Aura music video Inspirations

After looking at my original music video inspirations page, I have now decided to create another page dedicated to inspirations to my Aura video.

From this video I really enjoyed the whole class system style of the video and the offerings.  

I really enjoy the dark quality of the video and the dark and dingy setting.  I also feel the close ups in the video are something I wish to emulate in my own video.

I really enjoy the tribal look and the dance and formation.

After watching this video closely it was all set and shot in the exact same studio.  This proves that if you have enough entertaining shots placed together in a fast sequence you can trick your audience into not noticing the backgrounds.  As I am limited to a small number of locations I am going to have to try to emulate this video.

I intend to use these 4 videos and blend them into my own unique recipe to create an even better video.

costume

I am currently tying to decide what costumes my backing dancers shall ware.  Although I have already decided my costume for the dance scene.  I have also looked in my wardrobe and discovered items of clothing I believe would fit in with my music video.  

 here are the clothes I intend to ware for the dance.  They are practical to be able to dance in but also with the acid wash style gives an urban yet fashionable look.

 

Here are the other clothes I have found and feel would work well in my video.

 

album covers/digipack

For my secondary task I have to create an album cover/digipack.  I decided to look at my albums that I have bought to look for some inspiration.

 After looking at the album covers I have decided my favorites.

I have noticed my favorite album covers have strong colour co-ordination and majority of them feature a big close up of the singers face or a mid shot.

Aura choreography

I have now started to create the choreography for the 'Aura' music video.  I have now enlisted the help of my schools dance teacher and we are now starting to create a dance  We have also found a video on YouTube and are using that as a starting point.

 I have tried to contact the remember the feeling dance group on their YouTube channel.  Here is my short post 'hi, I'm trying to create a music video for the song Aura and was wondering if I could use this choreography for my video.  I really love what you have done and I would love to credit you.  thanks.' 

I have received ':)' from the company and have understood this to be a yes.

call me on the ouija board video-planning and reshearch

I have decided to create a video based around the track 'Call Me On The Ouija Board'.  I decided to do this to give myself a quick go at creating a music video and using editing software so I shall be used to it when I create my main music video.  This is a song created and performed by RuPauls  Drag Race season 4 winner Sharron Needles.  After listening to the song I really enjoyed the contrast between the happy eighties sounds and the dark subject matter.  After hearing the song I decided to give it a little research and found there already was a music video for the track.
  

contains strobing

In this video it uses classic/cult horror films as its inspiration.  Using such a dark theme of 18+ horror films it alienates younger viewers and can also be difficult to understand if you have never seen the films.  Although I really enjoy the intertextual references to the horror films (The exorcist, It, Poltergeist, Children of the corn) I think this could be the videos downfall as it raises the target audiences age and I feel for this happy sounding song it would not fit.

I also discover a 'behind the scenes' video

And a quick interview of Sharon Needles talking briefly about the song.

I have now decided to use the clown type look from the official video (from the film 'It') and try to create an overall creepy looking music video.  I have decided to use children's TV as an inspiration for my video and to create an video so happy it becomes disturbing.

Here is the video I have created.

I really enjoyed making this video.  I feel for a first go my video turned out well, looking at the video I feel I kept true to my idea and have created an overall creepy music video.  I especially like the tea party scene, it is very reminiscent of children's TV and so happy it is disturbing. 

Although I feel I have created a very good music video, I do also feel there are certain parts that could be improved.  For instance some of the lighting for the dance scenes is very dark, whereas the close ups of the two girls are very light and lose all the atmosphere the video had previously created.  I also would take more shots of the same scene from different angles, this would help to create an even faster video than I have already created.  

Overall I really enjoy the contrast between the happy eighties sound and happy looking faces compared to the dark subject matter of the song and the slightly scary makeup we were all wearing.

Overall it took approximately 1 hour to film and 4 hours to edit, this has now given me insight to how music videos are created and I believe it was approximately 5 hours well spent.      

Directors

I have been looking at a selection of different music video directors.  Each having their own unique style they create fast paced and professional music videos for all of the best musicians.  watching and enjoying their work I feel I can take inspiration from their work and also learn from them.  I have attempted to contact many of the directors, as of yet I have had no reply. 

Here is the email I have sent them:

'Hi, sorry to trouble you,

I am currently studying media as an A-level student and my tasks is to create a music video.  Looking at your work it is clear you are a very talented director and I enjoy many of your music videos.  

I wondered if I could trouble you in to giving me advise on creating a professional looking music video.  I have found it very difficult to research this topic and it would be very much appreciated if you were to give me any hint, facts, advice or knowledge about your music videos.

I would be grateful for any advice/time you would give me.

I look forward to your reply 

thank you

Ryan Powell'

I have sent this email to many directors, including:

Director X

 

Rankin

Jonas Akerlund 

 As of yet I haven't had any replies but I am still waiting patiently.  

Product Placement in music videos

Product placement:

the practice of a company paying for its product to be placed in a prominent position in a film or television programme as a form of advertising
   
     Music videos contain large amounts of product Placement.  Companies pay well known singers to have their product displayed in their latest music video.  Hopping their brands get noticed in the video, they believe this association will help them to sell their products and being seen with the latest superstar will not only raise their profile but also their popularity.  Some consumers will just buy products because their favorite star has been seen with them.

For example Beats By Dr Dre are in almost every music video.  As you can clearly see in the pictures above all the celebrity's are posing with one of their products.  The photo above is taken from Cheryl Coles' new video for her latest single 'Crazy Stupid Love'  and you can clearly see the Beats Pill in the background.  Product placement was at the beginning very subtitle, but now as it is big business the products have clear extreme close up for a long time.  Celebrities are now being given the option whether to make their own headphones for Beats and then endorse them in their latest video.  



In the video for the Saturdays 'Not Giving Up'  they are seen entering and exiting in a new Citroen.
  Britney is often seen in her music videos with her own brand of perfume.

Miley Cyrus is seen here in her music video for 'We Cant Stop' with a new EOS lip balm.

from J-Lo 'Live It Up' video she plugs many brands including Nokia

this diagram shows just how many products are in the music video for Lady Gagas' 'Telephone'

This again shows Britney with another brand for her video for 'Hold It Against Me'

in Christina Aguileras' video for 'Not Myself Tonight' she not only plugs her own perfume but sunglasses.

Smirnof vodka can be seen in the background for her video 'Give Me All Your Luvin'

J-LO can be seen in her music video for 'Pappi' driving in her new Fiat 500

Lily Allen can be seen promoting Polaroid and also Blue E-Cigarets.

Artists now write product placement into their own songs

Britney Spears song 'Work B**ch has lyrics including brands like Maserati and Lamborghini.


Avril Lavigne has even wrote a song based around a brand.


The music industry at the moment is suffering badly, it is now becoming increasingly difficult to create money from music.  To combat this product placement is heavily used to create large amounts of money for the artist and the record company.