The Tie Of Movie And Music

 The Tie of Movie and Music

Once movie and music began to develop, they decided to join in order to offer the best entertainment for audiences. This all dated back since the 1900's where the silent movie soundtrack mostly consisted of a piano. But, 15 years later scores were beginning to be used and in the 50's movie musicals were created ('Singing in the Rain' by Gene Kelly). 

But, the highest peak for movie musicals was in the 60's as soundtrack sales flourished. For instance, music in movies which were especially popular are Westside Story and Yellow Submarine. 

Examples of some films which became a major success because of its involvement with music is 'Easy Rider' starring Dennis Hooper, Peter Fonda and Jack Nicholson- the soundtrack was a collection of rock songs which had a huge influence on the genre. As well as big orchestral music such as 'Jaws' and 'Indiana Jones: Raiders of the lost ark'. 

From the examples above, it shows that the combination of the two can be a powerful tool for music promotion. It not only increases the artists platform, but widens their audience which can then lead to more sales and a raise in their profile. Nowadays, an example of how an artist became successful through this is Adele. She was apart of the Skyfall soundtrack which clearly boosted her career and allowed her to reach out to a larger audience which was made up of different age ranges and nationalities. The theme song reached number 1 in several countries and received an Academy Award, Golden Globe, Brit and an Oscar!

Other examples where artists have gained popularity and expanded their audience through movie music is 'I See You' by Leona Lewis (Avatar), 'Safe and Sound' by Taylor Swift (The Hunger Games) and 'Decode' by Paramore (Twilight). 

Evolution Of Music Videos

The Evolution of Music Videos 

Since the 1920's, music videos have developed and come a long way through the growth of technology. What really sparked their popularity was the creation of MTV in 1981. As more people began to tune in to the television channel, it quickly became the artists longest promotion tool of the decade. 

Once MTV was launched, the very first video released was 'video killed the radio star' by The Buggles. After this, more successful artists featured their music videos in the hope of receiving a promotional deal. 

As more and more music videos were featured on the channel, the competition grew meaning that more money was invested into each artists video. However, Michael

Jackson wiped the floor by releasing the very first big budget music video called 'Thriller'. The production was incredibly costly being over 1 million dollars! 

Although, the man himself then topped this by releasing 'Scream' featuring Janet Jackson. Despite the successes of Michael Jackson's music videos, other artists also contributed money towards their videos in order to reach the pinnacle of fame and familiarity (like Madonna and Guns N' Roses). 

Nevertheless, everything changed since the launch of You Tube in 2005. This program made it easier for fans to get closer to their most admired stars. Also, it reflected that music promotion was becoming more successful online due to easier access as well as offering a new platform for musicians in terms of elevation.

Concept Based

Types Of Music Videos 

Concept Based

Narrative Based

Involved Around The Artist

Performance Based

Video Analysis

What particularly interested me about Natasha Bedingfield's 'Strip Me' music video was the transitions and alterations of her look in each take. This method appealed to me as its something which can help build my beginning idea but also make my video seem more entertaining. Bedingfield's video uses a lot of extreme close ups and direct address to the audience. This particular camera work will be effective in my basic idea and will match with what I'm trying to achieve. Also, what really caught my attention was the mise-en-scene (the paint, dirt and lace). The use of this gives it a unique twist in comparison to others and helps the artist to become more memorable (more likely of promotion). Adding to that, to top it off is the variety of different filters- black and white, sepia, high in brightness and saturation. Lastly, the video includes variation in lighting such as spotlight, bleaching and even her silhouette is shown in a few shots- all of these are included to help with the recognition of the artist. Overall, the features which i have listed above are what i might involve in my idea (especially the shadowing/silhouette).

Video Analysis

Again, this falls into a similar category as the video below (i like the use of balloons in the beginning shot). The ideas that i have come up with so far which could be included in my idea is the frequent use of split screen. For instance, i could split the screen into 2, 4 or 6 parts which could either include faces, locations or random images. If i used faces i could film it in a way in which the people in my video could interact with each other e.g a person in one part of the split screen could look towards another in a different part of the split screen. Adding to that, the faces that are split into sections could move to alternating parts in relation to the beat. Plus, each individual could be wearing/holding random objects (sunglasses, balloons or different hair/makeup) and can be in a different setting (in the woods, at home, on a street or in a field). Another thought that i have conjured up is by getting people who are included in my idea to hold up an individual word (the lyrics) on a piece of paper. With this, they could hide behind the paper and move it so a new person would appear. To help explain my concept is a scene from one of my favourite movies which is mean girls (minus the phones obviously):

Video Analysis

'Kickstarts' by Example caught my attention whilst surfing the expanse of You Tube. There are many reasons why I liked this concept based music video as the combination of media techniques is what makes it successful to me. In terms of Camera shots, what stands out is the use of extreme close ups so we can establish the artist which can then lead to the likelihood of promotion. Also, the mise-en-scene is simple, but effective as it includes everyday objects which are personified to be apart of a human body. Plus, the filter and colourisation give a refreshing take on the video which could be something I could contribute to my idea. Split screen is also another great post production digital effect which is clear in this media- something I am keen on including in my idea since the very start of this project. However, overall what caught my attention was the quality of editing in this video. It uses a lots of cross cutting, eyeline matches and is in rhythm to the music- common techniques that i will definitely consider.

Myself

Molly McConnell, 17 years old, A2 Media Student

Greetings,

This is my first post which expands my A2 media studies coursework. Our task is to create a music video which requires creative ideas and aspirational brainstorming as well as two digipaks for the artist or song. This topic of media work is particularly exciting for me as since I've gotten older, my fascination with the music industry and its functions worldwide have grown. I'd especially like to expand and elaborate my music knowledge and explore more of the artists which interest me. In terms of a basic plan, I've decided to research into music promotion and look at the different styles of work associated with music genres. Along the way, I will mention what videos I find inspiring and hopefully get one step closer to my final idea.