Thursday 29 September 2011

Copyright Email

Dear Copyright Holder,
I am an A Level student writing to request your permission to use Rizzle Kicks’ track ‘I’m 17’.
With your permission, this track would be used in our current A-level Media Studies project, which involves creating a music video, as well as producing an album cover and a magazine advert for the artist. The artist featured in my video will not be using Rizzle Kicks’ name, as I will be creating a new marketing strategy for an up and coming artist.
If I receive your permission, this track would ONLY be used in an educational context and will be viewed by my media class, my teacher and the OCR exam board moderator. It would NOT be used for any financial purposes or gain, nor the school or I intend to make any profit out of using your artist’s track.
The artist and your company would of course be fully recognised throughout pre-production and the final video itself. A copyright notice, with wording supplied by you can be included in the records of the project. If this is required, please send full details.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Regards,
Mr Manan Vekaria
Park High School, UK

Monday 26 September 2011

Sunday 25 September 2011

Wednesday 14 September 2011

Possible song choice


Pros: Easy to sing
Repetition of some words which could be edited well in the video
Lyrics relate to things you can do which could be shown easily.

Cons: Too recent

"Heart Skips A Beat"
(feat. Rizzle Kicks)

[Verse 1]
I can see you're not yourself
Even when you're here with me
I know that you're somewhere else

So put another record on
Kiss and leave me on
Nothing really matters when we're dancing
Listen to the same sad song playing on repeat
Cause every time we come this close, my heart skips, skips a beat

[Chorus]
So come on, spin me around
Now I don't wanna go home
Cause when you hold me like this you know my heart skips, skips a beat
I know I should, but I can't leave it alone
And when you hold me like this that's when my heart skips, skips a beat
Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh

[Verse 2]
So hung up
We can't let go
If you really have to leave
One more time just move me slow

So put another record on
Playing on repeat,
Nothing really matters when we're dancing
Cause all you need to know, is what you do to me,
And every time you hold me close, my heart skips, skips a beat

[Chorus]
So come on, spin me around
Now I don't wanna go home
Cause when you hold me like this you know my heart skips, skips a beat
I know I should, but I can't leave it alone
And when you hold me like this that's when my heart skips, skips a beat
Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh

[Rizzle Kicks - Rap]
Rizzle Kicks, Yeah
At the start of the night I was like, what?
Let's have a team talk,
Playing with this lady isn't something I'd agree for,
Vibes keep going up and down like a see-saw
Should have just taken her to the cinema to see saw,
Ooh, she let me stay with her, I figured her figure's a sure sure winner,
Plus, I've got to leave from the back I'm a skipper,
You make my heart skip, skip, skip, skip, skip, skip a beat.

[Olly - Chorus/Outro]
So come on, spin me around
Now I don't wanna go home
Cause when you hold me like this you know my heart skips, skips a beat
I know I should, but I can't leave it alone
And when you hold me like this that's when my heart skips, skips a beat
Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh 

Possible song choice


Pros: Fast and the video can be edited well with the beat
Easy to sing/rap


Cons: Would be totally different to the original video
Foul language

"Flashing Lights"
(feat. Dwele)

Flashing lights, lights
Flashing lights, lights
Flashing lights, lights
Flashing lights, lights

[Kanye West]
She don't believe in shootin' stars,
but she believe in shoes & cars
Wood floors in the new apartment,
couture from the store's department
You more like L'eau de Stardee shit,
I'm more of the, trips to Florida
Order the h'orderves, views of the Water
Straight from the page of your favorite author
And the weather so breezy,
man why can't life always be this easy
She in the mirror dancing so sleazy,
I get a call like where are you Yeezy
Try to hit you with a 'Oeur de Whopee'
Till I get flashed by the paparazzi
Damn, these nigga's got me,
I hate these nigga's more than the Nazis

[Dwele]
As I recall, I know you love to show off
But I never thought that you would take it this far
What do I know? Flashing lights, lights
What do I know? Flashing lights, lights

[Kanye West]
I know it's been a while,
Sweetheart, we hard-ly talk, I was doing my thing
I know I was foul bay-bay,
a-bay late-ly you been all on my brain,
And if somebody would've told me a month ago
Fronting though, yo I wouldn't wanna know
If somebody would've told me a year ago
it'd go, get this difficult
Feeling like Katrina with no fema
Like Martin with no Gina
Like a flight with no visa
First class with the seat back I still see ya
In my past, you on the other side of the glass
Of my memory's museum,
I'm just saying, Hey Mona Lisa,
come home you know you can't Rome without Caesar

[Dwele]
As I recall, I know you love to show off
But I never thought that you would take it this far
What do I know? Flashing lights, lights
What do I know? Flashing lights, lights

As you recall, you know I love to show off
But you never thought that I would take it this far
What do you know? Flashing lights, lights
What do you know? Flashing lights, lights

Flashing lights, lights
Flashing lights, lights

[Fade out]
Lights, lights, lights, lights... 

Possible song choice



Pros: Lyrics are easy to learn/sing/rap
Not well known
Would be easier to shoot as you could film and follow the performer singing on the streets rather than in a nightclub or studio


Cons: The performer would have to stay still
Song isn't fast and would be difficult to edit quickly
Would be difficult to use many sets



Hi, my name is Jamie, there was a time when radio played me
Cause my music came from my heart, it was real to me
But now it's apart
I'm here struggling, keeping it real, while the rested and my hustling seek in until
Sometimes I sit back and think Jamie just one … make a couple cheese and chill
The reason I started making music is the sad same reason that I'll never do it, I swear
I didn't go through all that for this
I'll give that a miss, that's just how it is, unfair, straight
Who could tell me different, who could be the comment
Mind on the mission, my music is me, and I am my music
So like it or love it, I'ma do this

[Chorus]
I never had a playlist in my heart, oho
Now I need an A list just to chart
For I've been famous from the start
How am I gonna make my mark?
Are you gonna play me, though, someone's never meant for the radio?
I get …radio spin, I'm just doing my thing, and I don't have time for a playlist
How much will you pay me though? Someone's not a hit on the radio, oho, oho, oho, oh

Thank God for night clubs and the rating …
Don't think they like us on the airwaves
Unless we … down, the cordial music is boring me now
I swear, I guess it matter what your goal is
Or in this music scene, what your role is
I'm still trying here, cause I'm a pioneer
I use my mouth less than I use my eyes and ears
See I'm just telling you the truth
Can't shoot the messenger
bullet proof proof,

You won't hear me on the radio, but go to the rave and crowd, they're raising roof
Why does that? What's going on there?
To tell you the truth, I don't really care
I am my music, my music is me
Like it or not, this is how it's gonna be



[Chorus]
I never had a playlist in my heart, oho
Now I need an A list just to chart
For I've been famous from the start
How am I gonna make my mark?
Are you gonna play me, though, someone's never meant for the radio
I get …radio spin, I'm just doing my thing, and I don't have time for a playlist
How much will you pay me though? Someone's not a hit on the radio, oho, oho, oho, oh

I feel it on the airwave, spinning on the dial
Playing through the speakers, written by the part
So won't you hear me out?
Never feel it from the bass line, feel it in the club
Maybe I could take time singing for the dub
So won't you hear me out?
Are you gonna play me, though, someone's never meant for the radio
I get …radio spin, I'm just doing my thing, and I don't have time for a playlist
How much will you pay me though? Someone's not a hit on the radio, oho, oho, oho, oh
Are you gonna play me, though, someone's never meant for the radio
I get …radio spin, I'm just doing my thing, and I don't have time for a playlist
How much will you pay me though? Someone's not a hit on the radio, oho, oho, oho, oh.

Monday 12 September 2011

Artist Development - Eminem

Eminem released his first studio album in 1996 called Infinite and he said this "Obviously, I was young and influenced by other artists, and I got a lot of feedback saying that I sounded like Nas and AZ. 'Infinite' was me trying to figure out how I wanted my rap style to be, how I wanted to sound on the mic and present myself. It was a growing stage. I felt like 'Infinite' was like a demo that just got pressed up."
Eminem is known to be quite funny and silly and he was arrested for pulling out an unloaded gun and keeping it pointed at the ground. He was given two years probation.
In 1997 Eminem started to refer to himself as 'Slim Shady'. He moved away from lyrics in Infinite about drug use, sexual acts, mental stability and over-the-top violence.
Eminem then released 'Marshall Mathers LP', 'The Eminem Show' and 'Encore'. These were all very successful albums and due to this Eminem considered ending his music career and decided to release a Greatest Hits album named 'Curtain Call'
In 2009 he released his comeback album called 'Relapse' 3 years after his last album 'The Re-Up'

However, Eminem himself wasn't happy with that album and therefore quickly released a new and more successful album named 'Recovery' which featured Rihanna and other famous artists.
Eminem has now reunited with Royce da 5'9 and formed the band 'Bad Meets Evil' which was originally formed in 1999. They have recently released an album with songs featuring artists such as Bruno Mars.

Sunday 11 September 2011

Video Ideas/Inspirations


from 0:47-0:50 there are 3 frames in one shot and one comes up after he says 'skips' and we see each of the 3 shots at the same time but from a different angle.

Thursday 8 September 2011

Goodwin Video Analysis

Jamiroquai - Virtual Insanity
The video I have chosen to analyse according to Andrew Goodwin's points is Jamiroquai's 'Virtual Insanity'.
The video consists of the artist performing and dancing in a room with white walls and a grey floor with some couches and a chair with no other furniture. The interesting thing about the video is that the floor seems to be moving while the rest of the room stays still. At some points in the video the camera tilts up to look at the ceiling and also down to look at the floor, and when it returns to the centre the scene has completely changed.

The video links to the lyrics to an extent as the song is called 'Virtual Insanity' and the video is very unique and strange which could connect with the 'insanity'. One of the lyrics goes 'See, it's a crazy world we're living in' which also shows a link to the video as the scenes in the video could be described as 'crazy'
This shot shows the room where the sofas have changed position from the one in the thumbnail for the video clip. This has happened because of the floors moving which shows the 'craziness' and the 'insanity' of the video.
This shot shows the sofas coming towards the screen.

The genre of this song has been classified as Acid Jazz and Funk. The characteristics of this genre are portrayed in some of the dance moves that Jamiroquai performs as they go with the beat of the song. The picture below shows the artist performing a set of dance moves that flow with the song.
The video is funky and different and could therefore be related to the genre of the song which is Acid Jazz/Funk. This is shown with the moving floors, unique dancing and padded walls. 
There are a few close ups of the artist during the video and this is due to the record label wanting to sell and promote their artist through the video.
Jamiroquai's iconography comes from his trademark hat which he wears in his videos and which features on album covers.
On the left we can see one of Jamiroquais album covers of a cartoon silhouette of him five times wearing a different hat in each cartoon. The hat symbolizes Jamiroquai and is seen as his iconography to sustain and establish the popstar that he is.

There are no references to voyeurism in this video as it mainly just features Jamiroquai in the song however, Jamiroquai is performing to the camera and is looking at it the whole time. We keep our eyes on him and he keeps his eyes on us.
Because this video was released in 1997 it is unlikely that there is any inter textual references as it was probably one of the first videos to achieve something like this.

Wednesday 7 September 2011

Student Video


I feel that this video works really well as the location seems like the type that would be used for this dance genre song. Also, I feel that it tells a story and doesn't just feature random shots leaving the viewer confused. The lighting used in the video is also very effective and the students have achieved a professional looking video. The dancing is also very good, however the lead singer could be a bit more enthusiastic with his lip syncing and dance movements.

Video Analysis

Justice - Dance


This video is a unique music video as the whole video just focusses on the different t shirts being shown. We never see a face, just the t shirt with the lyrics on them. The genre of the song is dance and the band is Justice who never feature in their videos as themselves.

This shot works well at the start as the camera is zooming in and going through it and works well as a starting.







The video is mainly focussing on random t shirts with some having lyrics on them. This works well as it's never been done before and it looks really funky.





The images on the t shirt are moving and form into different images and lyrics on them. The video is very unique and something like it hasn't properly been done before and it has been made very effective in this song.

Sunday 4 September 2011

Past Students' Video Analysis


I think that the lighting in the video is very effective and the quick editing. They have both been used in such a way that what we see fits in with what we hear and because this song is quite fast and bouncy it seems like a very difficult thing to do which this video has managed to do. The zooming is also very professional and goes well with the beat.

Possible song choice

Nickelback - Rockstar
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DmeUuoxyt_E (couldn't find embed code)

Video Ideas/Inspirations

Kid Cudi - Make Her Say


I like the way this video has two landscape frames and I know how to achieve this effect in Final Cut Express and this could possibly be used in my final piece.

Possible Music Video

Olly Murs - Heart Skips a Beat featuring The Rizzle Kicks

CD Cover Collage

Myspace Research - Maroon 5

http://www.myspace.com/Maroon5

Maroon 5's Myspace page is updated regularly and features a music player right in the centre of the screen so fans are able to listen to a selection of their most recent and popular tracks. On the right of the page there is a twitter feed of the bands tweets so fans can keep up to date with the bands thoughts. There is a selection of videos under the music player with 6 embedded youtube videos. The site has links to their official merchandise store and to their blog updates.

From the design and layout of the site, you can't tell what genre it is as there is just a picture of the lead singer and Christina Aguilera performing their new single with a black background. Therefore it is hard to be able to tell what genre Maroon 5 are.