of her saddened face in the mirror.
"Do you feel like a man?"
When she says this she points aggressively at the mirror, personifying the mirror as if it was him and she was yelling at him. As she does this she thrusts her finger at the mirror whilst she looks aggressive, with her face all screwed up.
"You've got a black heart."
when they sing this they all turn to the side and put their hands on their hearts while looking solemn.
"He's big and he's bad, I Love him like mad."
As they sing this they do actions in sync to the music, flexing their muscles and looking aggressive. This mood is carried out throughout the whole video, suggesting that women can be strong in this kind of situation. Because of this, the video will appeal to their teenage girl fan base.
"Ah, sicker, sicker, I'm not feeling your mouth whatsoever."
when they say this they thrust their hands towards the microphones as if they were actually going to be sicker. the protagonist later gives attitude when saying 'I an it feeling your mouth whatsoever' as if to say that she is now rejecting his love. "Momma he's the best I've ever had."
when they say this it show close ups of their face as if they were talking to their mums about their heartbreak. this is stereotypical as mum are usually the one to comfort their daughter if the situation occurs in real life. "He got a black heart."
This time they once again put their hands on their chests but do not turn to the left. They look towards the camera before slowly closing their eyes. "He's got such a dirty black heart in him, an it girls."
As she says this during her performance she looks as if she was talking to all the girls who could be watching this, that might in this situation themselves. Also she tilts her head to the back suggesting that she wants her girls to back her up. Response: "Yeah."
Her friends then instantly reply to the word, yeah showing their support and their tilt their heads in unison. "Ohh, yes I do."
When she says this she looks a lot more confident than when she found out about her lovers cheating, suggesting she has moved n from him.
The music and the video has a correlation as they use the stereotypical beat of the song commonly used in the sixties to lead in the inspiration of the video. Firstly, hey use the beat and the tempo of the song to control the way they sway in unison in the performance. The video is also slowed down in areas within the visuals in slow motion which closely fit in with the tempo of the music.
Secondly, they use the music incorporated in the song so the song was being sung as if she was asking for advice on the guy who has been cheating before she finally went admitted the problem hence why he song fitted perfectly sung in first person rather than on reflection.
Thirdly, they used the scratching of the old music player to start off the song and to introduced the track, making it sound more authentic and fit tin with the narrative.
The effect of the microphones also used this technique during the singing and especially when there is dialogue near the end, when one of them says:
"He's got such a dirty black heart in him, they all reply: yeah," this is to show interaction within the music which is used in the visuals. Finally, they take the title into consideration, changing the background from pink hearts with them wearing pastel colours to the heart having black paint smeared all over them and their outfits become black.
I used photo shop to show all their faces during close ups while they were singing,
showing you all the emotion they had towards the subject and adding realism to the plot.
their eyes are all directed straight at the camera as if they were telling their
own target market,of which are teenage girls, giving them advice on this situation.
Within the video there are lots of close ups of the individual members of the group as well as close ups of the group as a collective. This was mainly because they wanted to highlight who was singing at the time to to give more recognition to the individual members rather than have a specific member who was more foregrounded.
However the protagonist was obviously favoured so that they can continue with the storyline accurately. The close ups also showed her feelings being hurt and feeling deflated after finding out about the affair that happened.
The notion of looking wasn't used on any of the artists themselves but on the male protagonist looking at the woman he had decided to cheat on his girlfriend with. There is a specific shot where it is a close up two shot showing them kiss, and the reaction from the three band members.
This was mainly achieved by over the shoulder shots which allowed the viewer to see what he is looking at. the beautiful girl he wants to have.
The singer's face is blurred to focus the attention on this before foregrounding her once more for the friends reaction.
Record labels are brands or certain trademark that is used to help with the marketing of the music, albums and music videos. They often conduct the production, help manufacture, promote the artist or band and enforce copyright laws which enable the artist to benefit as much as physically possible and get all their hard earnings directly towards the company and themselves. They often have talent scouts who go out looking for unsigned, upcoming artist that they can sign up for themselves as well as maintaining contracts with existing artist with their albums and music videos.
The term 'record label' comes from the round sticker label which was placed on vinyl records, which show who the manufacturer was of that particular song.
Increasingly, recording artist have often put it upon their labels to broaden their fan base, nationally and internationally. In addition to this they also promote their material through different mediums such as radio, music channels and TV appearances. In recent times, the Internet have now been used as a tool to promote music and videos without the help of record label, reduce their costs and independently find their own audiences.
In opposition to major labels it is common to get small, local or independent label. These are often abbreviated to make the term 'indie', this was later used to describe the music that was associated with these labels.
Sometimes people can confuse labels with imprint. An imprint is when a label is associated with a brand or custom, but however is not a company. The imprint however has no business like or legal effect. sometimes rather than use the term imprint they use sub label.
