Reflection: 3/9/11

Reflection
Following the selection of the music video genre and AOI, all that was left to choose the song and start building towards the film. When we initially selected a song, we found it unsuitable for an AOI. We attempted to adapt it to the AOI by finding a meaning that could link it to Health and Social Education which was pointed out to be wrong because the film we are making is designed to promote and explore the AOI. Trying to forcibly alter the meaning of the song so that it will fit the AOI doesn't work like that so we looked out for another song that allowed to us to what the former failed. We started and looked into the script writing for the film as a basic outline of the film would encompass, and from there on the story was created providing us with details that would allow us to progress into the storyboard phase next class. However, this experience was different to the other because unlike creating our own story and lines, we had to adapt the scene to the song which allows us to learn about that form of film while simultaneously learning to adapt to changes rather than always freely doing what we want because things don't work like that.
Evaluation
Within this 80 minute class, we were a bit distracted looking for songs, rapidly discussing but not doing anything really productive in that time. However, in the middle of those enthusiastic discussions, we managed to get somewhere, selecting the song and even starting and finishing the first draft of the script meaning our class was quite successful. We could have worked better by focusing more on the task at hand, and assuming could we may have been able to start the storyboard but the current progress is actually reasonably good because relative to other groups, we worked hard and are now a bit ahead.

Reflection: 3/3/11

Reflection
Today, there was not much going on but rather a continuation of the previous lesson as well as the subtle beginning of the next topic following the completion of the warm up film. The goal is to make a music video, thus my new group and I continued to explore the dimensions of what music videos were made up of, namely their camera techniques, angles, video effects, cuts etc. Also, in order to gain a wide variety of culture surrounding various country music video styles, we explored several culture's music videos. It was found that in every single type of culture, there were unique properties that made that country's style unique to another, however, there were always similar elements that made the music videos a unique genre as well. For example, Western music videos tend to flashy and had rapid-transitions between short cuts of film. Japanese ones tended to focus extensively on the band and had longer shots that tend to move around the band in, focusing on them from below. In order to garner accurate representations of a music video, keen observations were made to collect data not only on the uniqueness of each culture, but the classical key concepts of the genre, such as a progressive story that intertwined with the band or singer singing or the singer or band performing the song.
Evaluation
Though we were all working to find information, the group splintered in order to collect information for themselves on their own blog. However, while this method emphasized independence, it allowed all of us to understand deeply about the various aspects of a music video, which could not be simply found listed on the internet. Instead, it had to sampled and noted down from music videos that were watched on YouTube. Despite this splintering, it is vital that we all collect and share this information as we will have to work together later to pool all information together and utilize it in the actual making if the music video.
Outside of the classroom, I have to continue to research the music videos to further increase and deepen the pool of information, as it will be vital and essential for the future. In order to further increase my knowledge, I must also diversify the cultures of music videos in order to collect more unique techniques.

Cultural Music Video Characteristics

Aside form the normal characteristics of a modern music video listed in the previous music video post, each culture or country has its own style of music video, however these music videos tend to emulate their country's own style of ordinary film. Some of the unique characteristics of several different cultural music videos are listed below:

• Western / American Music Videos: Short cuts of film and quick transitions, moving focus (eg. when a clip transitions in, it starts somewhere else, then focuses on the singer.) Western music videos also tend to use extensive video effects such as brightness, saturation and slow motion to make the music videos more dynamic. Also, the camera tends not to be stable in places, but instead shaky in order to create the effect of constant movement and excitement.
  

• Japanese Music Videos: Longer cuts, tends to have still focus on singers, slower moving focus of overall band, tends to focus a medium shot on singer, usually has overall focus on the band itself. Also, Japanese Music Videos puts a lot more focus onto the singers rather than the story itself, as the point of music videos is to advertise the song.

• Chinese Music Videos: Unlike other music videos, the story and the performance of the song is very well immersed together. Though it really isn't an aspect, they also tend to have the subtitles of the song as if it were a karaoke. Besides that, there also tends to be a lot of action in Chinese music videos. Similar to Japanese ones, Chinese music videos put a lot of focus on to the singer. The camera angles and techniques also tend to mimic the action, such that if the song is in a calm phase there the camera will be still, but at a fast paced area, the camera will be shaky and in some places effects such as slow motion will be used to emphasize the action.

Reflection: 3/1/11

Reflection
What new knowledge has been introduced?
Following the completion of the AOI Health and Social Education or "warm up" film, we started to research music videos. In our research, we discovered key features of music videos, and some of the contrasts between music videos of different languages and cultures. All this however can be seen on the blog.
What feedback did I receive today?
Today was the finishing date so at the end, all videos were played back to us. For our video in particular, I evaluated my own video and gathered feedback. It was generally okay, however we were still missing a few parts and forgot to cut out the "action" bit out of one of the clips. Consistency was somewhat of an issue because the beginning change to a new setting was not only obvious to us, but to people if they knew nothing about our school. The lighting was a dim which downgraded the quality of our film. Also, there was a lack of music relative to other films which means that ours didn't have very much of a clear feeling, only a somewhat ambiguous one. The good thing was that the storyline was reasonably intact and there were suitable titles and credits.
Evaluation
What have I learned from the feedback?
I learned that in order to make an adequately good film, one must take into account a lot of features of a film such as lighting and camera angles, which requires a lot more time than the time we were given. Also, during the editing phase, it is not only important to look back at the script to ensure that everything is in place but to also watch the film over before exporting to ensure that everything was fine. Music is also a good element to add as it creates a mood. Even our film could have been enhanced with a bit of mood music.

Notes on Music Videos

What are music videos? Music Videos are basically short video clips that accompany a piece of music. Music Videos are currently very popular with the modern music industry, but are only somewhat used in the classical section. Music Videos comprise of several key aspects:

• Consistency is not an issue - In many modern music videos, scenes tend to switch places that are meant to carry on from each other, however, in each there are obvious differences. For example, in the former scene, the subject may be bound by ropes, then suddenly, the next scene may depict him in a free state singing the song.
• A Story - Usually in modern music videos, the ones that follow modern rock music, there is usually story of some sort that follows the theme of the music. If the music is about love, then the story tends to be a love story.
• Singer singing - The music artist / singer is usually present in the music video, lip syncing to make them appear to me actively singing the song though the music is obviously pre-recorded.
• Scene Switching - Music videos constantly switch between the story at hand, and the singer lip syncing with song.
• Quick Switches - Because music videos tend to be dynamic in way, scenes tend to switch very quickly, usually in time with the music's pulse.
• Slowing Down and Speeding Up - Many music videos tend to slow down or speed up some of their scenes to create a dramatic or rushed effect, respectively, usually to enhance the "feel" of the music
• Focus on instrumentals and Singer - During the areas where it depicts the singer "singing" or where the music enters a purely instrumental phase, the camera usually use a series of close up shots to focus in on the singer or the instrument played, respectively.
• Progressive Story - Story's usually follow the tone of the music and the short story starts small and progresses with the music's dynamics, and they end at the end of the music, following the music itself.

The above are general features that are encompassed within all videos. However, different language and culture music videos would probably have some differences unique to that style. For example:

• Chinese Music Videos - These tend to have karaoke lyrics at the bottom of the screen that follow the song.
• Spanish Music Videos - The Spanish variety tends to focus more on the singer as a character as part of the story or singing separately, though they also focus on the story also, just less so.
• Japanese Music Videos - They sometimes include lyrics similar to the Chinese Music Videos, but they also introduced the song title, artist and record company during the beginning of video. They also concentrate a bit more on bands playing instruments.
• English Music Videos - English music videos have the tendency in some videos to have the singer sing while acting in the story.