Music Video CCR
How does your product use or challenge conventions AND how does it represent social groups or issues?
As a group, and individually, we did much research on music videos of songs in the 90s rock genre. We picked up on a few significant conventions: footage of the band performing at their instruments and inserts of random actions. We implemented them the best we could; we shot most of our footage in my dad’s recording studio and took random, short videos that had us all laughing. My dad aided us in recording our playing through the song a few times. Because we thought to get multiple shots, just in case, I was able to sync up all the tracks to the audio and then pick and choose the best track for each part. In one of the shots, Amelie and I jumped off of the studio’s couch in slow motion and in another, Isaac acted out a blood curdling scream. We were also able to transcend from the standard 90s rock video “protocol.” We worked to develop a plotline throughout the video. We showed some of the realities of heartbreak and the rebuilding of a relationship. While love stories are a popular music video theme, they are rarely found in the “world of random” that are 90s rock videos.
This video is representative of the teenage social group, as well as the problems that group may face. Teenage love can be passionate, so the heartbreak that often follows can be painful. It can easily send sensitive teenagers into a spiral. We tried to show the realities of these depressive tendencies in our video; we tried to identify with youths who might be struggling.
How does your product engage with audiences AND how would it be distributed as a real media text?
In our music video, we tried to engage with audiences in multiple ways. We were able to convey the frustration depicted in the song in our storyline, an attempt to hold on to the audience, emotionally. Furthermore, the story or reconciliation we created can be seen as relatable, and may resonate with viewers. As for the production, we used both visual appeal and various inserts to peak the audience’s curiosity. Our group included a mix of different of us playing our instruments. We varied the lighting across some takes, and in others, we used a fisheye lens for a different quality. While our presence of a storyline steered away from the stereotypical conventions, we incorporated funny inserts, keeping true to most music videos in this genre; we used the element of “chaos” to our advantage. For some inserts, we tried to replicate clips from other videos as best as possible, but for others we improvised, choosing whatever we deemed funniest.
If we were to distribute our video as real media, we would likely use social media as our largest platform of promotion. The audience we hope to appeal to is a youthful one; in this group, the primary means of connection is through social media. Our video has already been uploaded to YouTube, but there are other ways we could increase its popularity. For example, if our group was a band, making the video for ourselves, we could make a dedicated Instagram account. We could also reach out to other accounts with larger fanbases, and ask them to share our video with their followers.
How did your production skills develop throughout this project?
Throughout this project, my production skills have grown immensely. Usually, if I am going to create a video of any kind, I will go about it with an independent mindset; I’ll plan, record, and edit everything on my own. This project, however, challenged me to go about the process with others. It can be hard to work creatively in groups, there can be so many contrasting ideas, but I found my group to be extremely productive. We worked very well as a team, listening to each other’s thoughts and concerns.
Suddenly, in this group setting, there became a need for specific elaboration. This expanded upon my knowledge and use of the vernacular, and increased productivity. We were all able to fully understand each others’ “visions” in little time. For example, in one of the shots, the actors were supposed to run back inside of the studio. We tried multiple takes, but for a reason we could not seem to pinpoint, it seemed off. Finally, I suggested that instead of a pan, we try a tracking shot. It was just what the shot needed, and we were able to quickly achieve that with no confusion.
Additionally, my knowledge of iMovie, our choice of editing software, increased. I learned, almost on accident, how to add inserts to a project. Previously, I would split the clip to add room for the insertion of another. Instead, I learned that you can keep the main shot (and its timestamps) but simply add other tracks, giving them priority. This way, the main track stayed synced with the audio while I was able to add more footage in.
How did you integrate technologies – software, hardware and online – in this project?
We used a multitude of different softwares and hardwares to make this project happen. At the studio, we used my dad’s and my actual music equipment as props to make the setup look as real as possible. In filming, we wanted to ensure we would be able to sync the audio and video, so we played along with the song for almost every take. My dad plugged his phone in as an input to the mixing board, this way we could play the song through the studio's loudspeakers with ease. In an attempt to match up our playing with the song, I plugged my guitar into not only my dad's amplifier, but his pedalboard as well. With that, we got a bunch of cool shots where I am switching from a clean tone to one of distortion, as Weezer's guitarist frequently does in the song. We filmed everything on my iPhone, but we were able to use an attachable fisheye lens in some shots, for a more creative look.
After filming, we went back to my house to edit. We used iMovie for Mac for all the editing, even the audio. It was so nice to edit on the computer, rather than a phone, as we had so many more options.
Finally, after the editing was completed, we uploaded the video online, to YouTube.
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