Over the past few weeks I have been looking for unsigned bands with interesting music or lyrics to use for my music video. I have used Myspace to search for bands, and although I am not 100% sure about all of my choices, I have found a few exciting bands.
Counterpoint by Delphic : http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=320786298
Salt Air by CHEWLiPS: http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=352745413
Girl on the Radio/Katie Goes Dancing by Hip Parade: http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=352745413
Rage Against the Tantrum by Thomas Tantrum: http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=45213465
Doll & The Kicks : http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=45213465
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Monday, June 29, 2009
Fat Boy Slim - 'Weapon of Choice'
This video shows the artist, Fat Boy Slim, to be unconventional and quite quirky. The fact that the typical convention of dancing is used within the video, but adds a twist by the choice of dancer, which makes it slightly surreal.
The video uses dark green mise en scene, in a setting similar to a hotel lobby. The video continues with this theme throughout, and reflects the colours and conservative feel of the costume worn by Christopher Walken. The bland, badly lit, and stereotypical setting contrasts strongly with Walken's dancing as it creates a relationship between youth and older generations, throwing out all stereotypes.
The director uses a range of camera shots, from close up to long shot. As Walken begins to dance, a slight high angled shot is used, in order for the audience to look up to him in admiration. High angled shots are used throughout, especially as he dances on the escaltor (1:33), again for the audience to look up to the actor and his dancing. As Walken dances, the camera is used simply to pan his movements in, primarily, long shots. The use of long shots heighten the contrast of the movements with the man's aging body, whilst using the setting to create further contrast and intensify the surreal feeling. The high angled long shot (3:29) shows Walken with his arms out, reminiscent of images of Jesus; giving himself a holy and saintly image.
The video is unconventional, for a number of reasons. Firstly, the fact that it never once features the artist, instead the subject is a famous actor, Christopher Walken. Despite using the convention of dancing, the issue of age is created by the choice of actor. The video begins showing Walken sitting down, like a typically aging man. As soon as he begins dancing (0:53) it instantly surprises the audience. Not only is the choice of actor and dance routine unconventional, but the 'flying' sequence (starting at 3:01) is also grabbing for the audience in an unconventional manner. The entire video is based around the issue of age; an elderly man still has his youth despite his exterior.
The editing during the piece fits in well with the music, especially in terms of the cuts from shot to shot. The most impressive piece of editing is the sequence where Walken dives from the balcony and flies (starting at 3:01). This piece looks fairly realistic and makes good use of technology, whilst making a fantastic ending to the music video, just before it cuts to show Walken heading back to his chair, reassuming his role as an older man. This simple cut of shots creates a stark contrast between how old Walken is made to look, and how youthful his dancing makes him seem.
In conclusion, Fat Boy Slim's 'Weapon of Choice' is a very effective and interesting music video. Whilst being amusing and entertaining, it displays issues surrounding age, primarily using its choice of actor, as well as mise en scene, shots and editing.
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Bjork's 'All is Full of Love'
Bjork's 'All is Full of Love" displays the artist as unique and individual. The music video was directed by Chris Cunningham and won numerous awards, such as an MTV award for breakthrough video, as well as being nominated for a Grammy.
The video uses primarily black and white mise en scene which adds to the clinical feel of the setting. At several points within the video (for example 1:08) we see a close up of a red image on the robot; the first colour featured. As the camera zooms out, it is seen that all the machinery has this logo on, reminding us that the robot is manufactured and branded. As the camera cuts to show the second cloned Bjork-robot, it can be seen that she too has the image printed onto her body work. The location and colour of the image creates suggestions of their hearts and lust they feel.
The camera acts in a mechanical manner similar to both the machinery in the video and the mechanical sounds featured in the song, tying together and creating a relationship between music and visuals. Multiple high angled shots are used throughout, so the audience are literally and metaphorically looking up to the robots; despite being manufactured, they still have love. Long shots are used as the cloned robots 'get intimate', which displays the machinery still fixing and altering them. The use of long shots creates a contrast between the bleak, stark, mechanical and clinical setting and mise en scene, with the passion of the two robots. The opening and ending of the video mirror each other, as the camera pans up from the darkness of wires beneath the light of the robots, creating again a stark constrast, and showing the robots in a positive bright light, creating images of a clinical mechanical kind of heaven.
Similarly to the camera-work, the editing is also very mechanical. There are many cuts between the robots and machinery to remind us of the setting whilst emphasising the fact that the characters are not human. All the cuts are in perfect timing with the music which adds even further to the machine-like feel of the over all piece. There are multiple hooks within the video, for example the fact that the robots are clones, and leave the audience wondering what they will do, and how the video will progress.
Overall, the video creates issues surrounding two areas. Firstly, it leads the audience to question whether they too act like manufactured clones, whilst also leading to the question, or anticipation, of what the technological future will bring. The black and white mise en scene adds to this feeling, suggesting the simplicity of both of these questionable areas.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
conventional and unconventional
Through looking at a number of different music videos, there is an obvious 'criteria' for typical genres of music video. For example, hip hop videos tend to use fish eye effects, aswell as showing images of wealth, such as gold jewellery, limosines and jacuzzis. This genre also often uses conventions like birds eye view shots, and girls dancing in settings such as clubs or boats. Artists such as Lonely Island have used these conventions to create tongue in cheek videos. An example of a stereotypical serious video is 'Hypnotize' (Notorious B.I.G) which uses the majority of all hip hop conventions:
Unconventional music videos are mainly created by unconventional music artists who push boundaries within their genre, such as Aphex Twin, who use all means to create interesting and challenging media. One of my favourite unconventional videos is Chris Cunningham's video for Leftfield's 'Afrika Shox'. This video raises issues regarding race which would be otherwise ignored in more conventional videos, whilst using more varied styles, camera shots and angles, the video also portrays a more real life and hard hitting narrative to fit with the music. The use of regular, every day mise en scene shown through panning and establishing shots makes a more hard hitting impact on the audience, whilst the edited and muted colour gives the video a timeless effect; connoting to the audience that the racism portrayed is not one which will go away.
One of my favourite music videos is Justice's 'Dance'. The video is quite simple, as it uses a series of midshots; following the two artists as they walk through a building. The fact that the audience never sees their faces creates an enigma, which also acts as a hook. The animation used on their t shirts also draws in the audience as another hook. The simplicity of the video and childish animations reflects the music; computer generated. Personally, I think the video fairly conventional, with its use of hooks and effects, however its simplicity stands out to me and creates an interesting music video.
Unconventional music videos are mainly created by unconventional music artists who push boundaries within their genre, such as Aphex Twin, who use all means to create interesting and challenging media. One of my favourite unconventional videos is Chris Cunningham's video for Leftfield's 'Afrika Shox'. This video raises issues regarding race which would be otherwise ignored in more conventional videos, whilst using more varied styles, camera shots and angles, the video also portrays a more real life and hard hitting narrative to fit with the music. The use of regular, every day mise en scene shown through panning and establishing shots makes a more hard hitting impact on the audience, whilst the edited and muted colour gives the video a timeless effect; connoting to the audience that the racism portrayed is not one which will go away.
One of my favourite music videos is Justice's 'Dance'. The video is quite simple, as it uses a series of midshots; following the two artists as they walk through a building. The fact that the audience never sees their faces creates an enigma, which also acts as a hook. The animation used on their t shirts also draws in the audience as another hook. The simplicity of the video and childish animations reflects the music; computer generated. Personally, I think the video fairly conventional, with its use of hooks and effects, however its simplicity stands out to me and creates an interesting music video.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
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