Wednesday 11 December 2013

Filming Day Three 13/11/13 (Sabrina)

On Friday 3rd November, my partner Emma and I filmed the 'Magazine' scene (for the second time).
Before we began filming, we prepared our model for the shot, applying the make up and doing her hair etc. While I put on the make up and did laurens hair, Emma set up the camera to a medium shot so we were able to make the shoot more time effective.

In preparation for this day, we brought in costumes and props in accordance to the scene; we dressed our model wearing 'fashionable' stand out clothes. Her costume and makeup consisted of black 'flattering' eye makeup, foundation, blusher and subtle pink lipstick, her costume was kept reasonably basic yet effective with just a sparkly top and black leggings.

Using the story board as a reference we began shooting Lauren and doing the basics such as miming and dancing. However Lauren part in the music video is to determine whether or not the outfits we put the main protagonist in are fashionable enough or not, therefore we had to do a lot of different takes showing her approval or dismissal. Lauren also has to show the audience that the main protagonist has won a competition from the magazine for this we simply printed out a magazine style 'you're a winner' and made Lauren dance whilst holding it.
Overall the shoot was a success gaining the shots we needed for the final video, this was due to prior organization and the preparation before the shoot. This enabled us to get all the shots we needed quickly with time to get back up and experimental ones.
 
We had to reshoot this scene because the first time we shot everything portrait in hopes to create a magazine around her. However, this backfired because everytime Lauren moved her arm or part of her body would get cut off which looked silly on a landscape screen.
 



Wednesday 4 December 2013

Filming Day Two 29/11/2013 (Emma)

 
On Friday 29th, my partner Sabrina and I filmed the hippy scene and made sure the mise en scene fitted with what we wanted for our music video. In preparation for this day, we brought in costumes and props we thought would fit with the hippy style we wanted to give our model such as the flowy multicoloured dress, coloured eyeshadow, flower headband and festival wristbands. We set the studio lighting up together and agreed which lighting looked best in the lens of the camera. Before we began filming, we prepared our model for the shot, applying the make up and doing her hair etc. While Sabrina put on the make up, I set up the camera to a medium shot so we were able to shoot quicker, I made another person stand in front of the white wall and framed the shot around them.



When we were ready to film, our model stood in front of the lens and we told her what she needed to do during filming. As her role was a hippy, she needed to do peace signs and flowy dancing. So she felt more comfortable, I played David Bowie's 'Fashion' (The song used in our music video) and Sabrina and I stood behind the camera telling her what moves to do. Emily was really good at acting out the shots so it wasn't hard for us to get the shots right first time.



After we had got the shots we wanted for the medium shot, we decided to record some extra scenes from a different angle. As I set up the camera to a medium close up, Sabrina told the model what she wanted her to do next which was mime some of the lyrics from the chosen song. Continuing to play the song, she mimed the words "Fashion" and "Beep beep" to the music. These are shots that we intend to include in our music video if we need anymore shots to fill up space. We are now waiting for the next Friday to film another scene because this is the only time me, Sabrina and Emily are free at the same time.
 

Filming day one 22/11/2013 (Sabrina)

On Friday 22nd, my partner Emma and I filmed the 'Goth' scene, for this scene in particular we made sure that the mise en scene fitted with the steareotypes of a goth before we started filming we made sure that the lught was slighty darker than the rest of the scene to create the right atmosphere. Before we began filming, we prepared our model for the shot, applying the make up and doing her hair etc. While I put on the make up and did emilies hair, Emma set up the camera to a medium shot so we were able to make the shoot more time effective.
In preparation for this day, we brought in costumes and props we thought would fit with the goth style, we dressed our model wearing sark clothes and using the story board as a reference. Her costume and makeup costisted of dark eye makeup, black lipstick, pale face, straight dark hair, black 'funeral for a friend t-shirt, black skirt (tights) and 'gothic' cross necklace
After we had got the shots we wanted for the medium shot, we decided to record some extra scenes from a different angle. As Emma set up the camera to a close up, we asked her to mime some of the key words in the song to do this we played the song and she mimed the words "Fashion" and "Beep beep" to the music. These shots can be used with a montage of other stylised (hippie, denim, boy, geek, glamerous) clips at the ending when the song fades; if we need.

Overall the shoot was a success gaining the shots we needed for the final video, this was due to prior organisation and the preperation before the shoot. This enabled us to get all the shots we needed quickly with time to get back up and experimental ones.

Tuesday 3 December 2013

'Media Effects' (Sabrina)

Hypodermic Needle Theory.
·It is the media injecting messages into our head and forcing us to consume about basic stereotypes and common ideologies before we can make our own opinions.
·Developed in the 1920’s and 1930’s.
·Not valid anymore, disproved by more modern theories.
·The theory says that an audience will absorb all of the intended information; they will unknowingly believe anything they see.
·Also known as the magic bullet theory.
·The Hypodermic Needle Theory implies that the mass media has an incredibly powerful and direct effect on the audiences.
·The War of the Worlds was a broadcast that was said to inject an opinion into the minds of the unknowing “gullible” public who would react in the desired way.

Relating to my music video:
The media often injects the idea that fashion is important in the world and to be conscious of how we look, the majority of people in our society are self-conscious about themselves due to the way the media makes us feel like we need to look. This results in low self-esteem for many and helps the beauty/ fashion industry successful as a result. Fashion is always changing, which my chosen song 'Fashion' implies heavily, telling the audience that if you want to be in fashion, it is important to keep up to date and look a certain way. The mass media wants the mass audience to comply with the fashion industry, and those that do are seen as a 'passive audience'.

The Two Step Flow Theory
(1940) Lazerfeld et al conducted a full scale investigation on the effects of political mass communication; they focused of the 1940 presidential election campaign that was published in 1944. They found that people are more likely to be influenced by other people rather than the mass media and that they would be more likely to consume an opinion leader’s ideology because they are respected.
Based on the hypodermic needle theory which is the simple mass media gives a mass audience a message to absorb. Lazerfeld found the effect of the media was minimal and much more influenced by opinion leaders and more likely to respond to people they trust and know. Limited effects: Lazerfeld et al concluded that only 5% of people change their voting behaviour as a result of media messages. Exposure to election broadcasts turned out to be a relatively poor predictor of their voting behaviour, particularly when compared with other factors such as their interpersonal communication with friends, family, colleagues etc.
Relating to my video:
My music videos narrative goes on the basis of the hypodermic needle theory in that the 'geek' girl is easily influenced by the mass media and wants to be like the girl on the magazine. However my 'preferred' reading for the audience is that the she is being manipulated by the media and in the end sees this and is tired of changing to fit in. therefore becoming an 'opinion leader.'
The media often injects the idea that fashion is important in the world and to be conscious of how we look, the majority of people in our society are self-conscious about themselves due to the way the media makes us feel like we need to look. This results in low self-esteem for many and helps the beauty/ fashion industry successful as a result. Fashion is always changing, which my chosen song 'Fashion' implies heavily, telling the audience that if you want to be in fashion, it is important to keep up to date and look a certain way. The mass media wants the mass audience to comply with the fashion industry, and those that do are seen as a 'passive audience'.
Applying this theory to the advertismnet of our finished video would reflect us as opinion leaders using social networks such as facebook and twitter to recommend the video to our peers
 

Thursday 28 November 2013

Application of Theory (Sabrina)

Marxism
Karl Marx (1818-1883) was a German philosopher who believed that material goods are at the root of the social world. He said that dominant classes create dominant ideology; how culture is constructed in a way that enables the groups holding the power to have maximum control with minimum conflict.
He believed that the power was held by a minority group - the 'elite' or 'bourgeoisie', he also said that the mass or 'proletariat' labour to help them make a living. An example of this in the UK on a small scale is the north south divide.

Marxism relating to my video: Marxism relates to my video in the way that the fashion industry is also changing and you need to have the last trends to be unto date and 'fashionable'. My music video also demonstrates how fickle the fashion industry is with the consumerist idea that we need material objects to feel good, beautiful and happy with ourselves.

Richard Dyer 
(1983) is a representation theorist he studies the representation in media generally and looked at how media texts represent themselves to society and and audience. He looks closely at the ideological and historical significance of film stars, but also looked at media in general. Dyer observed in his study that it is how are seen that determines how we are treated and how we treat others is based on how we see them.
Relating to my video:

My music video is unrealistic of the real world but is a critique of the fashion industry in that the female protagonist initially want the hegemony of wanting beauty and fashion but then rebels by using her own ideology and creativity to be individual.

Binary opposites - Levi Strauss

- Hero and Villain

they are usually the basis of understanding of a story as it is a conventional narrative and enables an equilibrium. the use of binary opposites in a media texts helps to develop plots and the narrative. the link between ideological values of the world enables climax and increases interest. 
relating to my video:
In my video i use two women as binary opposites, one of them is the 'ideal' beautiful, successful model on the cover of a magazine and the second is a lonely girl reading the magazine wanting to be her. This is were the equilibrium is broken by her wanting to be something she's not. The contrast of the binary opposites throughout the video help to create a contrast and makes the female protagonist and the audience the same common goal.

Tim O'Sullivan et al

(1998) 'ideology can be argued' O'Sullivan argues that the mechanism by which a ruling group tries to decline and control the ruled. for example, the powerful want teenagers, wearing hoodies, to be represented as dangerous gang members with negative connotations.



Terry Eagleton - 'Nobody has come up with a single adequate definition of ideology'

Because of ideology we have ideas about the world that we live in. Because the media is so powerful it can control what and how ideas are portrayed to an audience/consumer. The more powerful  you are to society the more control you have over how messages are given to an audience.
Relating to my video:
This can relate to my video in terms of power in the narrative. When the supermodel on the cover of the magazine decides the 'geek' girl should be like her, everything changes for her. This is producing the ideology that every should follow the the 'rich and powerful' as they have the most influence over us. It is also representing the the 'geek' girl as something that should be changed and she should not be encouraged to be herself because it is against the ideology of the society she is in.

Feminism (Laura Mulvey)

Mulvey argues that women in the media are being objectified and made to use their sexuality to sell or make media texts more appealing. Mulvey observed that females view through eyes of a man through 'the male gaze' which is the perspective of a hetero male.


People view artists and celebrities in 3 different ways -
  1. How men look at women
  2. How women look at themselves
  3. How women look at other women
The male gaze focuses on
  • Emphasising curves
  • Referring to women as objects
  • Display of women is how men think they should be perceived
  • Female viewers view the content through the eyes of a man
Relating to my video:
In my video there are two examples of different types of women, one of them is objectified by the media, made to look glamorous on the magazine, and trying to influence women to act this way. The other woman is showing the effects of the 'male gaze' in that she thinks the woman on the the magazine is so 'ideal' she even wants to be her and not seeing the fact that she is been shown as a sparkly object that is easily disposable. One of the overall meaning in my video is showing that audience how women are portrayed in the media through the platform of a magazine cover, it show the woman to be perfect (smile clothes,face, hair, body) and creating an unrealistic sexualised expectation of women.

Stuart Hall
Cross over theory
  • The hypodermic needle model suggests that the information from a text passes into the mass consciousness of the audience unmediated, i.e. the experience, intelligence and opinion of an individual are not relevant to the reception of the text.
  • This theory suggests that, as an audience, we are manipulated by the creators of the media texts and that our behavior and thinking might be easily changed by media makers.
  • It assumes that the audience are passive.

This before and after shot of britney spears being photoshop is reflective of the fashion and beauty industry giving people an unrealistic expectation of their bodies, as the people who look like this in the media dont even look like this themselves.
 
Reception theory
  • This is an active audience theory which sees the audience as being actively engaged in the interpretation of the media texts rather than as passive consumers. Individuals receive and interpret  texts in different ways.
  • This theory demonstrates that even though one message is sent out not one understanding has to made from that text
  • This theory allows for the media text to be consumed individually and takes into consideration the meaning of a text and the relationship an individual may understand from this in relation to sociological factors.
The study of semiotics
  • This theory says that media texts are encoded by the producer (the people who make media texts) and that these texts are full of ideologies values and messages)
  • The text is then decoded by an audience, however not all audiences will decode and respond to the text in the same way. In some cases not how the producer intended
The study of semiotics
This theory says that media texts are encoded by the producer (the people who make media texts) and that these texts are full of ideologies values and messages)
The text is then decoded by an audience, however not all audiences will decode and respond to the text in the same way. In some cases not how the producer intended
How encoding and decoding works
When a producer creates a text it is encoded with a meaning or a message that they want to convey to a mass audience. This is called the preferred reading.
This reading will sometimes be correctly decoded by the audience and the encoding will have been successful. 
Audience types
Hall identified 3 audience types for decoding or reading of texts:
  • Dominant or preferred - How the producer wants the audience to view the media text and agree with the message it is conveyed on a dominant scale.
  • Negotiated - The audience don’t agree with it full, don’t think it’s fully covered their opinions
  • Oppositional - Were the audience rejects the preferred reading and creates their own meaning for the text, reject the message and disagree.
Audience factors
  • Life experience
  • Mood at time of viewing
  • Age
  • Culture
  • Beliefs
  • Gender
Extending the concept of an active audience, individuals can receive and interpret a text, and how their individual; circumstances (gender, class, age, ethnicity) affect their reading.
 
Relating to my video:
Applying this theory to my media text through the eyes of the 'three audience types' would be difficult as our preferred reading is the opposite to what it is conventionally. for example in my video there is a woman on a magazine posing being beautiful and 'ideal'. Conventionally the preferred reading would be that women want to be be and aspire to her, the negotiated would be that they want to look like her but it is unrealistic and finally the oppositional reading would be that is it trying to make women feel bad about themselves through false expectations. However my music video is a mockery of the fashion industry and my preferred reading is that it is superficial and it's what's inside that counts. This is shown through the use of the red painted hands showing that she may not be a super model on he cover of a magazine but she has a good heart and that's what won it for her in the end.

Uses and Gratifications Theory
The 'Uses and Gratifications' model represented a change in thinking, as researchers began to describe the effects of the media from the point of view of audiences.
•The model looks at the motives of the people who use the media, asking why we watch the television programmes that we do, why we bother to read newspapers, why we find ourselves so compelled to keep up to date with our favourite soap.
Blumler & Katz (1974) argued that audience needs have social and psychological origins which generate certain expectations about the mass media, leading to differential patterns of media exposure which result in both the gratification of needs and in other (often unintended) consequences. This does assume an active audience making motivated choices.
The underlying idea behind the model is that people are motivated by a desire to fulfill, or gratify certain needs. So rather than asking how the media uses us, the model asks how we use the media.
The model is broken down into four different needs.
  1. Surveillance - The surveillance need is based around the idea that people feel better having the feeling that they know what is going on in the world around them.
  2. Personal Identity - The personal identity need explains how being a subject of the media allows us to reaffirm the identity and positioning of ourselves within society.
  3. Personal Relationships - Many people use the television as a form of companionship. This may seem sad, but think about how many times you've watched the TV on your own, or with other people but sitting in silence. The television is often quite an intimate experience, and by watching the same people on a regular basis we can often feel very close to them, as if we even know them. When presenters or characters in a soap die, those who have watched that person a lot often grieve for the character, as if they have lost a friend.
  4. Diversion - The diversion need describes what's commonly termed as escapism - watching the television so we can forget about our own lives and problems for a while and think about something else.
However the use of retrospective 'self-reports' has several limitations. Viewers may not
know why they chose to watch what they did, or may not be able to explain fully. The
reasons which can be articulated may be the least important. People may simply offers
reasons which they have heard others mention. More promising might be the study of
people's engagement with media as it happens.
Relating to my video:
This can relate to my my video in the way that the media is not fully satisfying her need with
the 'FASHION' magazine and instead of just looking at her on cover of the magazine she
actually aspire to be her. In this sense the media is not doing it's job properly and instead of
settling her curiosity it has made her jealous and heightend her expectations. This relates to
her personal identity as a acharacter as the subject of the media allows has reaffirmed the
identity and positioning of herself within society. therefore she has let herself become a
consumer of society and the media. it also relates surveillance as the magazine fulfills
her need to know what is going on in the world around her, and letting her know what she
should look and dress like hense her changing to fit in


Wednesday 6 November 2013

Shot and Schedule List (Emma & Sabrina)

Photography room (White screen) (Scheduled for:18/11/2013)

Shot 1, 6, 10, 21, 24
Close up of red beating hands

Shot 7
Medium shot of geeky girl stood getting make over, hands come and put dresses on coathangers against her

Shot 8
Medium shot of girl stood, hands come and put make up on her

Shot 9
Medium shot of girl stood in towel, hands come and do her hair, put rollers in etc

Shot 11
Medium shot of girl posing in 60's costume

Shot 13
Medium shot of girl posing in goth costume

Shot 15
Medium shot of girl posing in boy costume

Shot 17
Medium shot of girl posing in all denim

Shot 19
Medium shot of girl dressed in white dress


Bedroom (Scheduled for: 16/11/2013)

Shot 2
Extreme close up of female leads face - eyes moving

Shot 4
Medium shot of geeky female lead reading magazine in her bedroom (Zoom out from magazine to medium shot)

Shot 5
Medium shot of her reading magazine (YOU'RE A WINNER comes out of magazine cover)

Green Screen (Scheduled for: 13/11/2013)

Shot 3
Medium shot of posing magazine woman

Shot 12, 14, 16, 18, 20
Medium shot of magzine woman with thumbs down shaking head

Shot 26
Medium shot of magazine woman with thumbs up smiling


Garage (Scheduled for: 23/11/2013)

Shot 22
Extreme close up of paint platting to left

Shot 23
Extreme close up of paint platting to right

Shot 25
Medium shot of girl covered in paint in the white dress

Shot 27

Red painted hands beating, zoom out to reveal woman in dress cleaned up wearing jewellry posing for photoshoot. Edit flashes in

Final Costumes (Sabrina & Emma)

(LEAD)

MAIN OUTFIT (Geek)

  • Geek style glasses
  • White shirt
  • Tweed blazer
  • Black skirt
  • Black tights
  • Black shoes

Hair & Make-up

  • Natural make-up
  • Hair in high pigtails


GOTH OUTFIT

  • Black skirt
  • Black tights
  • Black jumper
  • Cross necklace
  • Black shoes

Hair & Make-up

  • Pale foundation
  • Black eyeliner
  • Black eye shadow
  • Black lipstick
  • Black lowlights in hair
  • Lip ring

HIPPIE OUTFIT

  • Colourful long dress (long wavy arms)
  • Peace earrings
  • Colourful headband
  • No shoes

Hair & Make-up

  • Twiggy inspired make up/
  • Bright eyeshadow
  • Rosy cheeks
  • Curly big hair (bumpit)


BOY OUTFIT

  • White shirt
  • Tie
  • Black/navy suit jacket
  • Fedora hat
  • Jeans
  • Brogues

Hair & Make-up

  • Minimal/ no make up
  • Fake facial hair
  • Hair under hat


DENIM OUTFIT

  • Denim shirt
  • Denim jacket
  • Denim jeans
  • Denim hair head band/ hair ties
  • Light denim shoes

Hair & Make-up

  • Blue eyeshadow
  • Clear lipgloss
  • Natural skin

WHITE DRESS OUTFIT
  • Plain white dress
  • White pump shoes

Hair & Make-up

  • Natural make up
  • Wavy natural hair


FINAL PAINT OUTFIT

  • Paint splatting/ tie dye dress
  • Jewellery
  • Sparkly shoes

Hair & Make-up

  • Sparkly eyeshadow
  • Red lipstick
  • Curly done up hair

(MAGAZINE ROLE)

MAIN OUTFIT
  • Fashionable top
  • Fashionable skirt
  • Pumps
  • Jewellery

Hair & Make-up

  • Smokey eyeshadow
  • Long blonde hair

Health and Safety Production Assessment (Emma & Sabrina)

Possible heath and safety issues and solutions1 - There is a lot of use of red paint in the video, and to ensure that this is safe I will make sure that the leading female does not have allergies to paint and I will make sure that the red paint we use is suitable for skin.

2 - One of the shots require us flicking paint at the leading female including it going in her hair and face. To ensure that this doesnt go in her eyes I will make sure that there are no shots of the paint flicking at her face so that we can do this bit carefully and use protective goggles when doing this section.

3 - Our video requires the use of extra lighting, these lights have long wires which are easy to trip on. To ensure that trips do not happen I will make sure that the wires go around the edges of the room so that nobody falls on them. A fall over these could result in the smashing of a hot light bulb or an injury of cast or crew.

4 - For a small section of our video we require the green screen. The lighting creates heat and when in a small room like the green room everyone is likely to become too warm. I intend to keep the doors open and bring in a fan to cool down this area, also ensuring I hide the wires from the fan to make sure no one trips.

5 - I will always make sure to locate a first aid box before filming and on a new location just in case it is needed and there is no one there to help therefore I am able to get straight to it.

Hazards
Who Is At Risk?
Controlled Measures
Severity of Injury
There is a lot of use of red paint in the video.
Emily (Female Lead)
To ensure that this is safe I will make sure that the leading female does not have allergies to paint and I will make sure that the red paint we use is suitable for skin.
Rash/Allergic Reaction – Medium Risk
One of the shots requires us flicking paint at the leading female including it going in her hair and face.
Emily (Female Lead)
To ensure that this doesn’t go in her eyes I will make sure that there are no shots of the paint flicking at her face so that we can do this bit carefully and use protective goggles when doing this section.
Low Risk
Our video requires the use of extra lighting; these lights have long wires which are easy to trip on.
Cast and Crew
To ensure that trips do not happen I will make sure that the wires go around the edges of the room so that nobody falls on them.
A fall over these could result in the smashing of a hot light bulb or an injury of cast or crew.
-High Risk
For a small section of our video we require the green screen. The lighting creates heat and when in a small room like the green room everyone is likely to become too warm.
Cast and Crew
I intend to keep the doors open and bring in a fan to cool down this area, also ensuring I hide the wires from the fan to make sure no one trips.
Low Risk
Any minor injuries.
Cast and Crew
I will always make sure to locate a first aid box before filming and on a new location just in case it is needed and there is no one there to help therefore I am able to get straight to it.
Low Risk

Anamatic (Sabrina)



This is the animatic for mine and Sabrina's music video. It shows each shot which we are going to take for our music video which is Fashion by David Bowie.