Ways to Document Research

1) Questionnaire
2) Video Response
3) Wordle
4) Vlog
5) Written Response
6) Graph
7) Photograph
8) Audio Recorder
9) Spider Diagram
10) Commenting on Screenshots -facebook-
11) Asking members of the public to comment on music
12) Comments on Youtube Video

So we can have a more original method of research we are going to try to make use of different types of research – specifically we are going to try and use the video response, Wordle and we can try and coerce our friends into commenting on screenshots of relevant music videos.

Maroon 5 Deconstruction

Context
Maroon 5 is an American Rock Band, She Will be Loved is there 3rd single from their debut album in 2002 ‘Song’s About Jane’ Released in 2004 it peaked at #4 in the UK. The genre of rock that they produce typically uses guitars and solos, therefore as the audience will be expecting a mainly performance driven promo video, not necessarily giving equal time to all the band members – instead, more likely concentrating on the main musician.

Camera Work
The primary types of shots used in the video are mid shots and close shots of the lead vocalist, Adam Levine. These close up shots allow us to see his face and expression, which is particularly important in this video as the editing and colours used connote an emotional song about love. In terms of pace of the camera movement, it is typically quite slow, somewhat different from the traditional norm of fast paced rock videos. We could attribute this to the more sensitive nature of the video, it becomes a more heartfelt piece of music as opposed to adrenalin based performance. As the viewer we are placed at eye level with the characters, this is so we can try and relate to the people being portrayed. The aim of the video may be to make us feel for the male singer and the difficult decision he has to make.

Editing
The video does tend to cut to the beat however this does to appear to a definitive rule. At times it seems to miss the beat to prolong the shot; this is a reference to the video being almost entirely narrative based, as opposed to a more typical performance based rock promo. Instruments are not concentrated on at all, they do appear in the video during the short section where the band is seen to play however it is done entirely within the constraints of the story and as such, merely exists to further the narrative. We can tell this because the other band members have very little screen time, if any at all.

Mise-En-Scene
The video is set in what appears to be a holiday resort; the colours used are fairly washed out to give a summer feel and what is almost a dream-like landscape. The costumes that are used by the characters support this with their beach look. The main woman’s clothes are more colourful than the other characters, this connotes her importance and makes her stand out to the other people, specifically the man’s girlfriend.

Intertextuality
The main woman in red may be an intertextual reference to the stereotypical filmmaking process of putting a character in red specifically for the purposes of standing out.

Performance/Narrative/Concept Based
The promo video is particularly narrative based, there is a moment of performance but it is used within the context of the narrative. This is somewhat unstereotypical of the genre because, typically, rock promo’s make use of extensive performance shots to showcase the band and there ability with their instruments. Instead, this promo concentrates entirely the lead singer, his girlfriend and her mother.

Representation
The band are not really portrayed in this video due to the lack of real performance element however the lead singer is portrayed as a confused man, struggling to choose between his girlfriend and her mother. The women are not particularly sexualised as they are often are in music, they are shown as family people due to the other members of the family in the mise-en-scene.

When analysing the lyrics we thought what each of the lyrics meant, and whether they had deeper meaning and as it is a male vocalist we felt that the heartbreak was caused by a woman, however then thought we can’t be sure whether it was at a woman as there is a chance he was gay, but as the typical conception of this style of song would be a break-up/heartbreak between a man and a woman, so when making a video we will be show a man getting heartbroken by a woman. The things we have picked up on in the lyrics are annotated below:

By Lizi Howard: http://www.lizihowarda2advancedproduction.blogspot.com/

'Tonight I Let You Go' Lyrics - The Colours

Your empty promises
Stop filling up my mind while my loves’ away
Temptation calls me
To thisAnd loveless fools believe
Their guilty hearts still bleed
But their cold lifeless heart beats wear them out

[Chorus] Cause you’re the heart break that I couldn’t deal with
You were the mistake
That no-one could save me from
But I knowI’m better off leaving now
You are the only reason I want it more
You know I want to be on my own tonight
I just keep on running
You know I want to be on my own tonight
Tonight I let you go

My insecurities
Playing on my mind, colours never change
You should come back, come back, come back(And look for more)
But love that runs too deep
Stolen moments we couldn’t keep
You should go before the night time lets you down

[Chorus] Cause you’re the heart break that I couldn’t deal with
You were the mistake
That no-one could save me from
But I knowI’m better off leaving now
You are the only reason I want it more
You know I want to be on my own tonight
I just keep on running
You know I want to be on my own tonight
Tonight I let you go

Tonight I let you go
Heart break, heart break
Heart break (tonight I let you go)
Heart, heart break
Heart break, heart break, heart heart break
Tonight, heart break
Heart break, heart break, heart break, heart break, heart break
I just keep on running
You’re the heart break
I couldn’t deal with
You were the mistake that no-one could save me from
But I know I’m better off leaving now

You are the only reason I want it more

You know I want to be on my own tonight
I just keep on running
You know I want to be on my own tonight
Tonight I let you go

Tonight I let you go

Tonight I let you go

Conventions of a Digipak & Magazine Advert

Conventions of a Digipak

- The barcode
- The CD inside the Digipak
- Pictures on the cover, the back and inside.

Conventions of a Magazine Advert

- Record label
- Band Identity
- Title
- Tour Dates
- Price of CD
- Band Website
- Positive quote from external sources
- Pictures of the band
- Star Rating

Conventions of 'Without Me' by Eminem

Context

‘Without Me’ is a single from Eminem’s album ‘The Eminem Show’ from 2002. The album is seen as a mix of both his serious and humorous styles of hip hop – mainly concentration on the humour after his previous album, ‘The Marshall Mathers LP’ which took a more gritty approach with harsher lyrical content. Eminem and Dr Dre, his long time collaborator and boss produce the single. The genre they are covering with the song is a mix of hip hop and rap, therefore we come to expect certain things: glamorous depiction of the rappers lifestyle, sexualisation of women, flash cars and often some reference to gang violence and guns.

Camera Work

The video is given a distinctly cartoon feel to it, this creates the overall impression we get from the video in that we see it as a mock up of a batman and robin story (Dre & Eminem). The fish eye lens is used at certain points to give the video a dreamlike feel which ultimately creates a tongue-in-cheek experience which makes it difficult for us as the audience to see the video as trying to portray a serious message as Eminem does is some of his videos, instead it comes across as mocking his own genre.

Editing

The video is shot to be exactly in sync with the beat to the music. Hip-Hop is almost universally very ‘beat heavy’ music with particularly striking bass so the video plays off these strengths to give the promo a up beat feel and fit in the tempo of the music. Comic Book style-editing effects are also used to reinforce the feel of the video – This consists of comic book panels with Eminem and Dr. Dre dressed up in various costumes. No instruments are used, the whole promo is purely taken up by the two protagonists story. It is suggested at points that the music is diagetic as the characters dance to the music while in the car, miming over exaggerated head banging.

Mise-En-Scene and Intertextuality

The mise-en-scene is primarily used as a front for the numerous Intertextual references to many stories in the media at that time. Some are still relevant today and we can pick up on them. The music video of the song features a number of scenarios built around its context, including Eminem and Dr. Dre as parodies of comics in general, specifically Batman, Robin and Blade trying to save a child who bought a copy of The Eminem Show that has a Parental Advisory sticker (referencing his own work). Eminem also appears barefoot throughout some of the video where he is on a hospital bed being pushed through a ward (a reference to ER, which here is called EM drawing from the rapper's stage name) Eminem also dressed up in various costumes as Osama bin Laden as he is chased by D-12 and a TV ad salesman shocking a Dick Cheney-look alike (One of his critics)

Representation

Primarily Eminem is using this video to further his own fame as a rapper by showing his unique ability to mock himself and his own genre of music. This is something of a usp to Eminem because the hip-hop and rap section of music is seen as a particularly serious side to music so a rapper who can mock his own music can effectively gain a level of publicity other rappers might not have. This can be seen to be true as Eminem is the best selling rapper and hip-hop artist of all time, having sold 80 million albums. Generally Eminem produces 2 distinct types of rap – his serious work and his comedy work. His serious work often uses real world issues that he has direct experience of, such as his failed marriage or his poor relationship with his mother. His comedy work mocks genres and often celebrity culture as a whole, such as in his music promo for ‘We Made You’ where he pokes fun at over 10 celebrities. This particular piece is very typical of his comedy work as it uses bright colours and over exaggerated actions.