Format Research: Rihanna - Diamonds Music Video

I choose Rihanna diamonds to analyse as lyrically the words could possibly inspire my own idea's for the music video I'm doing. With Rihanna being one of the biggest superstar's in the current world today and getting 221,806,653 views on one video alone (we found love) she is no stranger to the success through her music videos. Also again I will brake the clip into the main scene's in order to show more detail as well as breaking it down over all. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lWA2pjMjpBs

Lyrics  - http://www.songmeanings.net/songs/view/3530822107859441261/

I believe the main meaning behind the music video and its lyrics represent the recurring theme of an unhealthy relationship, as Rihanna croons of a bright love. "Find light in the beautiful sea. I choose to be happy. You and I, you and I. We're like diamonds in the sky," she sings.Its a pretty obvious interpretation of course about love and how someone felt when they met someone they felt an attraction too. And how that special someone can shine like a star is the message she is trying to achieve both through visuals and lyrics.

SCENE 1

Mis-en-scene:

The first scene is of a random selection of clips which are created before the actual song starts. This technique is used a lot of this current day as artists such as Michael Jackson, Beyonce and Lady GaGa have all done this. As of this we see a variation of locations such as a clip of diamonds, a clip of fire, water and a clip of a road. I believe having these random clips at the start although don't make any sense from the beginning allow the viewer to get a sneak preview of what they can expect in the music video. As well as this could be leaked as a teaser trailer for the video.  

From what we can see in this scene the lighting is varied. We can tell already that a lot of experimentation has been made through the teaser trailer at the start of this video. The main lighting portrayal's are a negative and gloomy atmosphere which I adore, this atmosphere is not only created through artificial lighting but natural as well. These lighting portrayal's don't just mean its black and white and boring, there are a variation of mixed colours, for example Rihanna herself in the royal blue waters which portray a sad and meaningful atmosphere. Although the lighting itself is actually quite bright, it has been edited to look not so. I love the bright reflections from the artificial lighting of the diamonds and the light reflecting of the water, it really highlights the different shades and tones which draws the viewers attention in. 

We actually see minimal clothing and costume in the clip so all we can rely on is facial expressions, make up and unusual shots. The make-up itself is very simplistic and minimal which is another successful aspect as it is enough to make Rihanna look classy and elegant, but little enough to make sure all attention is on the video itself

Camera Shots/Angles and Movement:

With the variation of different shots in the teaser clip I can compare them to see what was successful and not. We see a lot of extreme close-ups upon the diamonds themselves and parts of Rihanna's body which is something I believe is successful. It is giving scenes away, but still keeps an element of tension and build up because we can't see the whole scene and we want to - therefore viewers carry on watching! We also see a few tracking shots of the model running away, this follows her and draws you in as it contrast against the music as this is very active and busy. Another aspect I love is the use of focus panning to put in focus one part of the scene then focus onto another part without moving the camera. This is used to show the smoke coming from the lips.

Sound:

There isn't much to talk about the sound in this scene of 40 seconds really except the variation of noises which are diffused sound as if they are an edited and stripped version of the tides coming in on a beach. And each 'swooosh' sound actually fits in with the edited visuals e.g. the hand moving over the diamonds fits with the sound, alike the hand moving in the water (which fits in with the idea of waves through visuals).

Editing:

The use of slow motion has been used thoroughly throughout the first scene as we see it being used in every single individual clip. I like the use of this especially at the start within the teaser as it allows the viewer to really understand what is happening in each scene and take it all in. This is all but one clip of Rihanna running away in the tracking shot of her on the road. This has been fast forwarded and as of it, it is an extremely short clip compared to the others in this scene which contrast against each other. I like this affect and it is something I wish to pursue upon my own work. However I think the use of slow motion has been overused in this particular scene. 

SCENE 2

Mis-en-scene:

In the second scene we see some of the clips from the first scene but lengthened out more. I like the use of a black background used in the particular shot seen in the picture below. It shows an unusual approach to the scene with using the lighting behind the model. The black indicated darkness and evil which we see a lot of being used in this particular scene, which actually contrasts against the idea of the lyrics and song title 'Diamonds' which we associate with being bright and sparkly. 

Lighting in this scene has been used to its best as we see two particular techniques which stand out amongst the others, one being the silhouette used to really outline the model (as we see in the picture below). This technique consists of using a light source behind the model and doing it against a black background really means more attention is drawn to the model. Another lighting technique is the use of lens flare which is used to make the scene brighter - also considered a editing technique however it is used outside in the ocean therefore its natural and considered under lighting. The use of flashing lights as well act as 'diamonds' which link in with the lyrics and title. The lighting upon Rihanna's face shadows half of it within a extreme close up which could interpret that there are two sides to Rihanna, a dark and nice one?

(Below shows the lighting technique of lens flare and silhouette combined)

Camera Shots/Angles and Movement:

Only a small amount of different shots are used in this scene as the main shot is the tracking shot of Rihanna swimming along with the 360 shot around Rihanna against the black background. As well as the normal mid and long shots with a few extreme close ups to show detail within the scene. 

Sound:

Again with the sound there is nothing really that outstanding except the few lyrics which go with the visuals. Although we see when the beat picks up a fast forwarded approach style of editing to emphasise the faster rhythm and higher pitch. Along with when the chorus kicking in a lighter atmosphere created through lighting as the word 'Diamonds' was repeated - this really contrast against the negative persona we got from the verses.

Editing:

Slow motion rewind of things falling on the floor is something which has become increasingly common to this day. This is something I love and would consider using it in my video somehow, the use of slow motion to really see the detail on all the glass smashing and items falling on the floor really contrasts against the fast rhythm of the song. Along with rewinding and playing it normally these two methods again contrast and plays this massive effect on the editing within the scene.

SCENE 3

Mis-en-scene:

The location within this scene is absolutely amazing and from the picture below you can see the horse within the amazing views. Although the horse has no relevance to the actual lyrics I love the idea of using something random within the song. But in this shot particularly we see colour being used the same as the shot of Rihanna in the ocean swimming which shows thought and consideration as well as good editing. 

The use of props has been considered extremely well as well as timings of the day, we see this within this particular shot as the use of smoke has been used which in my eyes is something which works extremely well and would want to take from that and use it somehow in my own work. Along with the lighting being on point which would have been filmed at dawn as you can tell from both the sun and colours in the shot.

Camera Shots/Angles and Movement:

Throughout the last scene we see two particular shots being used multiple times. The long shot which we see in the picture below shows Rihanna from far away as well as being the bulls eye composition mean all attention is on her which is what is needed in a music video. Along with the mountains in the background they act as pathways and draw more attention upon her. The other shot which is used is mid-shots to show more detail but acts as a closing as you start to loose all closeness to the video as you see more shots from far away. Also the cutting of each shots are the same time as the beat of the song which is successful.

Sound: 

The sound is the same within scene 2 however at the actual end of the song we see a diegetic sound of the sea's waves crashing gently which acts as the closing of the song with a long shot of Rihanna floating around. 

Editing:

The main editing technique used within the final main scene is the use of slow motion. Although already used before we see a lot more of it used in the final scene but maybe used to much. Slow motion is used to edit the horses moving, Rihanna in the sea and the fire burning. Although previously a fan of slow motion this has actually put me off from using it as in the individual clips it does look good, together it just looks really silly. But then again it has to slow the song down as it is coming to an end although not matching the rhythm of the song. Finally the last editing effect which I can take away from this music video being good is the use of Bokeh effect which acts as big light particles in blobs which really make the shot more mystical. 

In my own work I would like to incorporate the idea of using random clips at the start as this was inspired from the music video. Also the ending of the music video has inspired me to carry the visuals on even though the music has finished as really emphasises the song and brings it to an end rather than just leaving it. I adore the lighting used in the clip - its something I believe I should consider using upon my own work (bright yet gloomy atmosphere). Focus panning is something that I have learnt from this video as well as it is something I aim to include upon my own work. I like the use of editing, however I believe there could be more experimentation needed. In my own work I wish to pursue the use of slow motion and fast forwarding to contrasting against each other which was inspired by this video. Also the first scene being 40 seconds long just for the teaser section at the start I believe this is too long and could have been shortened which is something myself will have to consider. In the second scene we see the use of lighting used extremely well and once lighting technique I really admired was the use of silhouettes and lens flares, I would like to include this upon my own work. 

Product Placement: Lady GaGa - Telephone Music Video

Product Placement throughout Lady GaGa’s Telephone Music Video

1:34: Heartbeats earphones. Unpaid. An extension of her partnerships with Interscope Music and Hewlett Packard, her own products which she designed.

2:06: Virgin Mobile. The cell phone in the video is a nod to the company, a mobile sponsor of Gaga’s Monster Ball tour.

2:17: Diet Coke. Unpaid. It was Gaga’s idea to curl her hair with Diet Coke cans in the video as homage to her mother.

4:15: Virgin Mobile (again). The cell phone in the video is a nod to the company, a mobile sponsor of Gaga’s Monster Ball tour.

4:24: HP Envy ‘Beats Limited Edition’ laptop from Monster. Unpaid. An extension of her partnerships with Interscope Music and Hewlett Packard.

4:28: Plenty of Fish dating site. Unclear. Possibly the weirdest deal of the bunch; result of the dating site's partnership with Interscope.

4:44: Chevrolet.

5:37: Polaroid. Camera and photo booth featured acknowledge Gaga’s role as Polaroid’s creative director.

6:24: Wonder bread. Unpaid. Used in a sequence showing Gaga poisoning diner customers, because Gaga wanted to contrast the poisoning with an all-American brand.

6:36: Miracle Whip. Paid. Used in the same scene—and for the same reason—as Wonder Bread; seems to be part of the spread’s new, edgier campaign

8:31: Polaroid (again)

Camera and photo booth featured acknowledge Gaga’s role as Polaroid’s creative director.

Lady Gaga is known for her controversial videos that attract millions of views, so what better way of advertising both her own products and other ones through her music videos. The idea of Lady Gaga using these brands and products makes it appealing to the viewer and fans because they’re all available to the typical consumer. This means the viewer can feel like a celebrity for a certain time as they have the same products as this mega star which sells and advertises the product really well. Another example of product placement through Lady Gaga videos is the ‘Bad Romance’ video where we see 8 products alone being placed and advertised. Throughout my music video I want to use inspiration from the success of the video and one thing that I believe mains it’s success is the product placement used. Using big brands throughout music videos has been something many do in this day and age; therefore I will consider using this method as well.

We see within the music video that the storyline used without is a continued version of the ‘Papparazzi’ music video within the sequel. Using Michael Jackson’s concept of a story being told through a music video is what we see happening more and more through modern society. What I like about the start of the music video is the fact that we see a sequel of music videos all connecting to each other but still keeping Lady GaGa’s post modern approach of unique and unusual mis-en-scene, lighting, sounds and editing. At the start of the video it is set in a prison courtyard, following the ending of ‘Papparazzi’ when she got arrested. The prison holds a variation of unusual and different ethnicity’s (all women however). 

Music Videos

These notes will help me when it comes to analysing my format research.

Lyrics-

Lyrics tend to help establish a general feeling, or mood, or sense of subject matter rather than offering a coherent meaning. Key lines may play a part in the visuals associated with the song but very rarely will a music video simply illustrate the lyrics wholesale.

Genre-

Some music videos transcend genres, others can be more easily categorised. Some, but not all, music channels concentrate on particular music genres. These channels use many different aspects such as recurring colour schemes, mise-en-scene, themes, performance, camera and editing skills.

Intertextuality –

This is the idea that by drawing upon existing texts can spark recognition from your audience. Not all audiences will automatically spot the reference and this will not significantly detract from their pleasure of the text, but a greater pleasure may be derived from those who do recognise the reference.

Intertextuality in Practice-

It is not surprising that a large number of music videos draw upon cinema as becoming big. Intertextuality is basically using shared knowledge into practice. TV shows, Books, Comics, other music videos, celebrities, fashion and photography are all aspects which are used into practice as well.

John Stewart –

Stewart describes music videos as ‘incorporating’ raiding and reconstructing and this is the essence of intersexuality. He has many theories with regards to music videos. Recently he spoke about how the influence of computer games on the younger generation has generated more plasticised looking characters i.e. Robbie Williams – Let Love Be Your Energy.

Narrative + Performance-

Narrative in songs, like in poetry, is rarely complete and is often fragmentary. Music videos tend to have storylines or offer complex fragments in anon-linear order, leaving the viewer with the desire to see them again. The video allows the audience more varied access to the performer than a stage performer can. The close up, allowing eye contact and close observation of facial gestures, and role-play within a narrative framework, present the artist in a number of ways which is not possible in a live concert.

Mis-en-scene –

As a guarantee of ‘authentic’ of a bands musical virtuosity; to establish a relationship to familiar film or television genres in a narrative-based video; As part of the voyeuristic context by suggesting a setting associated with sexual allure, such as a sleazy nightclub. John Stewart suggests this is to emphasise the aspiration lifestyle, as the current emphasis on the latest gadgetry.

Update on Time Managment

From the 26th I was on a school trip to New York, at this current time Hurricane Sandy hit Manhattan whilst we were out there! This meant our flight was delayed for a week and meant I would be behind in my time management... In this time my storyboarding should have been finished however due to the hurricane I was unable to do this. Therefore I am behind schedule but should catch up with extra hard work!

Log Diary Week 2 - Format Research

This week I came to conclusion that in order to aim for top marks for my format research the original time management table wasn't achievable due to the detail I believe is needed for the Music Video's research alone. As of this I have decided to do the other two format research at the end therefore I have more time to spend on the research and concentrate more. Also when coming to the actual analysing I was a bit delayed and spent numerous hours more than expected doing the work as I didn't realise how much detail there was in a music video. However after time managing well I was then able to get on with it easily and once I got in the swing of it I found it considerably easy. 

Format Research: M83 - Midnight City Music Video

M83 are an indie dance music band which have had an extremely successful year in 2012. The song behind this success is Midnight City, and having such a big impact upon its success is it's music video. Therefore in aiming to achieve this success that this band have had throughout this music video I will analyse it as part of my format research. Along with analysing the clip I will brake it down into different scene's to show the different aspects of each scene.

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dX3k_QDnzHE
Lyrics: http://www.songmeanings.net/songs/view/3530822107858877943/

I believe the main meaning from the song (based on the video and lyrics) and by one particular lyric "the city is my church" he means that he lives by the city; its his way of life. it's probably his escape from reality/life, and he's faithful that it will bring him some sort of peace of mind, as a church would do all the above to someone religious.

 SCENE 1

Mis-en-scene:

The first main scene is shot in a school of some sort for students with super powers which immediately creates shared knowledge. The picture below show's a highly manipulated part of the scene with a boy sitting with items floating round his head. The room is full of tables and chair's (just like a normal school) but as we watch the video we see that although the children are in a normal environment, them as individuals are not. 

Lighting plays a big role throughout this scene as we see very little of it being used. This creates a gloomy and depressing atmosphere which i suppose contrasts against the supernatural powers of the children. It's if there is a foggy and misty atmosphere created throughout the scene which causes this mood of the unknown and mysterious theme. Along with this, it actually makes the air which surrounds the scene look dirty which could link in with the fact that all the children are inside creating a sad and trapped mode to the clip. We see the windows shining light in however the frame which surrounds them acts as an cage locking them inside. 

Costume as well plays a part on this video as we see them all in a blue top which could act as uniform or even so like hospital clothes. The emotions on the children's faces don't look remotely happy at all - sad in fact which links in with the idea of blue tops representing sadness as blue is portrayed as this. 

Camera Shots/Angles & Movement:

Throughout the scene we see a lot of slow zoom in's and zoom out's used as the movement which creates this impact of drawing the viewer in as the camera gets closer to an object. I believe it has worked well at the start, but then it is overused and in a sense becomes not as captivating therefore it should have only been used limited times. Along with the success of the cleverly used tracking shots used multiple shots following into a new room or action its a pathway which leads you into something new. Mid shots and long shots are also used occasionally but the scene is more about camera angles and movements rather than shots. These shots however show the detail of the children's eyes drawing the viewer in which then goes into either a tracking shot or zoom in. 

Sound:

Considering the music video is abstract not a lot of the actual video goes with the sound throughout the video. There's a few shots where it links in with the music as it fits in with the beat however as such the lyrics to the song don't actually fit into the video itself, which in my opinion is a unique approach to a video and it works really well here!

Editing:

The editing in this scene and throughout is very minimlistic when we are talking about transitions. Its just simple fade out's into black to start a new scene. However what works really well in this particular part in the clip is the high manipulation of the editing used to create the supernatural powers such as the floating objects which realistically are out of place but somehow have been edited to look natural. I believe this is down to the successful edit to the filter of the clip by having a low saturation and placing the filter above the edit allows it to work well. Along with the classic dysfunctional computer not working and this bright and broken screen is also cleverly edited and is something I am inspired by and somehow would like to incorporate into my own work. But the main editing aspect I personally believe is the middle of the attention is the edited eyes, by having these brighten glaring eyes contrasting against the misty location makes them the centre of attention and this is how we really realise that these children are supernatural. 

SCENE 2

Mis-en-scene:

This scene is set in the heart of a woods at dusk where we see the children escaping and running away. Being set in the woods near night hardly any lighting is used again in this scene which means it isn't that clear as only a selective amount of colour is shown (dark greens, black, navy and the baby blue tops) this means the children stand out in their tops which could represent they stand out because of there powers. The scene then develops into dawn where a shot of the first artificial lighting is seen (torches) shining upon the children which then we see a girl using her eyes to put them out. This acts as a bounce between artificial lighting of the torch then the eyes drawing attention to the dark clip.  The night then ends and its daylight where even though the sun is shining we see the same desaturated foggy filter. I like the use of natural effects within this clip to, with the wind blowing upon the girls hair something which inspires me acts as the freedom that the children now have after escaping. The shot then goes into the mix between rural and urban where the children come from the countryside into the urban building which creates a contrast which again is something I like. 

(below is the part of the clip which shows the contrast between rural and urban)

Camera Shots/Angles & Movement:

The same shots are used throughout this scene as they did in the first scene. More tracking shots have been used to show the transition from the building into the open and show the freedom of the children running. 

Sound:

As the beat picks up throughout the song and the pitch gets higher the clips and transitions seem to pick up as we see an element of adrenaline from the running in the woods which again links in with the fast paced beat and rhythm in the song. Throughout this scene we see the video actually matching the beat more however still an abstract theme is consistent throughout. 

Editing:

Compared to the first scene minimal editing has been used except the consistent filter and the eyes again which were made to stand out more due to the darker background. The use of slow motion has been used to really emphasise the running and tension along with adrenaline rush from both the music and scene. 

SCENE 3

Mis-en-scene:
The last main scene of this music video and as the sunset rises in this scene we see the eyes of the children become brighter and brighter which leads onto the extremely bright and colourful part of the scene where light is traveling in behind the children which creates a silhouette which is a lighting aspect which works really well with all the light from the eyes and the variation of colours. 
Same costume used throughout the clip in all of the 3 main scenes. The costume isn't as noticed as much as the story is more essential of the 'city being home' which we see from the location of the clip. 

Camera Angles/Shots & Movement:
An amazing 360 shot is used as the sun is going down at the start of the scene, this shot works extremely well as it shows the surrounding location as well as fit in with the meaning of the song 'city being home' showing a 360 shot of buildings and the city which is something that I love and want to include in my own work. 

Sound:
The sound links in with the rhythm of the video as the beat slows the clip of the eyes pupil getting bigger links with the rhythm. As well as at the end the lyrics for once in the song matching the visual's 'the city is my church' showing the clip of the city is an example of diegetic music.

Editing:
Excellent use of editing to show the end of the song by using bright filters and highly saturated colours to really emphasise the happiness of these children being in the city along with the brightened eyes to again emphasise their super powers. The use of lens flare's as you can see below are extremely successful and create this contrast of brightness compared to the dull mystical theme throughout the other two scene's. 

From analysing the clip I can gather that in my own music video I would like to develop more of the use of lighting compared to this clip. All though throughout the clip there is a gloomy and depressing mood created because of the lack of lighting and then finally at the end it gets really bright and colourful which builds this idea of tension then releasing at the end works well in this case, I believe if this would be repeated it could become more or less boring and not as affective so a variation of methods used in lighting is something I can take forward from analysing this music video. Along with the repetition of some camera movement I believe this is something the director of the video should have considered more, and something I aim to do better than this video however the amazing experimentation of camera angles has led me to inspiration from this clip and is something I wish to pursue in my video including angles such as birds eye. I also like how in this clip the video is abstract which is what I want to do after analysing this video. As we see in the second clip of the children in the woods I liked the adreline rush of the woodland scene of them all running and hiding which again is something I would like to incorporate into my own work.

Music Video Industry

The music video industry is extremely big. Nowadays more commercialised and hyped more than ever has allowed the domain of the music industry to affect everyone and everything! Being broadcasted from over hundreds of channels such as: 

4MUSIC

MTV

STARZ TV

CHART SHOW TV

BLISS

FLAVA

CLUBLAND TV

Along with online music websites such as YouTube, VEVO and social networking sites. This allows music lovers to easily reach their favourite music videos via TV or internet! Along with this as I mentioned earlier VEVO is the world’s leading all-premium music video and entertainment platform and also being the official music video holder online meaning that the launches of the video's will be on their engine first! As well as all 3 VEVO, YouTube and social networking sites having their own smartphone app's, this allows users to enjoy the video's straight from all smartphone platforms!

Along with the domain of social networking sites. television and the internet, another key part to the music video industry is award's ceremonies themselves! EMA's, BRIT awards, AMA's and especially the VMA's (video music awards) allow hype and attention to be drawn on the video themselves. Along with world star performers each of these awards ceremonies draw millions of view's yearly. 

Survey Monkey

To reach a wider audience I decided to investigate into online questionnaire's as previously I had researched the biggest domain in getting results and feed back is through the internet. I came across Survey Monkey which allowed me to put in my questionnaire, edit it and then get a link which anyone can access! So all I had to do was promote this questionnaire! The link for it is - http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/KRTB799. With the success of this questionnaire and unique form of getting results I was able to get a wider knowledge into what different gender's and ages preferred! One problem I came across however was that one particular age group seemed to answer some of the questions in an immature and silly manner. As having no control over who writes what on the non-multiple choice questions and the fact that the answers are all anonymous, I had absolutely no control over this situation. And all though I collected a variation of answers and did gain a lot of knowledge from this, it was in my hands to only promote this blog to areas and people that I believe would answer it maturely and honestly. Therefore I 'inboxed' piers and family to answer the questionnaire via Facebook and Twitter, as well as asking friends that I was close to to answer it! 

Below is what the online questionnaire looks like via SurveyMonkey.com