My A2 Final Production

Dear examiner,
Here is my A2 final media production. Due to many time constraints linked to: my location being remodeled halfway through filming, Having to change the cast at the last minute due to illness; and subsequently having to re film the whole of my  production, i am not happy with the quality of it.

I hope you enjoy
Ben Court (0436)

Michael Wesch on Youtube and the Mediascape

Michael Wesch is a Professor of Anthropology at the University of Kansas. In 2008, he gave a lecture about how instrumental the role of Youtube and the world wide web is in general in evoloving the human race from an anthropological standpoint. He states that as sites such as youtube give the public the chance to contribute to the mass media, more and more people are having to change themselves in terms of personality or how the appear in order to fit in with the new medium and society.

As this lecture was given in 2008, many of the big famous youtubers who gain income from the site haven't started out yet. Instead, he focuses on how the platform was used as a means of connection around the globe; almost like a new social media. This can be seen by the fact that a majority of the videos that were posted back then were roughly 3 minutes long (about 200,000 a day back then- this has increased dramatically though) with ordinary people discussing their views and talking about their philosophies and lives.

Furthermore, he discusses how anyone with access to a webcam can join in on the global discussion rather than needing a full film crew or a producer commissioning the work. This lead to the creation of online dramas and the emergence of the channel known as Lonelygirl15, but i'll discuss that in a separate blog post.

This video clearly demonstrates how media how now influenced society in such a way so quickly that has caused shock waves resonating throughout the world, leading to mass societal change in only 20 years or so.

Stop Motion With Live Action

Stop motion is a technique where lots of photos of an object or scene are taken where minute movements are made in the scene between shots. Typically, this technique is used with clay figures and scenes to make films and TV episodes such as Wallace and Grommit and Flushed Away. But stop motion has been used in live action. Popularly in scetches on youtube and in indie films to create an interesting effect in a scene.

This video illustrates how stop motion can be a cheap tool that can be used to create intriguing visuals that can compliment a song well, and also create visuals without the use of animation. Taking inspiration from some live action stop motion videos, i've decided to include a small scene of stop motion in my production. While it won't contain anywhere near the amount of frames as some other small scenes of stop motion as i want it to go with the rhythm of the song, it is still classed as stop motion.

Its interesting to me how well older stop motion videos hold up compared to newer ones. For example "sledgehammer" by Peter Gabriel. What was a groundbreaking piece of media for the time can still be considered just as groundbreaking many years on.

I believe the reason that this video from the 1980's can still hold up to newer stop motion videos is down to the fact that the fundamentals and technique of stop motion haven't changed. While they have been refined over the years, as can be seen in the Wallace and Grommit films when comparing the first and latest films together, they are still all about taking a sequence of many shots and putting it together to form moving image.

The Final Idea Change

Due to the time constraints of my previous song, i decided to change my idea and wrote up; my plan, shot list, props, locations and actors in one sleepless evening. I have been working on this idea for the past few months and am already feeling more comfy with this song and the time.

The new song i am creating a video for is "Dreaming with a Broken Heart" by John Mayer. (linked below)

I chose this song because I've been a fan of John Mayer's for years and the song provokes quite strong visuals just waiting to be applied to the screen. Themes included in this song are: loss, regret, being broken hearted, longing. With this range of moods, it lends itself to being quite a melancholy piece with interesting rhythmic elements that can be built upon. In fact, i'm planning to branch out in terms of techniques and use a small scene of stop motion to convey one idea I've had about the main characters heart sinking in his chest.

I'm confident that i can deliver a high quality product in good time whilst also delivering on the evaluation aspects and ancillary texts.

top five Best- Top five worst

One series on youtube I've been getting into recently is Walter Banasiak's Top five best/ Top five worst. In these videos, he comprises a list of 5 of an actors best and 5 of an actors worst performances in his opinion.

Part of the appeal of these series for me is the fact that it shows even some of Hollywood's most beloved actors (such as Ben Affleck, Johnny Depp and Jennifer Lawrence) have bad days and don's always put there all into a performance. And this can has such a detrimental effect on the final piece. It also introduces aundiences and fans to films that they may not have seen, even though they are considered fantastic films. This is the case for me watching "Ed Wood" after i saw it on the top 5 best of Johnny Depp's performances. Linked below are the Top five best and Top five worst videos for Jim Carrey.

 

This has proven to be quite a valuable tool for me as i always love finding new cinema experiences and widening my knowledge and skills through absorbing this medium. And with this third party presenting films that people have probably never heard of either supporting or destroying these actors work, it can help you to form a more critical view on many actors seen to be at the top of their game. This was the case for me and watching their top five best and worst of Tom Hanks; and actor who i previously thought was untouchable. But looking at some of the performances they bring to light, it is clear to see that every actor has the ability to have a bad performance.

Learning about lighting

While i know its tricky, i was considering playing about with lighting in some areas of my video. Lighting is already going to be a large obstacle to overcome in this production due to the location and the mood of the video. I want to maintain a dark image without making the image grainy due to the light levels in the location. I know that i can darken it later on our editing software; but i have one idea for a scene that may require some thought about as regards to lighting. 

  This idea is that we are in the addicts perspective when he is sat on the floor. The guitarist walks out in front of him in the centre of his view. After a certain amount of time, he walks down the corridor that the addict is sat at the end of. At the other end of this corridor is a thick shadow (possibly some fog). I will hopefully accomplish this shadow with lighting.

Watching videos like the one below are incredibly useful as they give good tips on how to do complex techniques on a lower budget.

Change Of Idea

Due to various factors linked to logistics and the availability of cast and the location, i have had to shelf my previous music video idea for "Don's forget me". Without delay, i jumped straight back on the horse to try and produce an idea with similar levels of complexity and story, without the previous issues of the first idea. I decided to move to the song "The past six years" by Deaf Havana. Below is a powerpoint i created to display my current thoughts.

The Past Six Years by Ben court on Scribd

Use of Fade

(This is a repeat of this video. but i didn't talk about a technique that i have started to think about incorporating. This is a fan made video for the same song i'm thinking of doing)

this is a fan made video, meaning that i can still have some freedom with the production; but it has given me a nice technique that i can use, which is the use of a fade over the main clip of unrelated things such as the Lunar Landing and other clips of a similar nature to link to either hallucination or the feel of freedom that drugs supposedly give you. i was thinking of using it for when there are some close ups of the addict.

This could prove very useful to add to the underlying themes of drugs and highs, as i think that the way my production stands at the moment, it doesn't have enough links to the idea that the main character is high. Yet with this, i can link to this theme even stronger. I think i could use this to change mood aswell, starting out with more astral themes promoting freedom and weightlessness, but later moving towards harder images later on as reality starts to hit him.

Age Ratings on Music Videos

An article published last year on the BBC "Newsbeat" website delves into the issue of age rating on music videos. This has become a greater problem in recent years due to artists pushing the boundaries of what is deemed appropriate to be used to accompany a song. This new motion introduced means that record labels (such as the big three- Warner, Universal and Sony) will have to send all of their music through the BBFC (British Board of Film Classification) meaning that they will be given an age rating before they can be shown.

But what does this mean for artists? well, with certain videos that seem to abuse the rather lax rules on music video, such as Nicki Minaj- Anaconda (shown below), we could see a distinct reduction of viewers due to a large amount not being able to access them online or on music channels due to age restrictions.

in terms of this research effecting my production, i don't think it will much. While themes like drugs and mental health are explored in it (and they would class as for a higher age rating) i don't feel it will have a large effect due to the target audience I'm hoping to attract, which will be young and older adults who have heard of the song in question. It may take a toll on the younger viewers of the song when it is put online, but i feel that will make for a smaller demographic.

Here is a link to the article: Age rating article

Options for the Main Task- Ancillary texts

If you have seen my overview of the A2 media course, you will have noticed that there is more to the coursework than just the production. In fact, we have to include two extra pieces using different media forms that link to our production. For a music video, i am given the option of creating an album cover, a home page for a band website or a magazine article for the album/ single. I have to choose two of those to accompany my main production. The only one i am definitely is the album cover as i like the creative possibilities related to the creation of covers.

album covers are incredibly important in giving the consumer an idea of the theme of the song/ album. i have found a few albums that do this well, and a few that don't.

Firstly is the album cover for "closer to the sun" by Slightly Stoopid.

Looking at this cover, you probably would assume this band was linked to more heavy music, political comments and more gritty topics with the big sound to accompany. However. this band is actually California Reggae. In fact, a lot of their album covers tend to link more to this gritty, dark imaging, rather than linking closer to their genre. One would assume this is either meant as a sort of joke or nod to other bands with similar album cover themes. But, i digress.

On the other end of the spectrum is Pink Floyd, who seem to much prefer the more simple covers that don't suggest much about genre. an example of this is the cover to "Dark Side of the Moon"

This incredibly elegant album cover carries very little suggestion as to the genre of the band, aside from it linking to a more modern, uncluttered sound. The use of the spectrum coming out of the prism suggests that the album will carry more depth or clarity compared to others (represented by the beam of white light entering the prism). But I may be reading in to it deeper than i should because of how much i love this album cover.

Set Planning

With my location sorted out, i started to process of how i want the music video to act in the space. As it will mainly be filmed in a corridor and a room coming off of it, i felt it would be easy for me to make a paper replica in order to get my head around it. So, i got my scissors, blue tack and an A4 sheet of paper and set to work. The results were rather... Interesting... i would love to post the videos of me working with this paper set, but i'd like to end this week with at least some of my dignity intact. So, instead, i will post some pictures below of how it worked. Enjoy.

While this may have seemed ridiculous while i was doing it; it did prove useful to the development of my staging in the location. The one thing that this technique didn't give me was a true idea of the scale of the location. But something like that will have to wait until we can use the space. I'm hoping to get my cast and props down to the location at the end of September in order to start the production phase and to give me a greater idea  of how to carry on and use the space more effectively.

Palette and Treatment

Palette and treatment are two things that need to be heavily thought about at the start of any production; as these factors help determine the edge and the representations created in the production. These can turn an ordinary production into one of many things.

Palette normally refers to lighting, props and the set used in productions to help the overall suggestion carried through. While treatment is more closly linked to how the factors discussed in palette will actually effect the emotion of the viewer.

For example, if we look at this video for Calum Scott's "dancing on my own", we can gain a clearer understanding of how these two factors can influence a production.

From this video we can see various themes start to emerge, creating a rather somber an gloomy mood. The costume, set and filter are incredibly washed out, lending to the topic of the song draining the artist. The use of the amount of people along with them all wearing plain white with blank expressions links to how they aren't the focus of his eye as he is too drawn to watching his lover or crush being taken away. 

My Main task presentation

Before the summer, we were tasked to create a power point and present our idea to the class. is an incredibly value stage in the formation of an idea as it gives us a platform where we can receive constructive criticism in order to further our idea and understanding of the undertaking. i presented my concept of a music video of "don't forget me" in this session and it was rather well received. But some questions were brought up with it. mainly linked to the treatment how much work i have to put in to create this performance based hybrid music video.

below is my presentation;

Main Task Breif by Ben court on Scribd

Nostalgia critic

Nostalgia critic is a character and series created by Doug Walker. In it, he reviews movies that are known to be awful and presents them in a funny, cynical manner. Mixed in with his reviews are little sketches and clips from other films to add to the comedic values. He's even done reviews for films that haven't been released by recreating the scenes and shots used in the film in a low budget style. Examples of films he reviewed this way are "Jurassic World" and "Star Wars; The Force Awakens".
an example of a review of his is linked below. Strong language from the start.

But Nostalgia critic doesn't just stop at film reviews. He also does shows where he treats film with a more serious edge and even discusses some interesting questions. Examples of series like this are his "top 11" series and, my personal favourite, "old versus New"; the title's being rather self explanatory. While these still feature element of his main show, they focus more on the good side of cinema rather than the rougher entries. below is his comparison between The old and New "Karate Kid" films. Again, strong language from the start.

I've been watching Nostalgia Critic for many years now and have learnt a lot from his videos; primarily in the fields of taking critical looks at films but also about having an opinion and running with it. While some of his jokes and little inputs may not hit the mark or can be confusing, it's been incredibly enjoyable watching his videos grow and develop over time. He is also head of a multi media review site called "that guy with the glasses". On this site you can find reviewers for almost all forms of media; along with some who do the behind the scenes entries or just talk about topics they are passionate. I couldn't recommend them highly enough. Below is a link to the site (now known as Channel Awesome).

Channel Awesome website

My main task idea

The push for us deciding on our main task was thrust upon us last lesson. While many people were still running through their options, I decided rather quickly and started to develop. I decided on making a music video for the Red Hot Chilli Peppers song "Dont Forget Me".

This song is based and written around a drug addiction. But, rather than focusing on the traditional view, it is taken from the addiction's perspective. This is shown through the lines "come again, get me exited" and the fact that a majority of the lyrics focus on the writer being aspects of the addiction, such as "i'm the bloodstain on your shirt sleeve".

The next task for the class is to make a presentation on our ideas.

Below is a link to the song:

Mumford and Sons- Lover of the Light

In the run up to summer, our main objective is to decide on what main task we are going to do. For me, I have narrowed it down to either a music video or a short film. This is because I feel like I have the greatest experience and interest in these two mediums rather than radio dramas or podcasts. That being said, I now have to make my choice based on examples of each of these mediums. Firstly, I will look at "Lover of the Light" by Mumford and Sons.

This video, starring Idris Elba (one of my favourite actors at the moment), focuses on the life and journey of a man trying to connect back to the world. However, he is restricted by one factor. He is blind. I think this is very well played however, as there is no real sign posts provided. Instead, it is all done through props and the actor himself. One of my favourite scenes in the video is when he is about to leave the house but his grasp falls on his cane. The use of the hand shuddering amplifies his frustration and sadness about his condition and how it is his biggest restraint.

This theme of restraint is key to the flow of the music video, as it focuses a lot on him being free to roam and being one with nature. But, there still exist timly reminders that he is not well (such as the cane).

As music videos go, I like how much this one carries a story. Many exist just to carry the music or to give it greater depth to the experience for the viewer. This one actually follows a story and has quite a strong narrative and focuses on quite a melancholy theme of disability and isolation because of it.

Course layout A2

For the course this year, we are given a wider variety of options of main task compared to last year where we had to do an opening sequence. Paired with this choice, we have to complete two other smaller tasks related to our main. These options are all shown in the powerpoint below. Apologies for the length of the power point.

Media Studies - A2 Course Layout by Ben court