Young Love in Retro Style

MUSIC VIDEO PITCH
Maisie Radley

<date/time> <footer> 2
BRIEF MUSIC VIDEO HISTORY
Although the origins of the music video dates to ‘Musical short films’ that appeared in the 1920’s. Their
prominence in pop culture came from the 1980’s when the channel MTV based their format around this type
of medium. Prior to this, videos were described more as an ‘illustrated song’, ‘film insert’ or ‘song video’.
Musical films from the 1930’s-1950’s was another important precursor to music video – this was a major
inspiration to create videos specifically for music. These music films even became sources of intertextuality,
such as ‘Diamonds are a girl's best friend’, from the film ‘Gentlemen prefer Blondes’, which inspired
Madonna's ‘material girl’ music video in 1985.
At 12:01am on August 1, 1981, history was made when MTV, the first 24-hour video music channel,
launched onto our television sets and literally changed our lives with the birth of the music video. The first
video ever played on the network was quite ironic — "Video Killed The Radio Star" by The Buggles
Since 2005, the rise of YouTube has seen music videos as some of the highest viewed videos of all time
with Luis Fonsi’s reggaeton hit Despacito being the biggest global megahit. The song went to number one in
47 countries and made the top 10 in a further six.

CODES AND CONVENTIONS OF
MUSIC VIDEOS TO KEEP IN MIND
 Codes and conventions are the different techniques used to construct meaning in music videos. Audiences
can become aware of these conventions through repetition.
 Style – Animation, performance, cameo, interpretive, concept or narrative
 Camera shots and movements – includes tilts, panning and tracking
 Editing – how the video will ‘feel’
 Lighting – can enhance mood
 Sound – the vocal and lyrical aspect
 Props – can add significance to an idea or assist narrative
 Colour – mood
 Costume – can fit with the genre of the piece

 KEY POINTS TO NOTE
 Mass Audience
 16-25
 ‘Fun-loving’
 Three minute video
 Two characters representing two different
social groups
 Music video and Working website must be
created

AUDIENCE'MASS, FUN-LOVING AUDIENCE AGED 16-25'
The 'Mass-market' audience (often called a broadcast audience) is a term to describe a large
group of people who consume mainstream and popular texts of media. This is comparable with a
'niche audience' who consume a very specific type of media and is a significantly smaller group.
Mass products are often more for the 'everyday' person.
EXAMPLES OF WHAT HAS MASS
MARKET APPEAL
- Playstation – 344 million sales
- Family cars
- iphones/ipads
- Harry potter Book series
- Marvel movies and comic book series
- Disney films
The series 'Stranger Things' and the movie 'Grease' support the notion that
'retro' style items/media now have a mass market appeal in todays world.
This is arguably due to a resurgence in interest into 'vintage' products and
the feelings of 'Nostalgia' people get from this consumption. 'Stranger
things' is the most demanded and streamed show on Netflix proving its
success much like how 'Grease' has grossed $188,755,690 domestically
and $206,200,000 internationally.
For my own music video, I want to also use this inclusion of a 50's and 60's
vibe to enforce audiences to reflect on the video 'nostalgically'.

FOCUS GROUP
A focus group is a research method that allows a person to explore an
audience's opinion by asking a small group of people the same questions either
in person or via a questionnaire which can in turn inform the person on their
decision process revolving a product or in this case, a media piece.
My Focus group will specifically focus on people from a ‘mass, fun-loving
audience’ aged 16-25. I also aim to have people who do not fit this description
and are of a secondary audience to get some variety to my results. This process
will overall help me have a clear understanding of what the demographic of
which the brief centres on are specifically interested in and will look for in my
media product.

FOCUS GROUP
Avril – Primary Audience
Avril falls into the category of being
part of the ‘mass audience’. She is 17
and studies English literature, as well
as this Avril likes to go to parties and
hang out with friends.
Ava – Secondary audience
Ava is 17 and part of the secondary
audience as she particularly takes an
interest in the genre of Indie music and
regularly goes to ‘rock’ festivals like
‘Reading’ or ‘Community London’. She
plays musical instruments and sings.
Emmanuel – Primary Audience
Emmanuel is 17 and also falls into a
‘mass audience’ category as he also
likes to hang out with friends and
listens to pop music that is very
‘mainstream’ and played a lot on radio
stations like Heart and Kiss.
Emmanuel writes his own blog and
watches popular tv series like love
island.
Alfie - Secondary audience
Alfie is part of the secondary audience as
he has little to no interest in ‘pop’ music
that is played on popular radio stations like
Kiss. He is 20, skateboards in his spare
time as well as plays niche video games.
He also attends alternative festivals like
’boardmasters’ each year.

FOCUS GROUP
Avril – Primary Audience
• What is your general Taste in Music? Pop and R&B
• Who is your Favourite artist? Chris Brown
• What is your Favourite genre of movies? Comedies
• What is your Favourite movie? Dirty rotten scoundrels or Fred
• Who are your Favourite celebrities or influencers? Jade pierce
• Do you use social media and if so, what? Snapchat and
Instagram
• How do you listen to music? Spotify
• Do you attend concerts/festivals? No
• What is your favourite music video? Happier- Bastille
Emmanuel – Primary audience
• What is your general Taste in Music? Afro Beats and Hip Hop
• Who is your Favourite artist? Davido and Cardi B
• What is your Favourite genre of movies? Horror
• What is your Favourite movie? Wreck it Ralph
• Who are your Favourite celebrities or influencers? Robert
Herjavec
• Do you use social media and if so, what? Instagram, Snapchat
and Blogger
• How do you listen to music? Youtube
• Do you attend concerts/festivals? No
• What is your favourite music video? Single Ladies - Beyonce
Ava – Secondary audience
• What is your general Taste in Music? Indie and Retro
• Who is your Favourite artist? George Michael and The Beatles
• What is your Favourite genre of movies? Drama
• What is your Favourite movie? Lion
• Who are your Favourite celebrities or influencers? Ricky Gervais
• Do you use social media and if so, what? Instagram and twitter
• How do you listen to music? Youtube
• Do you attend concerts/festivals? Yes
• What is your favourite music video? Pennylane – The Beatles
Alfie – Secondary audience
• What is your general Taste in Music? Indie and Electronic
• Who is your Favourite artist? Mika and Everything Everything
• What is your Favourite genre of movies? Action and Drama
• What is your Favourite movie? Sing Street
• Who are your Favourite celebrities or influencers? Russel Brand, Chet
Sket and Johnny Depp
• Do you use social media and if so, what? Snapchat and Facebook
• How do you listen to music? Spotify
• Do you attend concerts/festivals? Yes
• What is your favourite music video? Wide open – Chemical brothers

INSPIRATION
Within These two videos I am interested in the narrative of
each couple and how parts of their story are portrayed in
short cut shots with a variety of angles, mainly being close
ups, which creates and attachment to the characters and
their life in the video. The Expression of each actor/actress
for example such as in ‘don’t delete the kisses’, brings the
piece alive for me as the audience as it makes me intrigued
in the main concept shown of ‘young love’ as the narrative
plays out.
For my Video I would like to possibly take inspiration from
the narrative standpoint of this ‘young love’ and explore
further the use of transportation in the video which gives
the videos a feel of constant ‘moving’ and may connotate to
how love is always changing and developing. Furthermore,
I feel this concept is relevant to the 16-25 demographic and
rather relatable. The idea of a fantasy romance is appealing
to a mass audience.
<iframe width="560" height="315"
src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Wqx
E-zppu30" frameborder="0"
allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-
media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture"
allowfullscreen></iframe>
src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/v4p
i1LxuDHc" frameborder="0"
allow="accelerometer; autoplay;
encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-
picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

INSPIRATION
Both ‘Supersoaker’ by Kings of Leon and ‘Buddy Holly’
by Weezer has clear intertextuality to the era of the
50’s/60’s as the clothing, makeup, style of filter and
colour suggests. This nostalgic vibe gives the video an
upbeat tone and plays into the playfulness of the lyrical
content of the song. A periodically set, intertextual video
appeals to my potential plans for my own project as I
believe the contrast of modern to old would be interesting
to an audience – it both entices a generation who may
recall such an era and also plays into the recent revival
of ‘Retro’ amongst the 16-25 demographic (such as how
‘Stranger thing’ has resurged a popular interest in 80’s
clothing and fashion). Furthermore, I could create clear
intertextuality to ‘grease’ and other films which is are
well-known classic films, inspiring an audience to watch
to see these ‘Easter eggs’ of intertextuality.
src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/iz
zY55ACUQo" frameborder="0"
src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ke
mivUKb4f4" frameborder="0"

PURPOSE
The intentions of my piece is to promote my fictional artists image
and boost their ‘sales’ as a singer. I wish to help the artist appeal to a
mass audience whilst retaining a ‘rockstar’ image and promoting
their love of nostalgia, old fashioned clothing and retro music.

VIDEO NARRATIVE CONCEPT
- The video starts by introducing the ‘star’, Henry, playing guitar and leaning into a mic with flashing neon
disco lights surrounding him, giving the impression he instantly is a ‘rockstar’ type figure. He is dressed
in 50’s attire and holds a black fender squire guitar. The camera cuts to where he starts performing in an
old American diner, playing his guitar. Then the image pans to the rest of the diner where people are
eating and socialising, listening to the music Henry plays. From here it moves to the moment where the
singer sees a girl, also in 50’s style clothing, and it is insinuated they fall ‘instantly in love’ as their eyes
meet.
The rest of the narrative cuts between his performance in the Diner during chorus to sequences in the
verse of a ‘dreamlike’ state where he and the mysterious girl are spending time together at the beach(1),
park(2), Arcades(3) and Cafe(4). As The story and song draws to a close, it seems she is disinterested
in the reality of the cafe and she walks out towards the door. However, at the songs end she walks into
the café again which he is performing in and the audience sees them lock eyes and smile as she
exchanges her number to him on a little note.
(The cheesier the narrative, the better. The video is meant to remind viewers of similar retro themed
films that also are very dramatized and false. This relates to a theory by Blumer and Katz which states
audiences watch movies and consume media to 'escape from reality'. )

MAIN STARS/ACTORS
HENRY MCATHRY-WILLIAMS /
(STAR NAME:HENRY)
- The fictional artist the piece
focuses on. The aim is to promote
his ‘edgy, retro’ image to the
mass, fun-loving, 16-25 year old
audience.
EMILY CROSS
– The mysterious girl Henry first
notices in the cafe who is dressed
in 50’s attire.

COLOUR-
-Vibrant pinks and reds
- Her lipstick specifically will be Hollywood red to match the theme of vintage
nostalgia
- Turquoise filtering (supersoaker vibe)
PROPS-
-Guitar
-mic and amp
- Retro glasses
- Diner food – diner milkshakes (iconic) and American food
- ‘the note’
- Lipstick
- ‘Pink lemonade’
- 50’s/40’s props
LIGHTING-
-Bright and bold lighting
- Synthetic light to ensure there is no darkness in video
- Colourful lights in the diner – adds to star quality of artist
-Neon lights at the start of the video to add to Henrys ‘rockstar’ image
COSTUME-
-Specifically 50’s and 60’s style clothing
-Different sets for each scene shot in a different location to give illusion of it
being a ‘different time’
CAMERA SHOTS-
-I want to use close ups to make the piece very personal
- Specific Section to be filmed in a panning action in one take
-I want to cut multiple scenes (dream vs diner) in a flowing, fluid way
-Fade in and fade out
- Tracking artist camera shots
EDITING-
-In the post production phase I want to make sure my piece is flowing and succinct – the pace
should match the upbeat and cheerful tone of the song
- I would capture of the first scenes of the café in one take and then cut together detailed
shots between
- I would make clear The memories/flashbacks between the artist and love interest
LOCATION-
-Holly’s Diner/ 50's style diner
- Beach
- park/ picnic
- Arcades/ theme park

POSSIBILITY OF INTERTEXTUALITY
GREASE
• Diner scene from film
• Fairground scene
• Beach scene – this scene initially was also intertextual with the
movie 'From here to eternity' which in turn I can also reference in
my piece therefore.
DIRTY DANCING
• 'Picnic scene'
THE NOTEBOOK
• Fairground scene - fairgrounds (through repetition in media) are
associated with love and romance
• Beach scene

MIS-EN-SCENE
I want the overall mis-en-scene to be aesthetically pleasing and resonate the
vintage/retro look I want to achieve through intertextuality; I wish to use turquoise,
bubblegum bright filters in the editing stage to further aid this.
The fun, upbeat lyrics and tone should resonate in the piece, as well as the
emotional side to the song connoted by heartfelt lyrics. Furthermore, I want to
convey these emotions of the music through my actors expression, telling the
romantic tale of love at first sight. Also, I hope to relate to the audiences ideas or
fantasy's they may have about ‘young love’, hopefully appealing to the mass
audiences thirst for nostalgic, retro imagery at the same time.

Young Love in Retro Style

Recommended

Recommended

More Related Content

What's hot

What's hot (20)

Similar to Young Love in Retro Style

Similar to Young Love in Retro Style (20)

More from candidate5209

More from candidate5209 (9)

Recently uploaded

Recently uploaded (20)

Young Love in Retro Style