Media language could be defined in the ways how camera, editing,sound and mise en scene create meaning. These familiar codes and conventions help us to identify a specific text. My music production was a music video for Maximo Park - Apply some pressure which was contructed with specific conventions in mind in order to control the video was perceived by the audience. In this essay i will discuss the ideas of Andrew Goodwin,Carole Vernalis,Semiotics,Stuart Hall,Fiske and Hartley with specific refence to my own production to explain how these have influenced the final result.
Andrew Goodwin states that in the music video industry, meaning is encoded into music videos through similar codes and conventions, in fact five key aspects have to be considered for a successful music video.With Goodwin's idea in mind, the idea to use thought beats in our video resulted in a complex to create meaning for the audience. For example, once we had recorded all of our footage, and using Final cut pro to cut our clips using the slice tool, we were able to match the music with particular parts of the video. This made our video cut exactly at points of strong beat which enhanced the meaning. In this case meaning was created through emphasis on key parts of the video where cuts were made and Goodwin's idea of thought beats is familiar with the audience which allows the video being easy to understand and relate to.Goodwin also states that star image is also important in a music video. In our production we made sure that throughout the clip close up meat shots of the main singer have been used during the chorus when the song reaches highest tension. As this is common with indie rock bands, it is easy to understand why the meats shots have been included, because for this genre there is great importance in meaning and the way the band performs which is suitable to rock audience. The way we encoded the feeling of pressure was through the use editing. At the start of the clip we slowly introduced the audience to the song by using a tight shot of the guitar which was followed by a much wider shot of the whole band. As the speed of the song increased until the very end of the song, the speed of individual shots and cuts also was considered and made to match the song. By controlling the speed of the video, it was a way for the audience to understand the feeling of pressure i was trying to convey because they are able to relate with their own experiences. I think my music video successfully uses Goodwin's codes and conventions which make the video very considered.
Carole Vernalis similarly points out similar aspect a person would expect to see in a music video. She states that music video constructions requires narrative,editing, camera and diegesis aspects which overal encode a strong meaning. My idea was to challenge Vernalis' narrative idea because i thought it is not important to have a full narrative in a music video because generally songs tell a fragmented narrative which builds up to a full story across the whole album. At the end of my video the main singer is shown is a continuous close up meat shot which shows him relaxing after the stressful song, although the shot fades which signified that this ending is not a conclusion. Using Vernalis' idea of narrative through the use of camera and editing I was able to create a complex ending which intrigues the audience to what may happen next, and because of this i think i have achieved well in producing a considered piece with encoded meanings by using familiar media languages.As the main aspect of the video, the lead performance was very important in conveying emotions and helping the audience to understand the concept. As a way to encode all the emotions I had made the talent to perform using exaggerated actions of pressure, and also two filming setting were used to create a juxtaposition of the same character. For example, the light setting showed a composed performer, whilst the low key lit environment was used to show the darker, out of control side of the performer. In this way i was able to mix many different feelings by mixing both location shots in final cut and the fast paced editing of both of the locations gave a telling overview of the character which the audience could relate to as the video shows the normal and the stressful situations. This was down to being able to use lighting effectively to create strongly contrasting locations which would be key in order to convey the feelings not only through the performance but also visual by using contrasting colours. The main aspect of the song was to show a short story of a person dealing with pressure and also how he deals with it. In order to effectively build up the tension in the music video I first used a dolly following close up shot of a guitar which flowed to the drums. This introduction was used in order to slowly introduce aspects of the performance, such as the instruments, then as the pace of the song increased, also did the editing pace and progressively more attention was to the performance of the lead singer who was trying to show a feeling of pressure. The transformation from full length wide band shots to progressively getting closer to increasing number of meat shots was used to signify the intended building connection between the audience and the lead singer and his feelings, to emphasise the lyrics and convey the emotion effectively.
The idea of Semiotics according to philosopher Charles Sanders is that "we think only in signs", whether it may be certain visual, sounds, acts or objects, therefore encoding the meaning of the song using certain visual would enhance the meaning of my video. One way i had done this is by, during the climax of the song showing a quick shot of a match with a flame underneath, then seconds later the shot reappeared with the match instantly bursting into flames. This had been a very simple but effective signification of pressure and i used this to reinforce the emotion along side the lead singers performance.
Umberto Eco's theory determined what meaning the audience would get from the music video, whether it would be an open or closed meaning. My video is open for interpretation because what is shown could be thought of differently by other people. For example the final video could seem ambiguous and unclear, although as it was targeted towards teenagers and young adults, through the choice of casual clothing and performance. Therefore it is most suited for this audience because the issues referenced in the video could be related to by the target audience.
Stuart Hall says that as a producer my music video had to have a clear preferred meaning as a way for the audience to identify and make assumptions what the music video would be about. In the video, the main singer enhanced his movements in relation to the music which, (with the help of camera movement) had given an out of control look that was a clear signification of pressure. Through the performance I have encoded the meaning of pressure which was further reinforced through the lyrics, all this was done in order for the audience to think about the messages created. I used certain micro elements to convey certain emotions in the video which would help to reinforce the feeling of pressure. Using familiar media language in music videos i had used my skills to my advantage to add a film burn effect at transition point to substitute the plain crosscuts. This resulted in more interesting transitions and enhanced the pace of the video, as the simple transitions were now quick flashes which supported the whole intention of the song. Another strong technique that featured in my production was the use of half speed filming. This creative technique gives the effect where the singer appear to be singing normally while the action around is shown to be slowed down or sped up. To achieve this i had to film the singer performing at half speed of the song, then later re-timed to normal speed. As a way to convey the feeling of pressure, this had been the most effective, because in the final video the singer appears to be moving completely out of control but still singing in perfect sync. Hall states that a music video should clearly state its themes.Being an instrumental song, I had to include close up shots of instruments at appropriate point. One of the most effective had been a close up shot of the drums which were hit in time with the music. This made the audience think not only through listening, but it had become enhanced through the visuals also which helped to link the music with the video.
Fiske and Hartley called aspects of signification in the form of denotations and connotations which formed and ideology of which my own work tries do show. For example the song about pressure such as maximo park's would expect to have enthusiastic performance and i have tried to convey that in my video. Using Fiske and Hartley's theory i have used the performance as a form of identity which people could see and relate to. Significations of pressure were also needed in order to show the concept. To do this i have used props such as a pan with boiling water which signifies pressure and therefore it was suitable to include. Using the denotation of boiling water to make the viewer think, which would then be a connotation for the viewer to think of the pan as a sign of tension and pressure.
Carole Vernalis similarly points out similar aspect a person would expect to see in a music video. She states that music video constructions requires narrative,editing, camera and diegesis aspects which overal encode a strong meaning. My idea was to challenge Vernalis' narrative idea because i thought it is not important to have a full narrative in a music video because generally songs tell a fragmented narrative which builds up to a full story across the whole album. At the end of my video the main singer is shown is a continuous close up meat shot which shows him relaxing after the stressful song, although the shot fades which signified that this ending is not a conclusion. Using Vernalis' idea of narrative through the use of camera and editing I was able to create a complex ending which intrigues the audience to what may happen next, and because of this i think i have achieved well in producing a considered piece with encoded meanings by using familiar media languages.As the main aspect of the video, the lead performance was very important in conveying emotions and helping the audience to understand the concept. As a way to encode all the emotions I had made the talent to perform using exaggerated actions of pressure, and also two filming setting were used to create a juxtaposition of the same character. For example, the light setting showed a composed performer, whilst the low key lit environment was used to show the darker, out of control side of the performer. In this way i was able to mix many different feelings by mixing both location shots in final cut and the fast paced editing of both of the locations gave a telling overview of the character which the audience could relate to as the video shows the normal and the stressful situations. This was down to being able to use lighting effectively to create strongly contrasting locations which would be key in order to convey the feelings not only through the performance but also visual by using contrasting colours. The main aspect of the song was to show a short story of a person dealing with pressure and also how he deals with it. In order to effectively build up the tension in the music video I first used a dolly following close up shot of a guitar which flowed to the drums. This introduction was used in order to slowly introduce aspects of the performance, such as the instruments, then as the pace of the song increased, also did the editing pace and progressively more attention was to the performance of the lead singer who was trying to show a feeling of pressure. The transformation from full length wide band shots to progressively getting closer to increasing number of meat shots was used to signify the intended building connection between the audience and the lead singer and his feelings, to emphasise the lyrics and convey the emotion effectively.
The idea of Semiotics according to philosopher Charles Sanders is that "we think only in signs", whether it may be certain visual, sounds, acts or objects, therefore encoding the meaning of the song using certain visual would enhance the meaning of my video. One way i had done this is by, during the climax of the song showing a quick shot of a match with a flame underneath, then seconds later the shot reappeared with the match instantly bursting into flames. This had been a very simple but effective signification of pressure and i used this to reinforce the emotion along side the lead singers performance.
Umberto Eco's theory determined what meaning the audience would get from the music video, whether it would be an open or closed meaning. My video is open for interpretation because what is shown could be thought of differently by other people. For example the final video could seem ambiguous and unclear, although as it was targeted towards teenagers and young adults, through the choice of casual clothing and performance. Therefore it is most suited for this audience because the issues referenced in the video could be related to by the target audience.
Stuart Hall says that as a producer my music video had to have a clear preferred meaning as a way for the audience to identify and make assumptions what the music video would be about. In the video, the main singer enhanced his movements in relation to the music which, (with the help of camera movement) had given an out of control look that was a clear signification of pressure. Through the performance I have encoded the meaning of pressure which was further reinforced through the lyrics, all this was done in order for the audience to think about the messages created. I used certain micro elements to convey certain emotions in the video which would help to reinforce the feeling of pressure. Using familiar media language in music videos i had used my skills to my advantage to add a film burn effect at transition point to substitute the plain crosscuts. This resulted in more interesting transitions and enhanced the pace of the video, as the simple transitions were now quick flashes which supported the whole intention of the song. Another strong technique that featured in my production was the use of half speed filming. This creative technique gives the effect where the singer appear to be singing normally while the action around is shown to be slowed down or sped up. To achieve this i had to film the singer performing at half speed of the song, then later re-timed to normal speed. As a way to convey the feeling of pressure, this had been the most effective, because in the final video the singer appears to be moving completely out of control but still singing in perfect sync. Hall states that a music video should clearly state its themes.Being an instrumental song, I had to include close up shots of instruments at appropriate point. One of the most effective had been a close up shot of the drums which were hit in time with the music. This made the audience think not only through listening, but it had become enhanced through the visuals also which helped to link the music with the video.
Fiske and Hartley called aspects of signification in the form of denotations and connotations which formed and ideology of which my own work tries do show. For example the song about pressure such as maximo park's would expect to have enthusiastic performance and i have tried to convey that in my video. Using Fiske and Hartley's theory i have used the performance as a form of identity which people could see and relate to. Significations of pressure were also needed in order to show the concept. To do this i have used props such as a pan with boiling water which signifies pressure and therefore it was suitable to include. Using the denotation of boiling water to make the viewer think, which would then be a connotation for the viewer to think of the pan as a sign of tension and pressure.
