Inter-textuality

Inter-textuality is where one piece of media is influenced by another, this may mean that there are references to it or it could perhaps pay homage to it. It could borrow or adapt ideas from it and integrate them into it’s own production. It is often used so the audience can relate to the piece (if they are aware of the inter-textual reference), it can also create a sense of gratification because they are part of the ‘in-joke’.

Inter-textuality is used in the video for The Killers’ Mr. Brightside where the entire video pays homage to the film Moulin Rouge. The narrative of the video is a love triangle set in a burlesque show, there is a poor man in love with a performer who has been courted by a wealthy man. There is also a brief scene in which the singer loses at a game of checkers and lashes out, parallel to the film.

It is also used in the video for The Universal by Blur, there are various references to Stanley Kubrick’s film A Clockwork Orange. The video opens in the milk bar, a key setting in the film (and book) and the band are dressed as the droogs (gang members). Lead singer Damon Albarn is wearing eye-liner reminiscent of that worn by the main character Alex DeLarge.

In Robbie Williams’ Let Me Entertain You, there is reference to some previous rock performers such as Kiss and Ozzy Osbourne. At one point Robbie is about to bite the head off a dove, which is obviously related to when Ozzy Osbourne would bite the heads off bats at his concerts. The reference to Kiss is in his costume, he is wearing black and white make-up similar to what they would wear on stage.

There are a wide variety of inter-textual references in the video for Eminem’s We Made You, he parodies many celebrities and shows. There are references to Sarah Palin, Jessica Simpson, Lindsey Lohan, Amy Winehouse, Kim Kardashian and many more. There are also links to Star Trek and the films Psycho and Rain Man.

My influences that could be used in our own video would include British urban culture, such as grime artist (like Professor Green) or films like Kidulthood. There could be references to these through the content of our video, perhaps paying homage to some parts.

3 main music categories

Music videos can often be categorised into different types, whether it is performance based, a narrative video or a comedy. Often the genre of the music depends on what category the video falls into.

Performance based videos are where the main content is of the artist performing the song; some sort of performance aspect is included in most videos, usually combined with a narrative. A variety of shots and angles can be used in such a performance to provide it with some diversity and interest, a range of locations, costume and performance styles can also be used to create interest. This category of video is most commonly used in rock videos, but as previously stated it is usually used in most videos of most genres.

A narrative video is one where the main focus of the video is a story designed to accompany and often represent the song, it will tell a story that is in some way related to the song. This category is particularly effective in engaging the audience because it makes them want to know what is going to happen to the characters, as opposed to just watching the artist performing which is usually not as effective. Most genres use this category because it can be applied to just about any song, but it is most commonly used in ‘pop’ music videos.

Another category that is used in music videos is that of comedy, where interest is created through the use of humour in the video. This is an effective way of engaging the audience because it satisfies their need for entertainment. It is most commonly used in ‘pop-rock’ videos but can also be used for certain hip-hop songs, such as Eminem.

Research into the music industry

where people access music video's

people can access music video on the TV on channels like MTV and the BOXX. and people also normally watch music videos online from sites like youtube and virgin media.

famous music video directors

Colin Tilley
michael bay
jonas Åkerlund

The main purpose of music videos

the main purpose o music video's are to premot a song so that it is remembers an also to premot the artist or bands image so people will recognise them.

How music videos are made generally

1. meeting with the band and manager ect.. is made so the purpose and aim of the music video can be set and jobs can be assined.

2. maket research into the type of music video that is being made so the makes no what the audience is looking for.

3. detaled Story board is made, actors recruited.

4. shooting dated are then decided on.

5. filming of the music video.

6. editing of the video, and final touches like packaging

7. finaly distrodution of the music video be that thought youtube and TV.

Andrew Goodwin and Laura Mulvey

Andrew Goodwin

Andrew Goodwin believes that there are various conventions to music videos that must be taken into account, for instance there is a link between the music and lyrics and the visuals. So what is being sung in the song will usually be reflected in what is being shown, similarly there will also be a link between the music and the video so if the song is upbeat and happy then the video will be quite bright. He also argues that there will be lots of close-ups and focus on the artist, this is because they would be the symbol of the song and the main attraction, this is a demand from the record label.

This will be applied to our music video for The Streets’ Fit But You Know It because there will probably be a main character who will be the focus of the video and provide many opportunities for close-ups. It is also a rather upbeat song so the video is likely to be quite bright and quick, reflecting the style of the music. In addition, the song is quite narrative so it would easy to relate the lyrics to the visuals.

 Laura Mulvey

According to Laura Mulvey’s Male Gaze theory the video would take the perspective of the man over the woman, so the audience would see the situation through the eyes of a man. She also believes that women are always depicted as either a 'virgin’ or ‘whore’ type character.

This will definitely apply to our music video because the song is clearly from the perspective of a man who is looking at a woman. it is very unlikely that there would be any perspective of the woman shown in the video. It is probable that women in the video will be represented as the ‘whore’ character.

analyzsing results of questionair

From my results i have gathered that the introduction is very very important to the music video and if it does not interest the audience then they are more than likely going to change the channel to something that does instead of waiting to see if it gets better.

Another thing that i have found out is that doing something new and imagination is very important because the audience is always looking for something new.

One more this that people think that a music video is important for many different reasons but the three main reasons that i found are gives the song another aspect, promotes the artist/band and tells a story better.

focus group

this is our focus group we did this to find out what the audience wants from a music video.

questionair results

questionaire

Media Questionnaire

1. What genre of music you most prefer?

2. If you like a music video do you normally like the song?

3. If you are watching a music video on the TV an the intro does not interest you then do you normally change the channel or just watch it ill it gets more interesting?

4. What to you is more important mise-en-scene or

    Camera work?

5. What is your favourite ever music video and why?

6. What in your opinion makes a good music video?

7. Do you prefer a music video with a lot of flashy editing or plain and simple?

8. Why do you think a music video is important?

Target Audienc

The primary audience for The Streets’ Fit But You Know It would be young men from working class backgrounds, likely to fall into the D/E category between the ages of 16 and 35. This is partially because Mike Skinner, the performer, is exactly that person. Also, the song is about an attractive young woman, so women and older people would not have much interest in it. The language used, such as ‘fit’, directs the song towards a more working class audience because they will be able to understand the song, where as someone who is not familiar with this ‘dialect’ may not completely know what the song is about.

This song may interest fans British hip-hop, rap or the urban culture in general. They may also be fans Professor Green or Dizzee Rascal who are rap artists who, like Skinner, often use humour in their songs. Similarly, Eminem’s early music, such as The Marshall Mathers LP or The Eminem Show, sometimes uses comedy to engage the audience so fans of Eminem may also like The Streets.

I Need You Tonight Analysis

The video for Professor Green’s I Need You Tonight depicts a man’s obsession with a girl despite her not being interested in him. He does his best to get over her and move on but can’t, she calls him and he asks for a ‘time and a place’. In the end he does forget about her after meeting another girl.

The video opens with Green pacing around his phone, there is a shot-reverse-shot between the phone and a girl which suggests that she is the desired caller and the reason for his unsettledness. He ends up calling her but she says she’s busy, when dialling Green pulls down a screen which shows the number pad and then displays her in her room, this represents the distance that exists between the two of them. He does regular things around the house like checking the fridge whilst performing the song, close-ups are used for this as they allow you to see the emotion on his face as he raps about this girl, this shows how he can’t even do the simplest of tasks without thinking about her.

As with most music videos there is a performance section and a narrative section. The performance aspect is done in front of a quite dark wall, there are points in the video where the girl is dancing seductively around Green which may represent what he is thinking of. Similarly, he performs in front of a screen playing a video of her, he then proceeds to walk through the screen only for another displaying her to be revealed and this happens a few more times. This implies that no matter how hard he tries, he cannot escape her and get her out of his head.

Special effects and animation are used regularly in the video and are effective in creating interest, they help to create comedy in the video which really engages the audience. In one scene he puts his arm behind a screen which then shows his hand stretching, this continues on two more screens and shows his hand trying to reach the girl but she shuts her door on him, his hand then ‘springs’ back to normal.

The main narrative is set at a party, but instead of enjoying himself he is either just sat on the sofa or talking to people about the girl, this shows how even when presented with an opportunity to move on he still can’t. However, he does get over her at the end of the video when another girl sits next to him on the sofa, his blanket is ripped off and reveals him to be wearing a suit, this is another moment of comedy which keeps the viewer engaged right up to the end.

In conclusion, the video for I Need You Tonight uses a combination of special effects and comedy to create humorous and interesting situations that engage the viewer. The video also clearly represents the theme of the video where the man cannot forget about this girl who is not interested in him, this creates sympathy for him and therefore the ending satisfies the audience where he does get over her.

Oopsy Daisy Analysis

The video for Chipmunk’s Oopsy Daisy tells the tale of a man who has been dumped by letter when he returns home, the emotions that he feels following the break-up are the main focus of the video. Throughout the video he sees ‘visions’ of his past-self with the girl, but they set on fire and burn away, signifying the death of their relationship.

Although she broke up with him, when the girl sings the chorus close-ups are always used and this is the only way we see her, we are shown the pain she has suffered in dumping him as a result of this method. The audience feels sympathy for her because she is only ever shown to be sad and emotional. In contrast, a variety of shots are used to portray Chipmunk in the video. The beginning of the video (before he is dumped) uses mostly low angles when showing him because he feels confident and powerful, he believes to himself to be in control as he returns to his lovely home in his nice car, he thinks he is on top of the world. However, when he discovers her letter a mixture of high and low angled shots are used, perhaps to show his confusion at the situation he now finds himself in and the mixed emotions that he feels. This idea is reinforced by the jump cuts that are used, these represent the unsettledness his life is now experiencing. The last shot of the entire video is a very high angle looking right down on him, this signifies that he really is vulnerable and weak after all.

The lighting in the video also represents his decline into sadness, it opens on a nice sunny day and continues that way, even after he was dumped. But the video ends at night, a much darker and solemn time and also a time when people are more vulnerable, again implying his current state of weakness. There is also a segment where he is in a dark room lit only by a ring of fire around him, this signifies his trapped state of mind.

In conclusion, the vulnerability of the male character in Oopsy Daisy is signified through high angles, dark lighting and jump cuts, these make you sympathise with him because he goes from happy and successful at the beginning to sad and beaten by the end. 

Kickstarts Analysis

Example’s Kickstarts video is about the relationship between a man and woman which often has its troubles but they manage to pull through it. Despite these issues arising, sometimes is quite trivial ways, he just ‘imagines life without’ her and falls in love all over again.

The primary shot used in the video is a close-up, this is a song very driven by emotion (mostly joy) and this type of shot allows the audience to realise that easily. This is also useful in engaging the audience because it really shows them how they are feeling so they can understand the characters much better; it has the ability to move the audience much more than longer shots.

The video begins with a close-up of a (male) tapping foot, this then becomes a split-screen with a woman’s foot being shown alongside it, and it continues to multiply until there are a total of 16 different shots of tapping feet being shown. This creates interest because it is only the beginning of the video and this strange foot-tapping segment asks questions. This split screen theme continues throughout the video and shows a wide variety of people in a similar situation to the main relationship, this signifies that the message in the song can be applied to just about any relationship between any people, it is by no means unique. The way the split-screen works varies, sometimes they have the various couple shuffling between the same situation (sitting in a tent for instance) or it is arranged so that the top, middle and bottom of the screen show different people. This results in the total ‘person’ having a different head, body and legs which again re-enforces the message that anyone can be in this sort of relationship. They even combine close-ups and the split-screen so that the face has a different mouth and eyes, this composition is strange and draws the viewer in.

The audience is also engaged through instances of humour, such as using objects in the ‘head-body-legs shuffle’ so that the feet may be potatoes on forks or the head is a sweet stuck on the end of someone’s finger.  The entire message of the song is wrapped up in a short sequence where the girl laughs at blowing bubbles in her drink, but the man looks confused, he then looks in her eyes and ‘imagines life without’ her and plays with his food too.

In conclusion, the video for Example’s Kickstarts relies on creating confusion and a bit of randomness through the split-screening technique to create interest and engage the audience. 

general ideas

Lyrics for our music video

See I reckon you're about an 8 or a 9,
Maybe even 9 and a half in four beers time.
That blue top shop top you've got on IS nice,
Bit too much fake tan though - but yeah you score high.

But theres just one little thing that really really,
Really really annoying me about you you see,
Yeah yeah like i said you are really fit
But my gosh don't you just know it

I'm not trying to pull you
Even though i would like to
I think you are really fit
You're fit But my gosh dont you know it

So when i looked at you standing there with your hoard,
I was waiting in the que looking at the board
Wondering whether to have a Burger or chips
Or what the shrapnel in my back pocket could afford
When i noticed out the corner of my eye
Looking toward my direction
Your eyes locked onto my course
I couldnt concentrate on what i wanted to order, 
Which cost me my place in the queue i waited for YEAH

I'm not trying to pull you
Even though i would like to
I think you are really fit
You're fit But my gosh dont you know it

Whoa! Leave it out
Are you smoking something?
Leave it Out
Mike just leave it just leave it
We cannot have that behaviour in this establishment
S'not worth it mike, just leave it
Dont Touch Me, S'not Worth It
Dont Touch Me, D, Look Im Alright Dont Touch me

For a while there i was thinkin - yeah but what if?
Picturin' myself pullin with bare white hot wit
Snarin you as you were standing there opposite
Whether or not you knew it i swear you didnt tick
And when that bloke in the white behind us lot queuing
Was clockin onto you too yeah i had to admit
That yeah yeah you are fit,
And yeah i do want it,
But i stop sharkin' for a minute to get chips and drinks

I'm not trying to pull you
Even though i would like to
I think you are really fit
You're fit But my gosh dont you know it

Oy, just as you started to make your big advance
With the milkshake and that little doughnut in hand
I was like nah, I can't, even though you look grand
But you look sharp there smilin hard suggesting and
Gleaming away with your hearty hearty lookin tan
But i admit the next bit was spanner to my plan
You walked towards my path but just brushed right past
And into the arms of that white shirted man

I'm not trying to pull you
Even though i would like to
I think you are really fit
You're fit But my gosh dont you know it

Oh what do i give .. i've got a girlfirend anyway
(whoa, we've all had a drink mate) 
We're all a bit drunk, yeah we've had a few fair play
I got this stella i bombed from that last cafe
This nights not even begun, yes yes oh yay

I did fancy you a bit though yeah i must say
I would rather i hadnt mugged myself on display
But this is just another case of female stopping play
On otherwise a total result of a holiday

I'm not trying to pull you
Even though i would like to
I think you are really fit
You're fit But my gosh dont you know it




Here is the official video which The Streets produced: