SCRIPT
USE:
I used a range of shots throughout my music video. The
narrative consists of a wider range of shots, including high angles, low
angles, pans, zooms and over the shoulder shots to give more of a film like
feeling. And my performance consists of close, medium and long shots including
some angle shots to clearly display it as being a performance as defined by
Richard Lester’s conventions set in the music video for ‘If I Fell’ by the
Beatles.
I kept to Goodwin’s Media Theory that the pace of the music
video should be complementary to the music accompanying it thus resulting in a
slow paced music video with shot durations being longer than that of a typical
pop video. Furthermore, I implemented this theory into the editing style with
both cross fades and fades to black being longer than usual.
Another one of the conventions of a real media product I
used was symbolism. I found symbolism is ripe in the music video industry
through my research into existing music videos such as Formation by Beyonce,
featuring symbolism of police brutality and references to Malcom X and Lady
Gaga songs such as Bad Romance symbolizing the sexualisation of the industry. I
decided to symbolize themes of death at the beginning of the video with
multiple shots of a church and graveyard, and towards the end of the video with
footage of a noose. Furthermore, I overlapped an image of an angel whilst the
artist is looking to the sky but also incorporated shots of ‘fireball whiskey’
symbolizing an alcohol addiction. As well as this, the logo for the brand is an
image of the devil which is the binary opposite of the angel as defined by Levi
Strauss.
Another music video I researched was ‘Coming Down’ by Five
Finger Death Punch. The song is about suicide awareness and explores many of
the same themes. I used the basic narrative structure of this video within
mine, showing the negative side before the positive side. In this music video,
the protagonists are saved by a friend and a parent. My protagonist is saved by
Samaritans Trust by talking to them on the phone after being told they can help
by a friend. The phone number is featured in my music video similar to ‘Coming
Down’ where it is featured at the end.
DEVELOP:
I developed Todorov’s narrative theory so that my music
video started at the stage of disequilibrium rather than at a preexisting
equilibrium. This was to thrust the audience directly into the music video,
striking them with its topicality and thus hooking them early on.
I developed the narrative taking it away from its original
meaning. It is actually about the best friend and guitar technician of the lead
guitarist passing away. I reinterpreted it to refer to male suicide, almost
like a suicide note mixed with the thoughts flowing through the protagonists
mind. To reinforce this idea I included the writing of a ‘suicide note’ within
the music video, featuring the song’s lyrics. I incorporated most of the things
that stereotypically go along with suicidal thoughts, such as drug and alcohol
abuse, but kept self-harm out of the music video as suicide and self-harm do
not have to coincide with each other. Furthermore, instead of basing the
narrative over a 24 hour period it is set over an indefinite period of time
which is shown through the multiple costume changes and forms of lighting.
CHALLENGE:
I challenged the forms and conventions of real media
products by using a vulnerable male protagonist, rather than a vulnerable
female. This is because of the overshadowing topicality behind the video being
that male suicide and depression is much higher because males don’t talk about
their issues. The stigmas attached to the topicality are often portrayed as
being emasculating. Therefore I believed it was correct to challenge the
current products in the industry.
Furthermore, I negated the sexualized nature of the
industry. I made sure my work consisted of entirely non-voyeuristic shots and
my artist remained fully clothed in all but one shot which only revealed his
shoulders and head. I did this because the industry, as seen through the works
of Beyonce and Lady Gaga, is highly dominated by the corporations whom use
sexualisation of both males and females to sell music. Furthermore, it would
also be highly inappropriate to do it when the topic of the video is so
sensitive, yet it has been done before in the industry as seen at the beginning
of the music video for ‘Coming Down’. As well as this, in music videos were a
male protagonist is portrayed is weak they are often ‘nerdy’, however in my
music video I made sure my protagonist looked like an average, everyday man to
challenge the stigma surrounding the topic.
In Conclusion, I have followed typical conventions of music
videos but also took some of them further, developing them and other
conventions I have done challenged completely, doing the opposite of what is
the industry standard.
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