Shooting Schedule - Pre-lim

                                      Shooting schedule

Our team picked dates for filming, so we could keep everything organised and controlled, in order for the smoothest process whilst filming our music video. Along with this, we will need multiple different sets of equipment to capture are shots. This will include a tripod, which will allow us to limit the amount of camera movement to the minimum. This will also allow us to keep the camera steady when taking shots from an awkward angel. We will also be booking out a camera from the school site which will enable us to film are video. We have had training on the cameras, so we can use most of the functionalities to get the best performance and quality video from the camera. 

Filming Dates 

- November the 11th

- November the 18th

Editing Dates

- November the 25th

- December the 2nd 

Codes and conventions of a music magazine

         Codes and conventions of a rap music magazine 

In this post, we will be identifying different codes and conventions used in magazines specifically to the rap genre.

Down below is a PowerPoint slide expressing some of the magazine conventions and genre conventions within the magazine.

We can clearly see the links between magazine rap conventions and rap music conventions. This magazine uses multiple rap music conventions such as colour (Red,white and black) and props (handgun).

When we compare this magazine cover to the previous one, we can spot the magazine codes and conventions.

Colour Scheme - Colour seems to be a key code and convention across rap magazines. We can see that Red, white and black are commonly used throughout both of these magazine covers. This can be seen through font colour, and both mastheads of each magazine. These colours could of been used to represent gang culture, as rap glorifies gang activity through lyrics and music videos. Therefore, this magazine uses the colour of a famous west coast gang the "Bloods", to represent and give the gang more awareness.

Anchorage Text - Both of the magazines use anchorage text to establish who the cover star is. This can be seen through the text "JAY - Z" written in white, and "The Game" written in red. This attracts fans of the artists in, as they can see what the magazine is about, and some of the contents in the magazine.

Main Image - Both images for each magazine are direct images, and use a close up (camera work) to display the artist. Close ups help create a strong star image, through showing their emotions and part of their attire. The reasons behind this could be explained by Richard Dyers star theory, as he believes institutes create a star image, to gain more profits and revenue. This is why magazines produce and focus on the main image, as it will increase demand for the magazine, therefore increasing the finical portfolio of the institutes.

Analysis of Digipak

                                Analysis of a Digipak

Infinite - Digipak - Eminem 

In this post, I will be analysing Digipak's in detail, and explaining how they meet the conventions of the rap genre, as well as artist conventions. Today, I will be analysing Digipak's from the rap artist Eminem, with his two albums Infinite and Curtain Call. 

This is an image of Eminem's Infinite Digipak. As you can see, the Digipak uses a darker colour for the background (black), which is conventional for the rap genre, as the colour black is commonly used throughout the industry due to the connotations of the colour, which are death, struggle, danger and poverty.

This medium shot (camera work) of Eminem, is used to create a star image for the artist. The image shows Eminem positioned directly between four show lights, therefore emphasizing that he is the center of attention. This is also very unconventional for Eminem, as he usually doesn't show off his star image, as he believes more in the artistic creation of music instead of sales, profits and star image (Institutions). This also shows Richard Dyers theory, as an Album acts as a revenue stream for the artist therefore, the artist needs to be seen for the product to sell, which means the institution have to create a star image to attract audiences, as a star image can relate to the audience, which is why Institutions focus on this, as it creates more demand for a product if the audience has a physical connection with the artist.

This cover of the digipak, appears to contain a montage of different pictures of Eminem. Again, this can relate to star image, however it comes across as artistic and creative which is a convention for Eminem. As well as contacting pictures of himself, he has also included certain images showcasing most of the background, this could be used to showcase messages about poverty, by using images of places with poor infrastructure. With him also being in the picture, it could show how Eminem used to live, compared to the rich and luxurious life style he lives now.

Curtain Call - Digipak - Eminem

Unlike Eminem's previous Digipak shown on this blog post, this one is more conventional to the rap genre. First off, the background used, is once again black which is a theme that appears in Eminem's last digipak as well. The colour black, overall is very symbolic of the rap genre as it implies messages and values about the harsh reality of living in poverty and being surrounded by gang culture, and it also implies a visceral feeling of being trapped and the ability to escape is non existent, which creates a cyclical feeling towards this life. However, the green font is extremely unconventional of the rap genre. The colour green has a strong emotional correspondence with safety. This subverts the rap genre, as it normally depicts violent behaviour, which puts people at risk, not safety. This could be conventional of Eminem however, as he likes to subvert genre conventions due to him wanting to be unique and seen as a "true artist".

Eminem has also intentionally used backwards fonts like the E directly in the middle of the digipak. We see the backwards E used multiple times in Eminem's album titles, and could represent his past life. Backwards has connotations of negativity, and is possibly the reason why Eminem has chosen to use it, as it represents the struggles of his past life.

This close up (camera work) image, is very conventional to the rap genre, and although isn't conventional to Eminem himself (as he doesn't often talk about gun crime within his lyrics), it has impacted his life greatly, as close friends of his, as well as his inspiration to get him into music, were killed by gun crimes in Detroit.
This creates a personal message about how guns have affected Eminem negatively, which could suggest why the depth of field is short, blurring himself out.This artistically shows the impact of guns on his life, and how they have corrupted him. He has also chosen a black background to match with what a gun suggests... death. The prop itself, is also a heavily used convention within rap, to promote power and strength into the main star. It's also used to showcase gang culture and symbolises the violent lives rappers have had.

This image is very conventional of the rap genre, as well as Eminem. The colour of the image (black and white) is very conventional of the early rap era for example, the 80's and 90's. This was a predominant element during these times as it represents corruption, which was a huge issue in america during the 80's and 90's, and can be shown through N.W.A attitude towards police, which really influenced people from these poorer area's to rebel against authority, therefore resulting in more issues and problems relating to gangs. This black and white image also shows Eminem in a conflict, which expresses his life issues as well.

Summary of what I like and will include in our digipak
Overall, these two individual digipak's both offer a lot that I could incorporate into our main task. One of the key features that appeals to me, is the limited amount of colours shown. Black and white, create a vintage rap atmosphere, as well giving the piece a smooth feel and tone.

Questionnaire Analysis

                                Questionnaire Analysis 

Our group constructed a questionnaire over the week, which asked our audiences multiple different questions about the rap genre. Our main aim was to create an image on what are target audience would like to see in a rap music video, so our work can appeal to them.

Key questions

Q1) What age are you?

This question is key as it shows us what age group rap music appeals to the most. From this, we can see that the key age is between 15 and 21, which means we have to appeal to that age groups individual needs during our music video, so we can attract this audience. This age group tend to be listed as Fun-atic and Tribe wired in the Life Matrix Segment, which is what we find out below when analysing the next question.

Q2) How would you describe yourself?

This question is yet another key question, as we can decipher the people who rap specifically appeals to. We can see that a large majority of people chose creative as a way of describing themselves. This could suggest that the creative/artistic style of rap music appeals to them because of this trait. Therefore, we need to produce something that creates meaning and shows messages and values about conventions of the rap genre. Possible ways of doing this would be to display themes of poverty, as well as embedding rap iconography into our video, like cars and bling.

We can also see that a large majority are also free spirited (6 people) and digital (5 people). By using the Life Matrix Segment, we can see that these types of people are classed as Tribe-wired. Therefore, we know that they are connected to the media, and are very socially orientated, so we have to appeal
to these needs of our audience. We could appeal to this audience by including media into our video.



Q3) What would you like to see in a rap video?

This question is important to analyse because it shows what visuals people want to see e.g. visuals that create a strong narrative, or show off a star and their life. The results show a 50/50 split, which means both appeal to our audience equally. This means that we will need to interpret both into our video, which means including little bits of story telling and images of stars throughout the video. This means we will have to think carefully about the narrative, as typically a storytelling narrative is linear, but a narrative commonly used to show off a star is episodic. This also shows how we could use Richard Dyers star theory, to appeal to half of our focus audience.


Q4) What style of narrative would you like to see?

This question suggests that linear and episodic narratives are the most popular answer, and the obvious choice of narrative to use in our video. This also shows that Circular narrative is unpopular, therefore will be ruled out for our music video. Because it's an almost 50/50 split between Episodic (50%) and Linear (43%), we could integrate both narratives together to please both viewers. Although this will take a lot of planning, and time, it will benefit us overall, as will receive more positive feedback for are video.

What we will take forward from our findings
One of the most important findings of this questionnaire analysis, is question three. These results show we will need to include images of stars as well as creating some sort of storyline for spectators to follow so therefore, we will take this information to help us create a video that suits both agendas for each spectator.

Another thing we have to take forward, is the type of narrative to use. Linear will suit the storyline aspect, however won't appeal to spectators wanting images of the stars. Therefore, we will probably need to choose the Episodic narrative, as we can have a variation between star and storyline which will satisfy both spectators

We also now need to focus on appealing to tribe-wired people, as we used the life matrix segment to analysis question two which helped to break down spectators into categories so we could identify what things appeal to them.

Storyboard

                                           Storyboard

For this story board post, I will be uploading a image of a sketched storyboard, which was drafted out by our group, and shows some of they key shots we want to include during the 30 second pre-lim task.

For the first shot, we want to start with a full pan around the artist, which will be a 360 degree turn. This allows the spectator to see the whole appearance of the artist, and star image is important for rap, so we have decided to include this shot in.

For our second shot, we will use a long shot to capture a group of people partying without the artist, to create a upbeat and fun atmosphere. We will also include different lighting effects, by changing the colours of the lights 

For our third shot, we will be using a close up image of the artist, but have include lighting effects with it. We either want to create a silhouette effect, or create some sort of spot light that is shining down on the artist. 

For our forth short, we return back to a long shot, which will show the appearance of the artist emerging from the crowd of partying people, and then the camera will gradually track in closer to the star as he starts to lip sync.

Then for our final shot, we will zoom at from the artist, as are background lighting is changing colour to give the scene a cool effect.

Questionnaire

                                      Questionnaire 

This post displays our blank questionnaire which we made to find out more about audiences, and what their thoughts are about rap music and the genre. We have carefully designed questions which will give us the best insight into our audience, allowing us to achieve and satisfy their needs as an audience.

Lyric analysis

                    Lyric analysis - Role Model - J Cole

Introduction

The Lyrics within J Coles song portray deep meanings and messages that are personal to himself. The lyrics suggests the pain and suffering the J Cole has been through. We can see this during the introduction where he says "First things first: Rest in peace Uncle Phil". This shows that he has lost relatives that have meant a lot to him, and that he looked up to, hence the song Name Role Models. Straight away, we start to see conventions of the rap genre, as its introducing themes of struggle, which is displayed heavily in other rap songs. Also, this suggests that he lost the one person that was his inspiration, as he says in his lyrics "You the only father that I ever knew" and "I'mma be a better you" which at first, implies the lack of hope, but then revives hope back into the song when he says "I'mma be a better you". J Cole is portraying messages about hope, and how we can't live without it as it's our one inspiration to change our lives for the better.


Verse 1

In verse one, messages and values of fame is shown.  The first message is shown through the lyric "I thought back, back to a better me before I was a B-list celebrity" This suggests that fame has corrupted part of J Cole, as he believes that he has become detached from reality.

Also, the lyric "No role models and I'm here right now" suggests that he has become successful on his own. This gives his viewers, who are part of the C2/DE demographic hope, as they may be in a similar situation, where they have no one to look up to and to take inspiration from. We can also input Richard Dyers theory from the lyrics. J Cole is constructed to represent the stereotypical C2/DE demographic, as his lyrics talk about struggle and lack of influence in his life. This suggests that he is constructed to represent "real people", so spectators can connect more with the artist, therefore gives them more revenue as spectators buy the artist songs/albums, and attend their concerts.



Verse 2

J Cole states one of the meanings behind this song, and it can be seen in this verse. J Cole states that materialistic "L.A. hoes" got that way because their only only role models were talentless reality tv stars. We can see that in the lyrics "I don't want no b**** from reality shows out-of-touch-with-reality-hoes" This suggests that people have unrealistic expectations of how they should be, and suggests that some people are corrupted by unrealistic images because of the role models they look up to.


My groups Interpretation


My group also had similar and different concepts of what the lyrics were implying for this song Role Models. Radjvinder stated that J Coles only role model was his uncle phil, who is no longer with him. She said that this means he has no Role Models, and the lyrics suggest that he is searching and trying to find his next role model. The others also mentioned similar concepts of the messages behind the song when having a group discussion on interpreting the songs lyrics.

Location Recce

                                  Location Recce

For this blog post, our group went out around the sixth form to find suitable locations for a music video. We had to take into account the different factors when finding a suitable place. For example, lighting, and power sockets for equipment that require a electrical source. We also wanted to make sure that our creativity wouldn't be at a disadvantage if the locations we used didn't have the right facilities or the right "feel" for the rap genre. For example, we wouldn't want to film in the country side as it's not part of the rap conventions, unless are intentions were to subvert genre conventions. 

Location 1 - The gantry

This location has high end facilities that we will be able to use during the production of our music video task. The gantry has the ability to control lighting, sound and many other elements. The control over lighting is key as we can create different visual effects which allow us to capture unique camera shots.

Computers on site reduce time, as editing
can be done whilst shooting, making it
a more efficient process

Photo showing some of the equipment
at our disposal 

                                                                                           

Location 2 - Theatre

This location goes hand in hand with the Gantry. We can create different types of visuals when in the theatre, as we can change the lighting by using the Gantry. The theatre also has a large amount of space so we have the ability to create different shots and angles. 

Location 3 - Portswood

This location is good for rap conventions, as it shows urban city life which is a common theme throughout the rap genre. Therefore, this location will allow us to conform to the conventions of rap music. Also, the graffiti suggests themes of poverty, which is another common theme focused on within the rap genre. 

Initial ideas

                                       Initial Ideas

After a tough group discussion, we have finally chosen our song from our chosen genre. We collectively decided to go for a song by the artist J Cole called Role Models. We originally decided to pick The real slim shady by Eminem however, we believed that the narrative would be hard to copy as acting would be required, due to it being a linear/episodic narrative which is story based.

Also, the song Role Models doesn't currently have a music video, therefore we can put our own take on the song. This will allow us to create our own messages and values through the visuals on what we believe the songs message is and what the artist (J Cole) is trying to address to the viewers.

Are initial ideas on the representation of women throughout rap, were generally negative. This is due to the consistent sexualisation of women throughout thousands of rap music and music videos. This is generally created through visuals which sexualise women by showing them wearing limited clothing. We also identified that lyrics were also a way to represent gender negatively. Females are mainly described as objects through lyrics, with their main purpose set to pleasure the male

Are initial ideas for the representation of ethnicity were a mixture of negative and positive. We believed it was positive to an extent, as it showcases their culture which educates the spectator, as we become more aware with their culture and how they are. However, it could be negative as stereotypically, the star is criminalised through lyrics and other micro features, which not only criminalises them, but people of their ethnicity and culture. This widens the gap between them and society, which could create conflict between the two.

Audience theories

                                        The Audience 

For this blog post, I will be taking into account about one of the most vital elements of any product... the audience. To achieve the right target audience that we want our music video to aim for, we have to first establish the main target audience of the rap genre. To do this, we have to identify the different demographics of the genre which is C2, D, E as we assume that this audience can relate with the genre more due to it's messages and values and the connections they have with their lives. For example, these demographics stereotypically experience Crime and poverty stricken areas which is commonly shown in rap.

As well as using demographics to establish our audience, we can also use psychographic profiling to give us a more detailed/advanced idea of who are consumers are. This involves being able to categories people by acknowledging their individual wants and needs. This allows us to target the audience directly which is much more effective as it allows us to attract a wider audience as they become satisfied with our product as it meets their individual needs.

Another way of identifying our audience is by using the LifeMatrix segments. There are 10 different types of audiences in the LifeMatrix segments. The ones that we believe apply mostly to rap are:
- Tribe Wired: Digital, free-spirited, creative young singles.
- Fun/Atics: Aspirational, fun-seeking, active young people.
- Struggling singles: High aspirations, low economic status.

Down below is a Prezi giving information on each of the three different types of audiences that rap could appeal to, and how we could make our music video appeal to them.

Representations in the rap genre

           Representations in rap

There are many different representations to discuss. However, in rap certain representations are much  more common than others. These representations are age, gender, and class and status. However, some of the most important ones tend to be around culture and ethnicity due to rappers being proud of their own background.

                                                    Bobby Shmurda - Music video

Down below is a prezi on the different representations showcased in this music video and what kind of image are they portrayed in e.g. negatively or positively. I also talk about other representations that aren't necessarily evident in this music video, however are a big part of the rap music industry.



How are these representations created?
Class and Status - Performance (Mise-en-scene) is predominately the main aspect in creating representations during the music video. The artist and the surrounding people, create a stereotypical representation of the "D" and "E" demographic mainly using Hand gestures (performance, Mise-en-scene) which symbolise gang culture. Another Example of this, is when they symbolise a gun through their hand gesture, which depicts gang life in urban area's within America.

Gender - Performance is once again the most dominant micro element in constructing representation of gender within the music video. However, it subverts gender conventions of the rap genre as it doesn't include any females for the duration of the video. Gang signs and gun gestures can be seen through out the video, captured by Medium shots (Camera work). This is very negative as it seems to criminalise the culture and ethnicity of people living within urban area's of America, which widens the gap between them and society, as they become fearful of the "D" and "E" demographic.



What I have learnt so far
During this post, I have been able to explore many different representations and how they are portrayed in the music/rap industry. I have a better understanding of how people are represented in the rap genre due to my analysis of this video, and also the detailed analysis of another video during class.

Eminem Star Analysis

                                 An analysis of Eminem

Background of Eminem
Marshall Mathers (Eminem) is an American Rapper, record label owner, and songwriter. Born in 1972, Marshall was raised in Detroit by his mother and is the starting place of Eminem's music career.

Music career
Eminem has won 15 grammy's in his entire music career. Eminem is known for his artistic creativity through his lyrics as well as his alter ego Slim Shady. Eminem has also received the global icon reward during the 2013 MTV Europe Music Awards. Eminem portrays the stereotypical life of a rapper (from rags to riches) which is why he is a great artist to analyse for this genre as he meets conventions as well as subverting them.

Music style
Eminem's music style is very abstract and unique. Eminem creates a story through the use of the linear narrative/episodic narrative which helps the viewers understand his lyrics and him as a person. This is a contrast to the stereotypical conventions of the rap genre as typically, it's all about the star image due to institutions  controlling the star. Eminem didn't like this and so created his own record label, shady records.

Logo for Shady Records

Outside of music
Outside of his music career, Eminem has various acting roles in films. One of his most famous roles is from the film 8 Mile which is about Eminem's life and showcases his upcoming before becoming a mainstream rapper. In this movie Eminem plays as him self (Marshall Mathers).

Richard Dyer's star theory

                              Richard Dyers star theory

Richard Dyer

 

Richard Dyer's star theory suggest that stars are constructed and manufactured for financial gain and to target a specific group of people. Richard Dyer is states that stars are constructed by the institutions to serve one specific purpose which is to make money off of the audiences as they start to become fans and idolize the artist therefore, results in the audience buying the artists products creating more revenue for the institutions, meaning more money and more profit.

This could be applied to various rap artists, and even all rap artists to some extent. One example of an artist who is built around Richard Dyers star theory, could be arguably Drake. This is because the music videos have a circular narrative, and give a lot of on screen time for the star, as he appears in the majority of camera shots within the music video. This can be seen in his music video "hotline bling" which created a big star image for the rapper which involved into consumers buying merchandise belonging to drake, profiting him and the institutions.









What I have learnt so far
I have become confident with this theorist and as a result, I can start to apply his theories into my posts to deliver a more detailed analysis in my posts to come. This could be very useful for in depth star analysis, as I can focus on how they have been constructed by the institutions.

Lyotards theory

Jean Francois Lyotard

Lyotard's narrative theory

Jean Francois Lyotard was against looking at narratives in media as one whole narrative (a meta narrative). He suggested that traditional ways of thinking, like Todorov's theory, are flawed. Lyotard argued that narrative is becoming increasingly fragmented, and that these become stories within stories (micro narratives).

Lyotard also came up with concepts of postmodernism where he published a book on these ideas. This book is called La condition post-moderne which stands for The post-modern condition: a report on knowledge. This book explains his views on postmodernism, however, Leotard himself has disclaimed some of his views on the matter.



Lyotards narrative theory can applied to the Yamborghini High music video that I have recently analysed. This music video does not have a meta narrative, but is fragmented into different episodes. This can be seen when the video uses straight cuts (editing) to transition from the star then back to cars. Therefore, this proves that Lyotards narrative theory is correct, and is evident within music videos.

What I have learnt so far
I have become confident with this theorists and as a result, I can start to apply his theories into my posts to deliver a more detailed analysis in my posts to come. 

Roles and Responsibilities

        Music Video Role - Pre-lim task

The role I will be tackling during the pre-lim task is the camera operator. I will be responsible for capturing different types of shots instructed by the cinematographer. My role will involve filming the music video using different angles, locations and shots ready for the video to be edited and published. This will be a vital part in the turn out of our video and is also a highly challenging task due to the nature and the intensity of the task at hand. However, I believe I am capable of taking this role as I have an already existing knowledge on the equipment will be using as I have got the experience to use the camera in the past. 

A camera operator

Members roles - pre-lim






Callum - Callum will be taking on the role of a director for the pre-lim task.He will be leading the group when planning, creating, and producing the music video. Callum's main tasks will consist of organizing props, actors, and where we will be filming.





Rajvinder - Rajvinder will be taking on the role as produce during the pre-lim task. she will have to complete objectives set by Callum to ensure that our video is produced on time for any deadlines we encounter. For example, if Callum wants a specific person to act in our video, Rajvinder will get the person that suits our specific needs. Rajvinder will also have the ability to make vital decisions on how we make the music video



Jacob - Jacob will be taking on the role of Director of photography during the pre-lim task. He will decide which type of shots we need to take, taking into account the angle, height and position of the camera. After this, Jacob will inform the camera operator (me) to capture the shot he wants.



Note

These roles are only for the Pre-lim task therefore, members roles are not finale for the main task

What I have learnt so far
During the process of organizing the roles and responsibilities within our group, I have realized how important each role is in the creation of the music video. This is definitely an area which we will pay attention to when planning the main task. 

Codes and conventions

       Codes and conventions of rap

There are many different codes and conventions for the rap genre. These range from generic conventions to conventions associated with a specific artist, and even different codes and conventions of the different eras of rap. 

Codes and conventions list

Gang Culture - Gang culture is a key convention displayed in rap. This has been key throughout raps history and is still a key aspect of rap in today's era which is the late 2000s.

American struggle - This specific theme is present in a lot of rap videos and lyrics. However, in the late 2000s this specific theme seems to be fading as glamour, money/ luxury life style is becoming more popular in today's rap music. 

Bling - Although contrasting to the American struggle, bling (jewellery) was very popular back in the 1980's which is a huge contrast to the themes they talk about, as bling shows wealth. However, this could act as a message to viewers demonstrating how you're life can change drastically.

Urban locations - Urban locations such as cities are a key feature in a rap music video. This is because they are able to showcase the different range of cultures such as gang culture. In American rap, city's such as Compton are featured heavily and is normally the main focus point for LA rappers. 

A picture of Los Angeles at night

Props - Guns, drugs, cars and jewellery are huge iconic symbols of the rap genre. Props such as Guns and Drugs help display the ruthlessness of gang culture and cars and jewellery portray the opposite, Luxury. This also displays evidence of Levi's theory of binary opposites. Props such as bling were a common convention in the 1980's and also are still used today by a few selected artists such as Fetty Wap. 

A picture of the artist Fetty Wap wearing bling

Colour - Black, white, blue and red are all conventional colours used in  music videos as well as album covers. Black and white colours represent the grittiness of the artists lifes and the blue and red colours could represent gang culture. This is due to the compton gangs like the crips and the bloods who have a fierce rivalry between each other. These colours symbolise this as the crips represent the blue and the red represents the bloods.

How rap has changed since 2010

Since 2010, rap has in some cases diverted from it's roots and has incorporated new elements into it for example, certain artists are using more of pop music culture into the music, and conventions such as guns are being seen less and less. However, a large majority still oblige by the old structure and foundations of rap music, as seen by a recent music video, 100 by the game. In this music video, we can still see evidence of gang culture, shown by the colour red which represents the bloods (a notorious L.A gang), and their gang symbols shown through their hand gestures. We can also still see elements of bling, like the gold necklaces around their necks, as well from over rap stars like Fetty Wap and drake.

Summary - What I have learnt so far

Overall, genre conventions in from different eras, are still consistently being used in todays modern rap to a certain extent. As the years have past, some conventions have faded away such as bling, however, this seems to have been released by physical money which symbolises the same thing, luxury and wealth. On the other hand, some rap stars still use older conventions to this day for example, Fetty was with bling and The game with gang culture.

The style I would prefer to recreate for our main music video task, would be the newer style, as it still includes older elements of rap like bling but, introduces new elements that would work well with the facilities we have. For example, we could include the music studio into our music video, as a lot of current artists contain images of them working in the studio, therefore we will be able to conform to modern and older conventions better than just older conventions.

Applying narrative theory to a music video

                                        Eminem - Stan

There are three types of narratives in music videos. These narratives are linear, circular and episodic. each of these narratives contain their own unique style and structure which can be seen when watching different music videos.

Linear Narrative

This is the structure of the linear Narrative

A linear Narrative is similar to a film as it has a clear beginning and end and shows the events leading up to the finale. This is a great narrative to tell a story as you can create a clear storyline that viewers get to make sense of due to its simplistic structure.

Circular Narrative

This is how a Circular Narrative is structured.

The circular narrative is a bit more complex than a linear narrative as its more abstract and fragmented. Although the circular narrative is least common of the three, it is mainly used to advertise the star/artist which is what a lot of record labels like to do. 

Episodic Narrative

The episodic narrative is the most fragmented and abstract narrative. This is because the narrative is broken up into different events that take place in different times. For example, it could show an event that took place in the past even if the event before hand was in the present. This type of narrative is also one of the most common as it can be used to create a brand image and advertise the star as well



Narrative theories 

Propp - Propps theory states that there are multiple different character types that are reflected in films and music videos. Some of these character types are The hero (who is on the quest), The villain (who opposes the hero) and the princess (who is the reward for the hero)

Levi-Straus - Levi's theory is about binary oppositions. An example of this would be night and day or/and good and bad. Levi states that binary opposites tended to structure stories in some shape or form.

Todorov - Todorov suggests that there are five stages to a narrative. These are equilibrium, a disruption of the equilibrium, a realisation that a disruption has happened, an attempt to repair the damage, and a restoration of the equilibrium. This can be seen at the start of the music video for stan where the equilibrium is broken, and Stan attempts to repair it by getting Eminem's attention.

Roland Barthes - barthes concept is negotiated meaning. This is when readers/viewers make up their own meanings to the text as they can relate to it in someway.

                                     Eminem - Stan music video analysis

Analysis

In eminems music video, the narrative structure is a mixture between linear and episodic. The narrative is linear at the start as it shows a clear beginning and the events that take place leading up to eminems concert scene where it becomes a bit more abstract therefore, episodic. We can see this as stan keeps on having flashbacks of when eminem rejected him at his own shows with his little brother. This is a vital part in the story as it shows key events that happened in the past which ultimately has a huge impact in the ending of the video. However, after this the structure returns to linear as it shows the events leading up to the end in chronological order, therefore creating a clear plot that viewers can understand. 

The linear narrative can be seen through the use of camera work as they use longer takes at the beginning. For example, when the camera enters the room (tracking shot) through the window and during the toilet scene, longer takes are used to show a slow progression in the storyline. Then when the episodic narrative starts, faster paced editing and shorter cuts are used to show the different events leading up to the end quicker. The episodic narrative has been used during this sequence of scenes as it allows us to see the hard hitting encounters with Eminem which gives context and makes the story understandable for the viewer. Fast paced editing is also used to show Stans irrational thoughts when driving to his death as the quick cuts creates intensity and tension which gives us an idea that Stan isn't "right in the head" which ultimately leads to his and his girlfriends death, as well as his unborn child. This also becomes evident when Eminem says the line "You got some issues Stan, I think you need some counselling" which confirms our believes that Stan needs help. These narratives are not conventional for the rap genre, however for Eminem, they are very conventional as he likes to tell a story in his lyrics and on video and by using this structure, Eminem can do exactly that.

Even though this is a video that follows a strong storyline, its hard to apply Propps character types which isn't conventional for this type of narrative as normally, they contain more character types than other narratives. However, you could say that Stan is the hero as he's on a "quest" to get Eminem's attention and become like him but he ends up killing the princess who is meant to be a reward for the hero so this character convention is broken. Propps theory is very limiting to understanding the types of characters that you get in music video's, especially one as unique and as contemporary as Eminem. This could be due to characters becoming more complex and not your generic typical character type that follows the conventions of a specific type.

Eminem's performance in this music video strongly shows how Richard Dyer's star theory is implemented into the music industry. Richard Dyer suggests that stars are constructed/manufactured to represent "real people" experiencing real emotions. We can see that Eminem is portrayed to be a "real person" as the use of medium shots as well as close ups clearly express his emotions about Stan well. At the end of the video, when Eminem realises what Stan has committed, close up shots enhance the emotions of guilt as we can understand what Eminem must feel like. This is because guilt is a very relatable emotion as almost everyone has experienced it allowing Eminem to be portrayed as a "real person". Richard Dyer then suggests that this is done to create sales and generate revenue for the institutions as people will buy more songs as they are relatable. This proves Richard Dyers theory as seen in this video, as institutions choose the linear narrative to construct a story as it is able to achieve this effect stated in Richard Dyers theory.


What I have learnt so far?
I have gained knowledge on the different types of narrative's and how they are used by the artists/institutions. For example, institutions will mainly use the circular narrative as it shows of the artist creating more revenue for the business. However, an artists like Eminem, wants to show his music as a type of art form therefore, going with a narrative that shows a clear story such as episodic, or linear narratives. This also helps my group decide on what narrative we should use for our music video.

Rick Altman's three genre pleasures

                                                                   Rick Altman

Rick Altman

Rick Altman states that there are three types of genre pleasures. Each one of these are Visceral pleasure, Intellectual pleasure and Emotional pleasure.

Visceral - The first pleasure is Visceral which is the videos stylistic construction that triggers a physical effect upon the viewers. For example, feeling sick.

Intellectual - Intellectual pleasure is experienced through the mind. Things such as puzzles create mystery which stimulates the mind. This pleasure is created through trying to uncover the plot and make sense of the narrative during a music video.

Emotional - Emotional pleasure is when the video creates a strong audience response which creates uncontrollable emotions.




A good rap artist to analysis Rick Altman's three genre pleasures is Eminem as he always tells a story through lyrics and the camera and therefore, its easy to identify the three pleasures of Rick Altman's theory. Today, we are going to be analysing Eminem's song called "Not Afraid".

                                     Eminem - Not afraid - music video 

Visceral pleasure in the video - In the music video, a very strong and powerful story is told of struggle and how to overcome it. This creates very powerful emotions which can trigger physical effects for the viewers such as being motivated and acting upon that. This effect is mainly told through the use of lyrics, as well as visuals like the storm, as it is used to imply messages about poverty, and people from the same background as Eminem can relate to this. This is also part of Richard Dyers theory where he talks about Stars being represented as "real people", as this allows the spectator to connect more with the artist. For example, the lyrics "Yeah, it's been a ride I guess I had to, go to that place, to get to this one Now some of you, might still be in that place if your trying to get out, just follow me I'll get you there" This lyric states the start of our journey with eminem himself.

Intellectual pleasure in the video - This is a key concept during this music video as it contains a strong plot, thats about the struggles of life (Especially his life) and the ideologies behind it. This is shown through the storm (mise-en-scene) during the video, as it expresses difficulties about living in poverty struck area. Therefore, viewers will find it interesting to uncover the messages behind it and start to understand the story behind Eminem, and the messages and values he is trying the express during the music video. Eminem portrays his messages in an unconventional way compared to others in the rap industry. Typically, rappers would include cinematography of poverty, for example, area's of Detroit. This is not the case with Eminem's work, as he includes the same messages, but with subtle techniques, that symbolise themes of poverty instead of implying it directly to the spectator.  This is created through the performance and narrative of the video, which eminem tells a story through acting and his lyrics.

Emotional pleasure in the video -  This pleasure comes from mainly being able to relate to the viewers as the emotions that the video creates will effect the viewer in a deeper and more powerful way. Eminem puts across emotions of fear, desire and determination that help build on the message of overcoming challenges and the struggles that not so fortunate people might have to deal with on a day to day basis. These messages, are shown through lyrics, and miss-en-scene. The lyrics "yeah, it's been a ride I guess I had to, go to that place, to get to this one Now some of you, might still be in that place if your trying to get out, just follow me I'll get you there". This could create intense emotions to the E1/D2 spectators, as they could have experienced similar situations to what Eminem is talking about, therefore, will feel more moved and engaged to what Eminem is saying in his lyrics.


What I have learnt so far
I have learnt about Rick Altman's theory and the three types of pleasures he states in the theory. I can now start to think how I will embed this theory into our music video to help create these three different genre pleasures for the viewers. This is best done when the material can relate to a person/ the viewers as they can understand the idea's and messages we are producing.

                                         

Andrew Goodwin's theory about music videos

                                                      Andrew Goodwin's theory 

Andrew Goodwin's theory states and describes different features of music videos. These are the different typical genre characteristics that each music genre has. For example, in the rap genre, a typical characteristic would be the use of flashy car, sexualising women and the use of weapons  such as guns.

Here is a stereotypical shot that a rap music video would include.
This can be seen in the use of the red Mercedes 300 gullwing and
the person holding a handgun, which resembles violence.

Andrew Goodwins theory describes five key aspects to a music video which are...

-Thought beats - visualising the sound 

- Narrative and performance 

-Relation of the visuals to the song 

-The star image 

-Technical aspect of a music video

In the music video I first analysed, all these five key aspects are visible in the video. For example, Asap Rocky (The star) is portrayed in a way that suits the characteristics of the rap genre, and not necessarily his personality in real life. This can be seen in the use of golden jewellery, which puts enthuses and shows off the fact that he is rich. This then starts to create the stars image of what the artist wants the viewers to see him as creating his overall star image.

Asap using jewellery and cars to portray a image to the viewers that
he is clearly wealthy.

Relation of the visuals to the song can be seen during this video. Lamborghini's play a big part of the music video as there are full scenes just focused on the car itself. This is relatable to the songs title and lyrics as the artists mention the brands manufacture name multiple times in the songs lyrics.

The narrative doesn't really tell a story in this video, as the lyrics don't enable it to. The lyrics seem to be very repetitive and this goes along with the episodic narrative as it brings back the same ideas and choruses over and over again.Unlike the rap genre, its easier to tell a story through something like a love song as its very generic and easy to do. This is why theres such a vast amount of music videos/songs centred around the theme of love because its simple. However, performance was a key factor in the video as there is a huge focus around the main artist as well as the other performers during this video as the camera is using the stars as the centre of attention due to the long amount of camera time the star receives.

The technical aspect to a music video is also very important. This includes things such as mine-en-scene, Lighting, camera work and editing. As you can see from this specific music video, editing was a vital asset in the production of the video. Editing has been used to create a different atmosphere to the video by changing the form of natural colours into unnatural colours.

As you can see from this image, the editing places us in a alien environment as we find the colours strange and uncomfortable. They also merge overlapped clips with static effects that gives us a unusual experience when watching the video.

What I have learnt from analysing this video.

From this music video, I can clearly see that star image is an important factor when creating a rap music video. The camera shots must be mainly focused around the star however, can briefly cut to other scenes that do not include the star just to give the video a bit more flow. I have also noticed the the variety in camera shots is extremely important as different shots and angles keep the viewer entertained and interested in the video. Performance is also key as the artist has got to look the part. This can be achieved by excellent lip syncing as well as movement such as dancing and other activities.  

A image that has been purposely distraught for the
music video