SOCIAL MEDIA: Artist Research

In order to begin creating a social media account and planning the posts, I selected 3 artists: Sabrina Carpenter, Maisie Peters, and Lucy Blue as they have a similar style and target audience to Olivia Cox, who's posts I also analysed. Through this research, I am able to create a draft of planned social media posts and my viral concept, as well as analysing comments and interactions. 

PRODUCTION: Costume Breakdown

Below is a powerpoint breakdown of the costume choices of my music video. 

PRODUCTION: Young Olivia Additional Scene

I felt that there was not much storytelling in my video after my audience feedback members described it as  under the performance (Frith) category. To change this, and also create more contrast and widen my appeal, I decided to include a 'young' Olivia element. I was mostly inspired by the music video below, which features the singer speaking to her younger self in her bedroom. 

I asked my sister to pose as the younger Olivia, and dressed her in a way for her to look younger and create more contrast. I have detailed the costuming and control of mise-en-scene below. 

AUDIENCE FEEDBACK

Rough Cut 1:

For my first audience feedback, I asked my classmate Clodagh as she is the primary target audience for the video. She took notes on editing and narrative improvements, and I asked her to focus on constructive feedback rather than positive as this is my first draft and I have a lot to improve. 

Here is the feedback she gave me:

• Remove dateline 
• No blurry shots 
• Remove shake 
• Have a clearer narrative, group locations together
• Add a coin clink at the start
• Remove sped up walk in the door
• Remove house footage, reflection looks bad
• Layer cars
• Shorten walking at start 
• Keep tram shots together 

Rough Cut 2:

I asked my media classmates to watch the video and give me more technical feedback. 

These are the improvements they suggested: 

- Add colouring, maybe a LUT

- Add titles 
- Remove initial mirror shot, doesn’t tie in with narrative
- Remove second pool sound effect
- Add a pool balls close up
- Add a plane overlay
- Match clips to the beat
- Add fade to black 

PRODUCTION: Rough Cuts

Below is an overview of my rough cuts and the changes made between them. 

Rough Cut 1:

Below is my initial rough cut for the music video. This is mostly editing and storyline based. 

Rough Cut 2:

Changes since last rough cut:

- Adjusted jukebox sound 

- Improved visual quality

- Removed cars

- Switched initial clip 

- Added transition

- Added walking video and transition

- Changed walking in speed and started later

- Removed tram shot and added Mudam shot

- Added screen and overlay

- Zoom into baby picture and slower speed

- Added blue lady 

- All house shots overlays

- Zoomed in blue woman to remove tripod

Rough Cut 3:

Changes since last rough cut:

Added coin clink and CD whirring

• Slo-mo keys
• Close-up and darkened close-up of baby picture
• Added plane overlay
• Keyframed car overlay
• Added transition to diner scene
• Added transition from diner to tram
• Adjusted colouring on car overlay
• Added transition from walking to bar
• Added transition from bar to airport
• Adjusted brightness on elevator shot
• Adjusted timetable overlay
• Stabilised airport walking shots
• Sped-up end clips and matched them up with the beat
• Removed timecodes

Rough Cut 4:

Changes since last rough cut: 

• Added colouring LUT
• Added titles 
• Removed mirror shot
• Removed second pool sound effect
• Added pool balls close up
• Added plane overlay
• Added overlay of looking out of window at final montage
• Matched clips to the beat
• Added fade to black 

Rough Cut 5:

Changes since last rough cut: 

• Isolated sound effects (made them louder)
• Smoother plane overlay
• Added heart shot instead of mudam
• Used one take for repetition (“down in the process”)
• Removed walking diner shot and switched to booth
• Added match in action to Elvis wall

For the competition, I submitted the previous rough cut. However, I felt I was still missing some details such as small editing mistakes, as well as including a form of contrast as the video seems very monotonous as I have been told through audience feedback. I have added scenes with my sister posing as the younger Olivia, which are linked in better detail here. 

Rough Cut 6:

Changes since last rough cut: 

- removed "directed by" 

- added a second shot for "down in the process"

- added bokeh at 1:25 to match sonic drop

- scaled up door opening to create match cut

- added flashing effect to transitions

- transformed shots to include more close-ups

- added masking at 2:30 and made left side overlay darker 

PREPRODUCTION: Planning

After meeting with Olivia, she sent me the demo for her track "23", and I began by listening to it and exploring the narrative of the lyrics. As she is based in Luxembourg, but not originally Luxembourgish, my concept is based around Luxembourg heritage sites and well known locations for her to represent the country and connect better with the people and industry here. This would tie in to my social media competition strategy, where fans would take and post pictures in these locations in order to win a signed physical product. 

*the original demo was titled "Run-Away"

I then created a general visual idea for the track, by using previous examples. 

I then created a basic storyboard using BOARDS, but as I used the free plan I had a limited frame number and download capability so I didn't continue. However, this helped me visualise my main ideas and I created a shotlist. 

Runaway Shotlist by Laura Fagan on Scribd

Although my shotlist is more of a lyric sheet, I prefer having a general but concrete idea which allows me to expand on when shooting. 

I scouted some locations for the shoot as well which are detailed below. 

PRODUCTION: Overview

SCHEDULE:

Tuesday November 21st - Olivia Cox meeting

Thursday November 30th - External Shoot day

Thursday December 7th - Greenscreen and Airport shooting

Tuesday December 12th - Initial Rough Cut

Thursday December 14th - Final Rough Cut 

Friday December 15th - Competition Entry Deadline

Monday January 1st - Digipack Completed

Wednesday January 31st - Social Media Posts Fully Uploaded

BUDGET:

I was aiming to shoot the video for free, but was prepared to spend around $20 if necessary in order to film in certain locations such as bars and restaurants.
    Transport: Free (free in Luxembourg)
    Diner: $21.75 (milkshake and burger)

    Pool: $2 (ball)

      Total Cost: $23.75

HEALTH AND SAFETY:

Potential Hazards: 

    - Rainy weather

    - Fog and low visibility

    - Extremely cold weather

    - Stolen/lost equipment 

    - Damaging equipment

    - Cars going past on busy road

    - Filming on tram tracks

Steps to Cut Risk: 

    - Waterproof clothing and equipment containers

    - Filming in visible areas (e.g. not on main roads)

    - Warming up in a restaurant/bar, planning these scenes after long periods outside, bringing extra clothing 

    - Packing all equiptment into a single and secure bag

    - Schedule shooting days when weather is clear

    - Shooting on tracks or road when tram/cars are far, or a safe distance away

EVIDENCE OF DIRECTING

DIGIPACK: Process

For my digipack, I decided to create a basic mockup of my ideas so I had a clearer idea of what to shoot. Since Olivia has left the country, I won't be able to have as much control for a shoot over the phone as I would in person, so I will be shooting myself. For this reason, I can't use any images with my face, and have created the concept below based on my inspirations, which can also be found below. 

Below is a timeline of my digipack process, with a video below that describing the reasoning for my changes. 

DIGIPACK CONVENTIONS: Electro-Pop Breakdown

 

INDUSTRY ARTICLES: Music

Below are various article summaries taken from RSS feeds at the bottom of my blog page, on regulation, technology, and music industry case studies. 

DIGIPACK CONVENTIONS

I began my digipack research by breaking down the main 10 conventions and finding examples to better understand what a digipack is and the variation. This is illustrated below. 

I also selected some CDs I had at home to analyse physical examples and compare them. 

I further broke down the CDs I analysed in the presentation below: 

EXTERNAL PRACTICE

In this post I will be explaining some of the external events and exercises I have done over the year, and how they relate to my coursework. 

MUSIC VIDEO DAY (OCT):

On October 10th, my media class planned a "Music Video Day", where we would shoot and edit a recreation of a music video. We chose "Hit Me Baby One More Time" by Britney Spears as there are a lot of locations that we can shoot around school, a large cast to practice co-ordinating, and an iconic look that can be easily denoted. 

We separated the video into 5 scenes: gym, outside, classroom, car, and corridor. I made the shotlist for the gym scene so that we could recreate it exactly on the day.

Britney Gym Shotlist by Laura Fagan on Scribd

We ran into several issues, such as co-ordinating the Year 9s to help us recreate the choreography, which was very challenging since not all of them were enthusiastic, and the choreography was quite hard. There was some issues with the locations we had planned and the timing was very tight so we weren't able to get all the shots we wanted. 

The original video can be seen in the bottom right corner. 

Reflection: As a class, we were not well prepared for the shoot which is a good exercise for remembering the details in the shortlist in order to make the shooting easier. I would also have preferred a more enthusiastic group such as the Year 8s in the classroom. Using the right locations would have also looked more impactful but I think that we achieved the majority of the shots, and the choreography or movements. It was initially hard to shoot with the DSLR due to the set-up as I don't have as much practice with it but I enjoyed using it and quite easy. The editing was also straightforward as there was a clear template and the adjustments in colour correction and transitions were easy to add and looked very effective. 

LOST WEEKEND FILM COMPETITION (OCT):

On the weekend of the 20-22 of October, Sasha and I participated in the LOST WEEKEND: Halloween Edition. The challenge was to make a short film in 48 hours, using the prompts "Is that even politically correct" and a mask, with the genre of revenge. The experience was very fun and we were able to apply a lot of what we learnt last year for our film. It was also good practice for shooting on a short schedule and being as efficient as possible. 

Below is the short film "Sleep-Over" that we made. 

HORNY HENRY MUSIC VIDEO "ELECTRIC FOOT SCOOTER" (NOV):

A local Luxembourg band called Horny Henry asked Sasha and I to make a music video for their song "Electric Foot Scooter". The band members said they wanted a humorous video that reflected their message, and little performance footage. 

We started by watching music videos with scooters to get a vague narrative idea, and created a storyboard on paper. This also included props, costumes, and locations. 

Once we had planned the narrative concept, we found actors and scooters and planned shoot days. This was very hard as we all had different availabilities and wanted to get the shoot done before the start of November, but we found a day with good weather and completed the shooting within a few hours. 

    Since the narrative is quite limited, we decided to attend a concert held by the band to get some performance footage and lighten the pressure on the narrative. This was also challenging as the band members did not want their faces shown, and we had to work carefully with framing. 

For the video, the editing was quite easy. Sasha created the overlays and I inserted them into FCPX. This was also the first time I've worked with a LUT, and it was a lot easier than colour correcting myself. I did colour correct the band shots, simply by turning up the brightness to red, which was easy to do and effective. 

Overall I am quite happy with how this turned out and the band is as well. It was good to practice planning and shooting for a different format than film, and experiment slightly with colour correction. 

As I entered the video into a competition, the band decided to alter some of the colouring, making it black and white, the entered video is below. 

TEDX LUXEMBOURG CITY (NOV): 

I have been working as a marketing/social media intern for TEDxLuxembourgCity since February 2023 and this is my third event with them. I've been able to gain some work experience in the social media/marketing sector, as well as being given a chance to develop promotional ideas and work as part of a larger team. This is especially helpful for the social media promotional aspect of the coursework, as I have a real world comparison. 

AUDIENCE: Research and Survey

In this post I will break down my audience research and the survey I carried out, as well as defining my target audience. 

The logo and brand image creation post is linked here. 

The original survey is linked here, and the interview with my sister is below. 

laura fagan </3 · 15 female Olivia Cox audience research

TARGET AUDIENCE

Based on my audience survey (linked here) I have defined my target audience as: 

Gender: 
    - primary target: females

    - secondary target: males

Age: 

    - primary target: 15-24+

    - secondary target: under 15/25-34+

In conclusion, my primary target audience is females 15-24+, with the secondary target being both genders aged 24+ or females under 15. 

LOGO Creation and Brand Image

The audience survey is linked here. 

ELECTRO-POP CONVENTIONS

I will be analysing 10 music videos, and breaking them down into the electro-pop genre conventions. 

The genre conventions I researched are presented below.

CONVENTIONS: Olivia Cox

As I am unable to access the chosen song from the artist, I have analysed her previous music video conventions in order to better understand her style and see what ideas I could borrow. 

Olivia Cox Conventions by Laura Fagan on Scribd

PITCH

For my initial pitch I decided to create a moodboard of my intended visuals for the song, which is "Unlock It" by Charli XCX. I have a general idea for a performance based video using greenscreen as I am working alone, and I am also planning on being the performer. 

Initial A2 Pitch by Laura Fagan on Scribd

For my second pitch, I altered some of my ideas and added details for the gaps in my project. As I would be recording myself filming with my phone, I opted to use a DSLR Camera to shoot. For the green screen background, I would use apps such as Procreate or Adobe Fresco as I found helpful YouTube tutorials for animated background creations. I would also want to include some behind the scenes footage of the green screen for a "quirky" element, and illustrated my ideas visually with more concrete examples. 

As filming myself alone could be very complicated, I contacted a local artist named Olivia Cox who would want to work with me, but is currently making the song she would use for the video so I am unable to plan that already. 

Laura Second A2 Pitch by Laura Fagan on Scribd

 

POSTMODERNISM

Postmodernism- is a philosophy and textual analysis stance focusing on the removal of modernism's "grand narratives" and the certainty of knowledge and meaning. A postmodern text typically features self-critique such as irony or satire, and rejects binary opposition (Levi-Strauss) and linear narratives. This can be found across art, literature, and film, but music video is by design a postmodern text, due to its elliptical (Vernallis) nature.

Deconstructionism- is an approach to understanding the relationship between text and its meaning. It is part of postmodernism as it also believes in the disregard of true textual forms over appearances. 

Simulacrum (Baudrillard):

According to his 1981 book "Simulacres et Simulation", Baudrillard defines simulacrum as:"The simulacrum is never that which conceals the truth—it is the truth which conceals that there is none. The simulacrum is true."

In the book, he examines: "the relationships between reality, symbols, and society, in particular the significations and symbolism of culture and media involved in constructing an understanding of shared existence." 

According to Baudrillard, symbols and signs have replaced meaning in society, and that the human experience is a simulation. 

Simulacra refers to "copies that depict things that either had no original, or that no longer have an original", while simulation is the "imitation of the operation of a real-world process or system over time."

Possible influences: 

The conventions of electro-pop could be seen as simulacra, my evaluation question responses are a simulacrum of previously established codes and signifiers. I can also intertextually reference (Kristeva) other media formats and that would create a simulacrum.

QUEER THEORY

I read the book "Queer: A Graphic Guide" by Meg-John Barker and Jules Scheele, and have made notes on some queer theories I was interested in. 

Queer: Originally referring to strangeness or difference, and became an abusive term that is now being reclaimed. It operates as an umbrella term for people outside of the heterosexual norm. 

Michael Warner, "The Trouble with Normal" (1999) “We queer things we resist “regimes of the normal”: the normative ideals of aspiring to be normal in identity, behaviour, appearance, relationships, etc”

Post-Structruralism: the rejection of the idea that any single, universal, absolute “truth”. The critique of systems of thought that make claims to uncover truths, such as science and religion, as well as grand narratives such as Freudian theory and Marxism. Knowledge cannot be neutral or objective, it’s contingent on systems of power, and it shapes the power relations between people. Post-structuralists also offer, multiple, contradictory, readings of texts, as there can be no single true meaning. 

Queer (De Laurentis) Conference in University of California in 1990, then published in “Queer Theory: Lesbian and Gay Sexualities”, with early focus on sexuality. Refusing heteronormativity, sexuality is shaped intersectionally, post-structuralism theories examine power relations within sex, sexuality, and gender, destabilising the normative understanding, and exposing the construction and performance of sexual and gender identity. 

Queering (Queer Reading): A technique to challenge heteronormativity by analysing texts, in order to assess gender, sexuality, oppression, and identity politics. E.g. re-examining Shakespeare texts for homosexual behaviour. 

Micheal Foucault: The panopticon surveillance metaphor, a self-monitoring society, neo-liberal consumer capitalism, Bio-Power, bodies and normality, discourses and technologies of the self, power relations.

Judith Butler: Known for creating queer theory, identity politics assumption, the heterosexual matrix, gender performativity. 

Heteronormativity: Micheal Warner, the normal or natural form of attraction in relationships is culturally deemed to be that of a man towards a woman who naturally embody conventional gender roles and norms. Other forms of sexuality and gender are viewed as abnormal and everyone is assumed heterosexual until proven otherwise. 

Homonormativity: Susan Stryker, captures the way in which gay and lesbian became the primary identities associated with the LGBT movements of the 80s and 90s. We see homonormativity as the safe depictions of gay best friend/parents in TV and film.

AUDIENCE THEORY

In this post, I will be breaking down the audience theories I have studied and how I intend to apply them to my products. 

MUSIC VIDEO THEORY

In this post, I will be breaking down the music video theories I have studied and how I intent to apply them to my products. 

NARRATIVE THEORY

In this post, I will be breaking down the representation theories I have studied and how I intent to apply them to my products. 

REPRESENTATION THEORY

In this post, I will be breaking down the representation theories I have studied and how I intent to apply them to my products. 

GENERAL CONVENTIONS: Vodcasts

After looking at the three music videos of mainstream pop singers across three decades, and wanted to compare them for an initial Vodcast. The in depth analysis are here: "Do It", "Hot n Cold", "Nothing Compares 2 U".

After this initial research, I will look more into various genres and specific conventions or exceptions I have noticed. 

For this vodcast, I selected 20 different videos of different artists, genres, and time periods, in order to illustrate a general convention I noticed within the music video text. 

GENERAL CONVENTIONS ANALYSIS: 10 Video Analysis

I will be analysing 10 music videos, and breaking them down into their general conventions. 

GENERAL CONVENTIONS: Overview

In order to start researching conventions in music videos, I decided to create an overview of the main conventions and understand what to look for when completing a general video analysis. 

Music Video Conventions Overview by Laura Fagan on Scribd

This is my initial presentation on genre conventions in music video, I will be using this as a guideline when breaking down any genre specific elements in my music video analysis'. 

INTRO: Thoughts on Past A2 Coursework

Bjork "Army of Me", by Chris and Alex (2022)

I think their use of green screen is very clever and saves a lot of time for setting and mise-en-scene. The costumes, hair, and makeup are all very quirky and reflect Bjork's style well. I liked the use of including lyrics within the video, as well as the speaking to each other through the lyrics. I liked the effects and transitions but I think that they made the video a lot less realistic and that some of the green screen footage is very blurry and unclear. There was also a lot of shot and angle variety within the performance element, and I like how it was combined with the narrative which is on a loop. Overall, I like the music video but I think the genre and style isn't something I would like to recreate. 

Billie Eilish "All The Good Girls Go To Hell", by Emma and Louis

I like the effects and use of colouring in the edit as I think it clearly achieved the intended style and would be easy to replicate. The varied and distinct looks and accessories show a different scene, and there is a narrative created by this as well as a series of flashbacks. The use of headphone promotion helps the video achieve verisimilitude and I also liked the different shots and zooms they used. I like this style of music video and would use a lot of its characteristics in my coursework.

Suede "Can't Get Enough", by Richard

I like the combination of both musical performance and a separate narrative he used, with the instrument playing being easily imitable. The initial editing and colouring as well as overall mise-en-scene fits the chosen genre well, as do the costumes and hair/makeup of the actors. The overlays used also help combine the two separate narratives, also seen in the final added scene which also added verisimilitude as this is common within music videos. Overall, the video was well made even if it isn't my taste and I enjoyed the absurd/surrealist elements. 

Astrid S "Bloodstream", by Evie

I really enjoyed this music video and feel like it's the most realistic one out of those I have seen. I think the shots in the water look very professional and are done well but can be easily copied. I also like how the editing speeds up or slows down according to the song. The choice of colours and lights in an urban setting fit well with the electronic genre, and a strong narrative is created within the video with a clear separation of the time, which was also helped by the variety of costumes and wigs. I like this style of music video and would use a lot of its characteristics in my coursework.

Girls Aloud "Jump", by HattieFaye

I like the setting which I think would resonate well with the target demographic of teenage girls. There is a sense of community and girlband that is also achieved well. The video is fun and matches the upbeat and lighthearted nature of the song, as well as colouring and effects in post-production. I don't really like this genre or video style but I think it was made well. 

Glossary/Media Language

Before starting my blog and research, I want to establish some key terms and media language I will frequently be using throughout, I will also highlight them depending on their category and according to the key in my introduction. For any media theories/theorists I will post separate blogposts in further detail.

Camera:

Angles:

Dutch- Tilted angle, denotes something is off

High- Looking down to a subject, makes the subject appear vulnerable

Low- Looking up to a subject, makes the subject appear dominant

Focus:

Deep Field- All of the shot is clearly in focus

Pull/Push- Changing focus during the shot, pulling/pushing from one subject focus to another

Shallow Field- The subject is the main focus of the camera and the background is blurred

Movements:

Pan- The camera moves horizontally 

Tilt- The camera moves vertically

Track- The camera follows a subject, referring to the tracks the camera is placed on to create a smooth movement

Zoom- Moving closer (zoom in) or further away from a subject (zoom out)

Shots: 

Aerial/Bird's Eye View- A shot from above in the perspective of a bird

Close Up (CU)- Subject is filmed closely and in detail, usually head and shoulders

Establishing Shot- Establishes the narrative and scene and reveals exposition of the narrative

Extreme Close Up (ECU)- Most detailed and narrow shot of a subject

Extreme Long Shot (ELS)- The largest shot type showing the subject from the greatest distance

Long Shot (LS)- Subject is framed from head to toes

Medium Long Shot (MLS)- Subject is framed from head to knees

Medium Shot (MS)- Subject is framed head to waist

Over the Shoulder Shot (OTS)- Subject seen over another subjects shoulder

Point of View Shot (POV)- A shot from the perspective of the subject

Reaction Shot- Subjects reaction showed within a sequence

Two Shot- Two subjects framed, usually showing a relationship/bond

Editing:

Continuity- A sense of reality and verisimilitude is created, also known as invisible editing as it should go unnoticed

Crosscut- Alternating scenes to create a sense of parallel action or to compare two scenes

Cutaway- A shot that interrupts an action by introducing an unrelated subject before returning to the original action

Ellipses- Time passing through editing

Flashback- Highlighting a past event and breaking the timeline or continuity of a media text

Freeze Frame- A pause in action to highlight an event or subject

Graphic Match- Ellipses achieved through a match of a visual element between two scenes

Jump Cut- An abrupt shot in the middle of an action sequence that is noticeably different and creates discontinuity

Match on Action- A shot respecting the continuity of he action and matches the preceding shpt, eg a door handle moving and then a door opening

Shot Reverse Shot- A sequence of action between two subjects which shoots one subject, then the other, and returns back to the original subject

180 Degree Rule- An imaginary line drawn between two subjects and the camera within a sequence, which cannot be crossed or will create discontinuity, important to keep within a shot reverse shot sequence

Key Language:
Connotation- A symbol or association made by a denoted element

Convention- A frequent element or reoccurring theme that becomes an expectation

Denotation- The literal meaning or visual detail

Genre- Reoccurring elements in media texts allowing for them to be grouped together into categories

Intertextuality- Use of symbols within a text to refer to other texts

Mise-en-scene- From French, meaning "what's in frame" and referring to everything seen within the frame

Signifier- An important detail with a symbolic or deeper meaning

Verisimilitude- The attempt to create a text that is credible and as close as possible to reality