Research for Shoots A2 Media G324 Music Video

1. By George Ring

2.  When looking at hair and makeup in my artists
music videos, I found a recurring theme. Many of
the actors used in the videos are shown to have long
hair.This also relates to my singers - Jack Garratt’s
common hairstyle.
 As most of the people in his music videos are men,
makeup is not commonly used. However some
subtle makeup may be used among the actors to
hide away blemishes.

3.  After looking at my artists common themes for hair and makeup. I then
decided to look at pop music videos and see what the trends were in hair
and makeup.When looking at this, I decided to look at whether makeup
was exaggerated and also the impact in which it had on the feel of the
music videos.
 Female pop stars tend to use makeup in their music videos to conform to
the theme of the song. One of the most notable example of this is by Lady
Gaga, in the music video for ‘Telephone’. This video has a very artsy feel to
it, Gaga is seen having slightly enhanced makeup with bright red lips.This
attracts the viewer to her lips and enhances the idea that she is singing
the song. She also has her hair in rollers, however these are not just
normal rollers.They are made from cans of Coke.This stands out to the
viewer who is able to show the creativeness of the artist and give her a
unique character in the industry.Throughout LadyGaga’s videos, she is
shown to be creating different styles.
 Male pop stars seem to use hair and makeup differently. Instead of
creating a character, they often seem to use their own style and keep it
consistent throughout their music videos.This allows the audience to
associate a style of music with the artists singing it. Males also tend to be
shown in music videos without them being the artist, for example, female
singers use men to convey their emotions too.The audience is able to link
the lyrics of the song to those who are in it.They also tend to be
sexualised, either by being topless or partially naked.

4.  In my music video, I wish to have an urban theme and
I will get my actors to have a slick style of hair. By this,
I will try to use an actor with hair which can be
changed to suit different scenes in the music video. I
will use makeup to cover blemishes and mask spots,
however I will not use it in a way in which it can be
used to exaggerate certain features.The makeup will
be subtle and consist of purely concealer.

5.  Years andYears have their own style,
and in there music videos we can see
them maintaining this style as a
band. On the right, we can see three
different screenshots of each
member of the band in their music
videos. In this we can see that they
wear clothing which is similar to that
worn in society by men of the same
age. It also suits their indie approach
to music, by using baggy clothing
and soft colours.

6.  Costumes are a big part in popular music videos.
It is a way of creating a style and enhancing all
aspects of music videos.This includes a location, a
dull location can be enhanced by the colour and
vibrance of costumes used in music videos.
Females often use costumes in more artistic ways
and see them as iconic to a song and a music
video. For example, Britney Spears used costume
in her music video ‘Toxic’ and it is still
remembered to this day. In this instance, I do not
feel as though I will use the same costumes in
which artists such as Britney Spears and Katy
Perry use in there’s as it is not relevant to my
song.The song in which I am using is much more
slowed down and does not have the same tempo
as others I have studies, which is enhanced by the
use of costume.The costume I will be using is the
day to day clothing of a young male.

8.  Props is not such a big thing in my music video, however they are useful
in normal music videos in giving the character a direction and enhancing
a narrative. One of the most common I can think of is the use of the
mobile phone. As they have become the biggest technological gadget, I
feel like they are used for several different ways.As a source of
communication, they are also used to take pictures and for browsing the
internet.
 Props commonly used in music videos include money, weapons
(depending on the genre of music) and also other props which are
specific to a location of a music video. For example, for Katy Perry’s
‘Roar’ music video, she is sat on a throne in the jungle. Connoting that
she is the ‘Queen of the Jungle’.This is also genre specific as it would not
be as effective in a Rock music video where the lyrics and tone do not
relate to the style of the location and therefore the props used. In my
music video, I am tempted to use a mic stand instead of the artist just
singing into the camera.

9.  Adele is one of the biggest female artists of the century,
and in her most recent video ‘Hello’, she is seen using an
old mobile phone to talk to her ex partner.This stands out
as she decided not to use a modern phone, instead she has
used an older mobile phone.This connotes that she is
showing the audience the timeframe in which the music
video was filmed. We are also unable to see what she is
doing on the phone, which suggests it is personal to her
life and she is explaining what is happening by the lyrics
and tone of the music video.

11.  In my music video, I wish to use the city of London
and capture the hustle and bustle of the city. I am also
torn between shooting in them morning at sunrise,
and also filming in the evening. If I was to film in the
morning I would be able to capture the beauty of the
sunrise and also how the atmosphere is affected by
the use of people and how it changes through the
movements. If I was to film sunset, I would
alternatively be able to capture the idea of people
being tired after a long day at work, and how they
change from there work lifestyle to a social one.

12.  In pop music videos, locations are often created to suit the tone of
the song.They also use different locations from around the world,
as they know it will reach out to audiences in those countries who
have seen the places they live shown in videos. Urban music
videos film in the city often show people messing around, young
people on bikes and generally show it in a negative light. I want to
show mine in a positive light, and look at it as a community rather
than a city.
 I also want to use a stage for one part of my shoot, where I will film
an actor either singing with a microphone stand as though they
were performing to people. However, I do not actually want there
to be anyone in the audience.This will make the stage feel raw and
also as though it is more personal than using an actual audience.