Music Video Idea #1- Rizzle Kicks 'Keep it up'

• My first idea for a music video is the song 'Keep it up' by Rizzle Kicks. They are a hip-hop duo from Brighton and best known for dance and hip-hop classics such as 'Mama do the Hump'. The music video I have in mind would follow the narrative of the song which would mainly be a performance. The beginning would start with the performers matching what they are singing in the song as the song itself quickly narrates catchphrases such as 'I'm better than a dinosaur, with a shiny sword' where the performers would be lip syncing this whilst also pointing at each of the objects they are referring to. The objects would either be props or animation depending what is easier to do/looks the best. Costumes would be casual clothing such as t shirts and skinny jeans. The narrative would follow the whole way through the song however at some points acting/actors may be used to narrate a different part of the song that isn't being performed. 

  

  Costumes such as this including sunglasses

  
  
  For stylistic elements I would like to use animation to show the different objects at the beginning as this would make the video stand out and also it would be easier to get exactly what I have in mind after a day of shooting. The video would fit in with the track by narrating the story as it goes but also be quite comedic with the performers being cheeky chappies which fits in with the brand image of the artist. 
  
  
  
  
  During pointing at the animations the artist would be singing to the camera and gradually walking forward. On the shoot day the performers will not see anything there when pointing as that will all be put in during post production. 
  
  
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Wix vs Wordpress

Wix

Set up

The set up of Wix is very simple as you can use Facebook and google to create an account, meaning you wont have to put your email in etc. Therefore the set up process takes only a few minutes, stress free. This is appealing to the aspiring website designer as anyone can make an account. 

Wordpress

Wix

 Wordpress, on the other hand, uses a fairly simple 5 step programme with different stages. There is no social network sign in option meaning that it does take slightly longer than Wix, but this is not a problem.  Overall, there was no problem with either of these set ups, however its a bonus that Wix is very simple.




Themes
Wix had very interesting and different themes, however there wasn't a huge selection that came across as 'professional'. However is was very easy to pick a theme and to make it how you wanted it to.

Wordpress

Wordpress has a huge selection of different themes which do come with a professional look. Therefore I prefer the themes the wordpress use over Wix.

Wix

Overall
I preferred Wordpress for its professionalism and its easy set up factor. Despite the fact that Wix was easier to use when creating the website, the finish product of Wordpress was worth the time and effort put into it. However I would still enjoy using Wix very much.

Wordpress

Lip Sync Task

 

What did you do to prepare?

I prepared for the shoot by learning the lyrics and thinking about what shots might look good by watching the original video and similar videos. However I did not know what sort of set we would be dealing with so had to prepare the shots that may be used against a simple blank wall. 

What did you do in the studio?

In the studio I thought about Dyer's star theory and how the acts should be shown and what sort of audience would listen to the song. Therefore we all portrayed a happy and smiley image by dancing energetically and singing directly to the camera, similar to what Taylor Swift does.  

What did you learn?

I learnt that confidence in front of the camera is key and for an act to be believable they have to be sure how they are going to perform to convey the message they want to an audience. In addition I learnt how to use a camera on tracks and the techniques to get a steady shot such as keeping the actors eyes in the top 3rd of the screen and always look at the camera screen. I also learnt that on a clapper board the reading at the end are frames as we recorded at 25fps.  

What did you do in the editing suite, what steps did you take to cut the video?

We first brought the clips onto the timeline that we wanted to use/were interested in using and matched them up to the clapper bored programme we used so the video we filmed was in sync with our lips. We then chose the clip we wanted to appear at the beginning of the video and dragged the other clips back so they were ready to be used next. Following this we chose our second clip and continued to drag the other clips further back keeping them in order and still sync-able to the music. We repeated this step and cut at every beat/place we felt was the most appropriate and interesting to cut. 

What did you learn about editing a music video?

I learnt that it is absolutely crucial to get the mouths to sync up with the music otherwise the video will look fake and unprofessional. In addition, I learnt that a good moment to edit is on a beat/at the end of a phrase otherwise the video may become jumpy and disorientating for the audience.

Did you make any mistakes on the day? How could you shoot or cut the video more effectively next time?

The main mistake we made was not knowing what the set was going to be/look like as we could have planned choreography around the small set areas to look more professional. In addition we could have had more experience with the cameras we were using as one I had never used before and therefore was unsure how to gain a premium focus for the camera. This would have led to a quicker and more efficient shoot which I can bring next time. 

Why have I made these decisions to the website- Annotations

I have kept with the green theme to contrast with Ed’s current album, ‘Multiply’ which has a large green cover. In addition, his tour is promoting the green aspect and has green staging so as he is an organic artist (following Negus’ theory) I believe that he would have corresponding colours which he is known for. I have put acommunity page as Ed is known for having a tough upbringing so will want to communicate with his global fans through popular social networking sites as well as the fact this is free advertising for the artist. The banner across the top of the homepage has been carefully selected to show Ed looking directly into the camera, meaning that when fans log onto his website they believe that they are being loyal to him as they may be manipulated into thinking that he knows they are on his website and are showing commitment. They also may feel more involved with the artist, but still not knowing enough due to his absence, following Dyer’s star theory. Likewise with the photos page that I have included, it shows how Ed is just a cheeky chappy who fits the boy next door look enabling fans to relate to him and feel close to him by following what he does. I have included an about and gigs page to show fans who Ed is and enabling them to see him live by following his gigs which is making Ed money. Finally I have included a STORE page as most famous artists have a store and merchandise shop such as t shirts as it is a great way to make money as well as free advertising for the artist such as an Ed Sheeran T-Shirt that is worn around a busy area. In addition it helps fans show their commitment to the artist in which they can boast about how much they love their favourite band/artist. 

Wordpress Homepage- Ed Sheeran

Homepage

Advertising his new tour dates and music videos

Here is the link to my website for Ed Sheeran. Visit this to read why I have chosen the layout and tabs for this particular artist.

Wix Homepage

Here is the link to the website I have created using WIX: http://maxboast.wix.com/rudimental

Homepages- Chase and Status & One Direction

The point in a website and homepage is to give fans of an artist/band information about them and lots of detailed information including: news, gigs, dates, pictures, contact, community, about the band and more. This is used for sales and promotion to make fans aware of an artist and lets people know everything about the band. Successful and popular artists will likely have a merchandise shop where hard core fans are able to purchase products from the artist including: mugs, t-shirts, mouse mats etc. Since the increase in social networking sites and youtube, the websites are likely to include music videos and links to their twitter and/or Facebook page. You are raising awareness for the band and it is free to access. The people who actively look for the websites will be a fan of the band/artist whilst allowing for technological convergence. The most important thing of a website as a medium is the fact that it can be constantly updating, allowing fans to constantly buy into the product of the band and allows the artist to stay trending, cool and current. 

Chase and Status

Chase and Status are an upcoming successful drum&bass/ dance duo who produce tracks that are often played at parties and clubs around Europe. Their target audience is 16-25 year olds as this is the age teens and young adults go on holiday/party. The point in Chase and Status' homepage is that it enables fans of their music and/or dance music to see what they are all about and follow Dyer's star theory by knowing enough to like them but not knowing enough to make them seem mysterious and interesting. Their website features everything you'd expect from a successful bands/artists website including news, social networking, gigs, releases and a store. They need to have all of these aspects so fans can know the minimum they want/need to know about an artist to fall in love with them and find out as much as they can about them. It also helps with the promotion of the band as they can advertise new albums/merchandise on the website meaning this can be updated at all times and constantly evolving and keeping up with the times. Technical elements of their website include a blurred image of themselves with a logo covering them becoming symbolic. In addition video clips have been used enabling fans to watch what they are currently producing. A photos page displays some more technical and symbolic representations. The overall message and ideologies of their website is that they are showing their fans that they are a cool and new band which is shown through their bold colour scheme and text but they don't need to show they care tremendously about their fans like One Direction do as their target audience isn't small-teenage girls.

One Direction

Keeping fans updated with 'Extra Tickets' leading to a great form of cheap promotion

One Direction are currently the biggest boyband in the world with a target audience of young-teenage girls. The people visiting their website will likely be teenaged girls as they will have a lot more access to the internet than younger girls. They are likely to be ‘fan girls’ and their main interests will likely be following bands and using Twitter. Technical elements on their website include the selfie the boys have taken on the stage, a close up with smiling faces to look like they are happy and constantly enjoying what they do. It also includes their fans in the background to show to the viewers of the website that they really care about their fans. The fact that the fans are screaming behind the band reinforces Dyer's star theory making them look godly and is helping to construct them as a 'star'.  The website is making fans feel close and connected to the band such as being able to read their 'journal' making them feel like the guys next door. The overall message the site is trying to portray is that they are a current, popular boyband who care about there fans tremendously to manipulate the teenage girls emotions. 


The comparison of the websites from two completely different artists and genres show how a target audience and conventions form a band and therefore their website.