We used stereotypical items that would appear in a fashion/celebrity magazine, and tried to use as much realistic material as possible. We created the celebrity image by using a contrasting personas (girl in doctor's waiting room & celebrity articles in magazines). We created these personas with the use of costumes, props and location. The doctor's waiting room was quite plain, with Chanelle in ordinary, everyday clothes, whereas all the shots in the magazine were bright and used vibrant/glamorous costumes. Chanelle's figure and movements added to the celebrity image, as when she was in the waiting room she was sedentary, whereas throughout the magazine shot she is moving around constantly. The performance scenes also represent the pop star image, and this is made clear by the use of the microphone.
The representation of our star, Chanelle, is that she is a fun natured girl, who has a vivid imagination. We created this image by giving her a casual look, but also a very stylish and colourful look in the magazine scenes.
Monday, 30 November 2009
Genre & Institutions
We had to change a few things in our video, either because it didn't fit in with the theme, or because after we had done it we didn't like the look of it. After changing the concept of our idea alot, we finally made a decision on our plan, but we had to change a few things along the way, for example locations and the timing of the shot in comparison to the song. We had to re-shoot some of our scenes, for example the doctor's waiting room and the photo shoot, due to bad lack of depth in the shot.
We are hoping our video will appeal to the younger audience, especially females, due to the fashion concept and bright colours. We chose a magazine, specifically a fashion one, because the audience we are intending to appeal to are the type of people most likely to read one, and so they would relate to it more than any other audience. Many of our ideas were inspired by the original video for the song we chose, as it appeals to our intended audience.
We would expect to see our advert in various popular music magazines such as NME, and perhaps magazines aimed at a younger audience, such as Top of the Pops Magazine. It could also be found in fashion and celebrity magazines such as Heat, and Elle. We decided that these magazines would be suitable for our advert, because Chanelle, and the song are aimed more at a female audience (for example, the use of magazines within the main video).
We are hoping our video will appeal to the younger audience, especially females, due to the fashion concept and bright colours. We chose a magazine, specifically a fashion one, because the audience we are intending to appeal to are the type of people most likely to read one, and so they would relate to it more than any other audience. Many of our ideas were inspired by the original video for the song we chose, as it appeals to our intended audience.
We would expect to see our advert in various popular music magazines such as NME, and perhaps magazines aimed at a younger audience, such as Top of the Pops Magazine. It could also be found in fashion and celebrity magazines such as Heat, and Elle. We decided that these magazines would be suitable for our advert, because Chanelle, and the song are aimed more at a female audience (for example, the use of magazines within the main video).
Mise En Scène
Mise en scène
Setting/Location - We chose to base the beginning and ending of the video in a doctor's waiting room, to portray normality. The other parts of the video are in the magazines, and so we had the opportunity to use a variety of locations, for example the photography studio and a local café.
Costume - The ideas for the costume came from a number of places, such as current artists in the electro genre and magazine articles. Our style icons were Lady Gaga (known for her eclectic style) and Katy Perry, as her work is similar to that of Sophie Ellis-Bextor.
Make Up - As with the costume, our inspiration for the make up came from current artists and magazine articles. It also came from Sophie Ellis-Bextor's current album, "Trip The Light Fantastic".
Setting/Location - We chose to base the beginning and ending of the video in a doctor's waiting room, to portray normality. The other parts of the video are in the magazines, and so we had the opportunity to use a variety of locations, for example the photography studio and a local café.
Lighting - The lighting we used was important to the filiming, as it set the scene. For example, in the doctor's waiting room the light needed to be as if it was coming from a ceiling, whereas the lighting of the photo shoot scene had to be bright and as if it was coming from studio lights.
Props - We chose things that, in our opinion, were necessary for the video. The magazines were the key element to our concept, and the balloons added colour to an otherwise boring scene.Costume - The ideas for the costume came from a number of places, such as current artists in the electro genre and magazine articles. Our style icons were Lady Gaga (known for her eclectic style) and Katy Perry, as her work is similar to that of Sophie Ellis-Bextor.
Make Up - As with the costume, our inspiration for the make up came from current artists and magazine articles. It also came from Sophie Ellis-Bextor's current album, "Trip The Light Fantastic".
Thursday, 26 November 2009
Video Form
Structure/Narrative - We came up with the idea for our video after alot of consideration.
We had many ideas, but this one seemed the best one to use as it links in well with the concept of imagination.
The idea for this video is magazines that are being read - and the star of the video (Chanelle) travels through the magazines, while another version of her is flicking through the pages. The video has a comedy element in that the doctor taps Chanelle on the shoulder to snap her out of her imagination.
The final idea (the one we chose) is a simplified version of the other ideas we came up with, which included the lifestyle of a famous person. This would entail having a stretch limo, screaming fans and a gig, amongst other things. We also found that, due to our limited time scale, we could not have as much variety in our scenes as we had hoped for.
Performance - Although the whole video is performance, most of the scenes involve Chanelle doing other things whilst singing, for example posing for a photo shoot and having her make up done. A couple of scenes don't have Chanelle singing at all, and one scene is purely based on her performance.
Colour - We chose to have many colours in our video, especially bright ones, due to the electro genre and the younger audience we are appealing to. The balloons scene at the end is a reflection of this, but unfortunately we did not use as many bright colours as we had hoped.
Intertextual References - The main reference we have used in our video is that of "Ugly Betty", due to the use of a magazine and also the fashion industry. We also tried to recreate the effects used on the show, as it fitted in well with the theme of our video.
Camera - We filmed the majority of our video in the college TV studio, with the use of professional lighting equipment. This professional lighting enhanced our shoot, and emphasised the actress.
The perfume advert shoot, was filmed at Chanelle's home, along with the nature shoot which was filmed in the fields around Chanelle's house, using natural lighting.
We shot the whole song for the nature shot and the singing green shot, this was to make sure that we had plenty of footage to edit in.
We shot a variety of close ups and medium shots in the TV studio, in order to gain a variety of shots to use.
Editing - During our editing process, using Adobe Premier Pro, we realised that we needed more footage of magazine covers; to link the different shots back to the idea of the magazine coming alive.
We then shot some more footage of random magazines and added green screen to the front and insides of some, so that we could then superimpose our shots into the magazines.
We also created some magazine covers and articles using editing tools on the software. We did this by adding text ontop of stills of our footage.
We had many ideas, but this one seemed the best one to use as it links in well with the concept of imagination.
The idea for this video is magazines that are being read - and the star of the video (Chanelle) travels through the magazines, while another version of her is flicking through the pages. The video has a comedy element in that the doctor taps Chanelle on the shoulder to snap her out of her imagination.
The final idea (the one we chose) is a simplified version of the other ideas we came up with, which included the lifestyle of a famous person. This would entail having a stretch limo, screaming fans and a gig, amongst other things. We also found that, due to our limited time scale, we could not have as much variety in our scenes as we had hoped for.
Performance - Although the whole video is performance, most of the scenes involve Chanelle doing other things whilst singing, for example posing for a photo shoot and having her make up done. A couple of scenes don't have Chanelle singing at all, and one scene is purely based on her performance.
Colour - We chose to have many colours in our video, especially bright ones, due to the electro genre and the younger audience we are appealing to. The balloons scene at the end is a reflection of this, but unfortunately we did not use as many bright colours as we had hoped.
Intertextual References - The main reference we have used in our video is that of "Ugly Betty", due to the use of a magazine and also the fashion industry. We also tried to recreate the effects used on the show, as it fitted in well with the theme of our video.
Camera - We filmed the majority of our video in the college TV studio, with the use of professional lighting equipment. This professional lighting enhanced our shoot, and emphasised the actress.
The perfume advert shoot, was filmed at Chanelle's home, along with the nature shoot which was filmed in the fields around Chanelle's house, using natural lighting.
We shot the whole song for the nature shot and the singing green shot, this was to make sure that we had plenty of footage to edit in.
We shot a variety of close ups and medium shots in the TV studio, in order to gain a variety of shots to use.
Editing - During our editing process, using Adobe Premier Pro, we realised that we needed more footage of magazine covers; to link the different shots back to the idea of the magazine coming alive.
We then shot some more footage of random magazines and added green screen to the front and insides of some, so that we could then superimpose our shots into the magazines.
We also created some magazine covers and articles using editing tools on the software. We did this by adding text ontop of stills of our footage.
Thursday, 12 November 2009
Planning
As a group, we had the idea for our music video before we had our song choice.
We then had to find a suitable song, which fitted in with the theme of imagination. Therefore Sophie Ellis-Bextor's "Me & My Imagination" was the most suitable choice.
The original music video included bright lights and vibrant colours, so it fitted well with the genre (dance pop).
Our influences came from the electro genre, such as their use of location, props and costume. We decided to use a variation of locations, as the video concept is based around a magazine. We decided on using the TV studio for most of our scenes, but the use of a field for a "nature fashion shoot" and the photography studio for an actual photo shoot.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6N26e_BgfU Me & My Imagination
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iOYufRHQSms La Roux - Bulletproof
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n4MqUMieyXg&feature=channel Alphabeat - The Spell
As part of our planning, we all chose a music video and analyzed it. We chose: "Foundations" - Kate Nash and "Don't Stop" - Inner Party System, before we eventually chose Me & My Imagination.
Textual Analysis of a Music Video – Kate Nash, Foundations
The song I have chosen to analyse is Kate Nash’s Foundations. I chose this track because it links into our ideas for own music video, as we are looking for a bright, stylistic feel to the video, and also because of the speed of the song being rather static, with the simplistic instrumental riff. Another reason I chose this video is because of the use of ordinary objects to create meaning.
The genre of the song is pop and the characteristics of this are seen in the video, such as the bright set, and the use of many close ups of the artist singing.
The lyrics of the song are taken rather literally in their interpretation in the music video, such as the lines ‘eat so many lemons’ and ‘just have another beer then’ To avoid taking the whole song too literally, stop motion has also been used, showing household objects to illustrate the narrative of the song. This can be seen in the first shot of the video, with two toothbrushes, showing the relationship between them, with the shot being shown later in the video, where they are ‘fighting’.
The camerawork is mostly static, although this is common with stop motion shots. The shot sizes are mostly close ups and mid shots, which are used to sell the artist, and focus on the lyrics, as they are the appeal of the artists songs. The editing starts off with multiple shots, cutting to the beat of the song, to show the setting of the video, and these are then followed by long shot lengths of the artist, to show the videos narrative.
Kate Nash is represented as a ‘normal’ person, wearing coloured dresses, and a seemingly natural use of make-up, and is not shown to be on sexual display, which makes her completely opposite to a lot of artists, such as Madonna. This seems to fit with her songs, as they seem to be about everyday concepts such as relationships, and are then expressed in a detailed way, that is both catchy and relatable.
Lily Allen seems to have some similarities to Kate Nash, in the way that their songs are usually about the concept of relationships, and their songs are relatively lyric based. The video for ‘Smile’ also has similarities, because it has a colourful set, and has a narrative of a break-up.
At the end of the video, mise-en-scene is used to show the message the video is portraying, ‘don’t fall for this’. Which is telling women, or people in general, that they shouldn’t stay in a relationship when you know that it isn’t working and you aren’t happy.
Name of track: Don't Stop (version one of the video)
Director: Stephen Penta
Artist: Innerpartysystem
The video for Innerpartysystem's debut single, “Don't Stop”, was released around May, 2008. The genre is described as “rock”, but also “industrial” and “electronica”. The video reflects widely on the characteristics that videos from these genres maintain, it is bright and the studio shots are well lit. The shots of the band are often not illuminated enough to be able to see their faces clearly, but for some of the shots , the band can be seen distinctly. The band are also portrayed as playing live. The lighting within the live shots, however, are coloured and bright, giving the electronic edge to the video. Images of the band, there is bright lighting of different colours, varying in intensity.
The lyrics are reflected through various scenes throughout the video. The lyrics are based around fame, money, celebrity culture and religion. There are shots where the lyrics are represented via text. The video contains various scenes where the lead singer, Patrick Nissley, is featured on the news background (such as the shot below), where the lyrics are represented through phrases, such as “Celebrity Worship”, “God's final warning”, “sex” and “FAME!”. There are also shots of money, a woman's lips, and other parts of a woman's body in the news display. Also shows are shots where Abby's image as a professional news reader is being corrupted through scenes that have a sexual nature. These stills are examples of the shots that incorporate the lyrics. The first one shows Patrick with the text “celebrity worship?” and the second and third stills are shots of Abby.
The visuals within the video are “jumpy”. They are fast paced shots, jumping from one scene to the next. However, the majority of the shots are stop-start motion. The scene often remains the same, but something changes with that scene. The actions of Troy or Abby are often slowed down via this stop-start motion. However, during slower parts of the song, the visuals slow down, to match the pace of the music. In terms of camera work, the video is mainly compiled of extreme close ups and medium close ups. The extreme close ups are fragmented, and focusing on facial features, mainly the eyes and the mouth. The movement of the camera tends to be quite shakey, focusing on the stop-start motion.
The editing of the video is incredibly fast paced. There is no general continuity within the shots. They are mismatched and often placed in various orders. The post production gives the shots a more television style atmosphere – for example, the news background and the images on that background. The performance given by Troy and Abby are that of corrupt news readers. The mise-en-scene of the video portrays this.
The location is the band's local news studio, based in Philadelphia. The band are placed in a live setting, although the actual setting is unknown. There are some unusual props within the video – a ball gag is used within a scene, and Troy is seen pouring vodka into a mug. There are brief shots of the band's instruments as well – Patrick is seen holding a microphone, Jared Piccone is seen with his drum kit, Kris Barman is seen with a guitar, and Jesse Cronan is seen with a number of synthesizers.
There are a number of intertextual references within the video. There are references to channels that are dedicated to celebrity gossip and magazines– such as E! Channel, and two of the shots below represent a magazine style headline – which are mocked. There are also a number of religious references. Later on in the video, a cross is seen around the line “I am the closest thing to god”.
The artists, Innerpartysystem, are represented as being quite dark. Through the lyrics and the style of the video, it shows them as being slightly corrupt in some way. The video itself represents a corrupt society, via the idea of the corrupt newsreaders, and a society that immerses itself in celebrity culture. The track is sold via these ideas of a corrupt society. The flashy editing shows the band as being in the electronic genre, while the dark lighting shows their more rock genre side.
Sophie Ellis Bextor - Me & My Imagination
This video is typical of Ellis Bextor’s style – a cross between fantasy and reality, bright, colourful and full of action. There are four sequences in the video:
1) Takes place on an empty street, which then turns into a black studio
2) Features Ellis-Bextor dancing in the studio in front of a troupe of dancers, each wearing illuminated costumes of different colours
3) Takes place in a park
4) Has Ellis-Bextor finding cover from the rain in London
Genre
This video fits very well into it’s genre (dance pop) because of the vibrant colours and fast beat. The bright lights throughout the video subtly give off hints of being in a nightclub, and the dance routine also gives off this impression.
Lyrics
The lyrics in this video amplify the visuals, as some parts involve the idea that the viewer is actually in Ellis Bextor’s imagination. The bright lights and dancers give evidence to this, as they are things that wouldn’t be found in any normal situation.
Music
The video blends well with the music, and changes scenes when necessary. The video cuts to the black studio when the chorus starts, and the neon lights also appear. The slower beat towards the beginning of the chorus suggests a scene change, and then as the pace quickens, the neon lights appear. Throughout all the verses, a normal setting arises.
Camerawork
The camerawork on this video is pretty simple, but the techniques are very effective. A medium shot of the setting at the very beginning of the video gives the viewer an idea of where they are, and the neon light gives them an idea of what to expect. The use of an upwards pan from Ellis Bextor’s feet shows an image of her body, which in a way is quite sexualised. Following on from that, the video consists of mostly medium shots, with a couple of close ups on Ellis Bextor’s face to emphasise a point. Long shots are also used, but only to convey the setting and to also display the neon lights fully. A high angle shot is used twice during this video, once just before the neon lights appear in the third sequence, and once during the fourth sequence. This type of shot represents Ellis Bextor as partially vulnerable, partially childlike.
Editing
Unlike Ellis Bextor’s other videos, this one is mixing reality with fantasy. Even so, continuity is kept throughout the video. The pace slows down just before the chorus, and then quickens at the start of it. The scenes all link together, and the finishing scene is quite similar to the beginning one, as they both feature the neon lights in the shape of a heart. The closing scene is more vibrant though, as it is the only thing in shot.
The use of reality and fantasy make this video unique, but also make the editing a bit more challenging. The editos have successfully managed to link the video together to make the scenes flow smoothly and to make the viewer feel they are in Ellis Bextor’s imagination.
Narrative & Performance
This video is purely narrative based, and has used many references to different films, mainly from pre 1955. The video revolves mainly around the different sets Ellis Bextor is on, and mise-en-scene is used successfully to create a sense of normality that the audience can relate to. Props, such as the tables and chairs, show things that are commonly used, and the umbrella and park bench remind the audience (mainly British) of surroundings common to them, therefore making it easier for them to relate to. The red post box and red telephone box also make it easier for a British audience to comprehend.
Intertextuality
As previously mentioned, Ellis Bextor has taken inspiration from films of the pre 1955 genre, mainly musicals. “The Wizard Of Oz” and “Singin’ In The Rain” are the two main films used in this video, but inspiration has also been taken from other musicals that involve a scene on a street, for example “On The Town” and “Anchors Aweigh”. Specific reference to “The Wizard Of Oz” is used at the beginning of the video, when Ellis Bextor clicks her heels together 3 times. This was an iconic part of “The Wizard Of Oz”, and so the audience will automatically relate to it. Another scene from “The Wizard Of Oz” is portrayed in this video, when Ellis Bextor is sitting in the park with the dog. This mimics the scene with Dorothy falling asleep in the field.
“Singin’ In The Rain” has been copied a number of times in the video, but mainly when Ellis Bextor swings around the parking meter then leans on a lamp post, and stands in a doorway whilst the rain pours.
Representation
Ellis Bextor is portrayed in many ways during this video, but the main one is sexualised. Focus on her legs throughout the video emphasises this point. Focus on her body whilst she is dancing also emphasises this point.
Star Image
The image portrayed of Ellis Bextor is that she is British, due to the red telephone box, the park, the umbrella and the post box. Another image is that she is a sexual object, due to the shots of her legs and body throughout the video. Also her clothing and some ways that she poses give this impression.
Ellis Bextor released this single on May 7th, 2007, and it reached number 23 in the UK Singles Chart. It was also supposed to be released by iTunes UK the same day, but after a problem with the system, it did not get released until the 14th May. "Me and My Imagination" is currently on the Abercrombie & Fitch playlist in America, and is also often used on several “Supermodelo 2008” episodes (the Spanish version of “America's Next Top Model”).
Here is a copy of the letter we sent to Polydor, Sophie Ellis Bexter's record label.
Dear Polydor/Universal Music Group,
We are a group of A level students and are asking for your permission to use a song for our current A2 media project. The song we would like to use is 'Me and My Imagination' by Sophie Ellie Bextor. This is track two on the album 'Trip the Light Fantastic.'
Our project involves creating a music video and ancillary products, which include a digipack and a magazine advert. If we recieved your permission these would only be viewed by our media class, our teachers and the OCR examination board. It would not be released to a large audience.
Sophie Ellis Bextor and Polydor would be fully recognised throughout pre-production and the final product itself. A copyright notice, with wording provided by you, can be included at your request in our records of the project. If this is required, please send more details.
Sincerely,
Franky Cargius, Emma Abbott, Chanelle Bellis and Daniel Tydd.
We then had to find a suitable song, which fitted in with the theme of imagination. Therefore Sophie Ellis-Bextor's "Me & My Imagination" was the most suitable choice.
The original music video included bright lights and vibrant colours, so it fitted well with the genre (dance pop).
Our influences came from the electro genre, such as their use of location, props and costume. We decided to use a variation of locations, as the video concept is based around a magazine. We decided on using the TV studio for most of our scenes, but the use of a field for a "nature fashion shoot" and the photography studio for an actual photo shoot.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6N26e_BgfU Me & My Imagination
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iOYufRHQSms La Roux - Bulletproof
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n4MqUMieyXg&feature=channel Alphabeat - The Spell
As part of our planning, we all chose a music video and analyzed it. We chose: "Foundations" - Kate Nash and "Don't Stop" - Inner Party System, before we eventually chose Me & My Imagination.
Textual Analysis of a Music Video – Kate Nash, Foundations
The song I have chosen to analyse is Kate Nash’s Foundations. I chose this track because it links into our ideas for own music video, as we are looking for a bright, stylistic feel to the video, and also because of the speed of the song being rather static, with the simplistic instrumental riff. Another reason I chose this video is because of the use of ordinary objects to create meaning.
The genre of the song is pop and the characteristics of this are seen in the video, such as the bright set, and the use of many close ups of the artist singing.
The lyrics of the song are taken rather literally in their interpretation in the music video, such as the lines ‘eat so many lemons’ and ‘just have another beer then’ To avoid taking the whole song too literally, stop motion has also been used, showing household objects to illustrate the narrative of the song. This can be seen in the first shot of the video, with two toothbrushes, showing the relationship between them, with the shot being shown later in the video, where they are ‘fighting’.
The camerawork is mostly static, although this is common with stop motion shots. The shot sizes are mostly close ups and mid shots, which are used to sell the artist, and focus on the lyrics, as they are the appeal of the artists songs. The editing starts off with multiple shots, cutting to the beat of the song, to show the setting of the video, and these are then followed by long shot lengths of the artist, to show the videos narrative.
Kate Nash is represented as a ‘normal’ person, wearing coloured dresses, and a seemingly natural use of make-up, and is not shown to be on sexual display, which makes her completely opposite to a lot of artists, such as Madonna. This seems to fit with her songs, as they seem to be about everyday concepts such as relationships, and are then expressed in a detailed way, that is both catchy and relatable.
Lily Allen seems to have some similarities to Kate Nash, in the way that their songs are usually about the concept of relationships, and their songs are relatively lyric based. The video for ‘Smile’ also has similarities, because it has a colourful set, and has a narrative of a break-up.
At the end of the video, mise-en-scene is used to show the message the video is portraying, ‘don’t fall for this’. Which is telling women, or people in general, that they shouldn’t stay in a relationship when you know that it isn’t working and you aren’t happy.
Name of track: Don't Stop (version one of the video)
Director: Stephen Penta
Artist: Innerpartysystem
The video for Innerpartysystem's debut single, “Don't Stop”, was released around May, 2008. The genre is described as “rock”, but also “industrial” and “electronica”. The video reflects widely on the characteristics that videos from these genres maintain, it is bright and the studio shots are well lit. The shots of the band are often not illuminated enough to be able to see their faces clearly, but for some of the shots , the band can be seen distinctly. The band are also portrayed as playing live. The lighting within the live shots, however, are coloured and bright, giving the electronic edge to the video. Images of the band, there is bright lighting of different colours, varying in intensity.
The lyrics are reflected through various scenes throughout the video. The lyrics are based around fame, money, celebrity culture and religion. There are shots where the lyrics are represented via text. The video contains various scenes where the lead singer, Patrick Nissley, is featured on the news background (such as the shot below), where the lyrics are represented through phrases, such as “Celebrity Worship”, “God's final warning”, “sex” and “FAME!”. There are also shots of money, a woman's lips, and other parts of a woman's body in the news display. Also shows are shots where Abby's image as a professional news reader is being corrupted through scenes that have a sexual nature. These stills are examples of the shots that incorporate the lyrics. The first one shows Patrick with the text “celebrity worship?” and the second and third stills are shots of Abby.
The visuals within the video are “jumpy”. They are fast paced shots, jumping from one scene to the next. However, the majority of the shots are stop-start motion. The scene often remains the same, but something changes with that scene. The actions of Troy or Abby are often slowed down via this stop-start motion. However, during slower parts of the song, the visuals slow down, to match the pace of the music. In terms of camera work, the video is mainly compiled of extreme close ups and medium close ups. The extreme close ups are fragmented, and focusing on facial features, mainly the eyes and the mouth. The movement of the camera tends to be quite shakey, focusing on the stop-start motion.
The editing of the video is incredibly fast paced. There is no general continuity within the shots. They are mismatched and often placed in various orders. The post production gives the shots a more television style atmosphere – for example, the news background and the images on that background. The performance given by Troy and Abby are that of corrupt news readers. The mise-en-scene of the video portrays this.
The location is the band's local news studio, based in Philadelphia. The band are placed in a live setting, although the actual setting is unknown. There are some unusual props within the video – a ball gag is used within a scene, and Troy is seen pouring vodka into a mug. There are brief shots of the band's instruments as well – Patrick is seen holding a microphone, Jared Piccone is seen with his drum kit, Kris Barman is seen with a guitar, and Jesse Cronan is seen with a number of synthesizers.
There are a number of intertextual references within the video. There are references to channels that are dedicated to celebrity gossip and magazines– such as E! Channel, and two of the shots below represent a magazine style headline – which are mocked. There are also a number of religious references. Later on in the video, a cross is seen around the line “I am the closest thing to god”.
The artists, Innerpartysystem, are represented as being quite dark. Through the lyrics and the style of the video, it shows them as being slightly corrupt in some way. The video itself represents a corrupt society, via the idea of the corrupt newsreaders, and a society that immerses itself in celebrity culture. The track is sold via these ideas of a corrupt society. The flashy editing shows the band as being in the electronic genre, while the dark lighting shows their more rock genre side.
Sophie Ellis Bextor - Me & My Imagination
This video is typical of Ellis Bextor’s style – a cross between fantasy and reality, bright, colourful and full of action. There are four sequences in the video:
1) Takes place on an empty street, which then turns into a black studio
2) Features Ellis-Bextor dancing in the studio in front of a troupe of dancers, each wearing illuminated costumes of different colours
3) Takes place in a park
4) Has Ellis-Bextor finding cover from the rain in London
Genre
This video fits very well into it’s genre (dance pop) because of the vibrant colours and fast beat. The bright lights throughout the video subtly give off hints of being in a nightclub, and the dance routine also gives off this impression.
Lyrics
The lyrics in this video amplify the visuals, as some parts involve the idea that the viewer is actually in Ellis Bextor’s imagination. The bright lights and dancers give evidence to this, as they are things that wouldn’t be found in any normal situation.
Music
The video blends well with the music, and changes scenes when necessary. The video cuts to the black studio when the chorus starts, and the neon lights also appear. The slower beat towards the beginning of the chorus suggests a scene change, and then as the pace quickens, the neon lights appear. Throughout all the verses, a normal setting arises.
Camerawork
The camerawork on this video is pretty simple, but the techniques are very effective. A medium shot of the setting at the very beginning of the video gives the viewer an idea of where they are, and the neon light gives them an idea of what to expect. The use of an upwards pan from Ellis Bextor’s feet shows an image of her body, which in a way is quite sexualised. Following on from that, the video consists of mostly medium shots, with a couple of close ups on Ellis Bextor’s face to emphasise a point. Long shots are also used, but only to convey the setting and to also display the neon lights fully. A high angle shot is used twice during this video, once just before the neon lights appear in the third sequence, and once during the fourth sequence. This type of shot represents Ellis Bextor as partially vulnerable, partially childlike.
Editing
Unlike Ellis Bextor’s other videos, this one is mixing reality with fantasy. Even so, continuity is kept throughout the video. The pace slows down just before the chorus, and then quickens at the start of it. The scenes all link together, and the finishing scene is quite similar to the beginning one, as they both feature the neon lights in the shape of a heart. The closing scene is more vibrant though, as it is the only thing in shot.
The use of reality and fantasy make this video unique, but also make the editing a bit more challenging. The editos have successfully managed to link the video together to make the scenes flow smoothly and to make the viewer feel they are in Ellis Bextor’s imagination.
Narrative & Performance
This video is purely narrative based, and has used many references to different films, mainly from pre 1955. The video revolves mainly around the different sets Ellis Bextor is on, and mise-en-scene is used successfully to create a sense of normality that the audience can relate to. Props, such as the tables and chairs, show things that are commonly used, and the umbrella and park bench remind the audience (mainly British) of surroundings common to them, therefore making it easier for them to relate to. The red post box and red telephone box also make it easier for a British audience to comprehend.
Intertextuality
As previously mentioned, Ellis Bextor has taken inspiration from films of the pre 1955 genre, mainly musicals. “The Wizard Of Oz” and “Singin’ In The Rain” are the two main films used in this video, but inspiration has also been taken from other musicals that involve a scene on a street, for example “On The Town” and “Anchors Aweigh”. Specific reference to “The Wizard Of Oz” is used at the beginning of the video, when Ellis Bextor clicks her heels together 3 times. This was an iconic part of “The Wizard Of Oz”, and so the audience will automatically relate to it. Another scene from “The Wizard Of Oz” is portrayed in this video, when Ellis Bextor is sitting in the park with the dog. This mimics the scene with Dorothy falling asleep in the field.
“Singin’ In The Rain” has been copied a number of times in the video, but mainly when Ellis Bextor swings around the parking meter then leans on a lamp post, and stands in a doorway whilst the rain pours.
Representation
Ellis Bextor is portrayed in many ways during this video, but the main one is sexualised. Focus on her legs throughout the video emphasises this point. Focus on her body whilst she is dancing also emphasises this point.
Star Image
The image portrayed of Ellis Bextor is that she is British, due to the red telephone box, the park, the umbrella and the post box. Another image is that she is a sexual object, due to the shots of her legs and body throughout the video. Also her clothing and some ways that she poses give this impression.
Ellis Bextor released this single on May 7th, 2007, and it reached number 23 in the UK Singles Chart. It was also supposed to be released by iTunes UK the same day, but after a problem with the system, it did not get released until the 14th May. "Me and My Imagination" is currently on the Abercrombie & Fitch playlist in America, and is also often used on several “Supermodelo 2008” episodes (the Spanish version of “America's Next Top Model”).
Here is a copy of the letter we sent to Polydor, Sophie Ellis Bexter's record label.
Dear Polydor/Universal Music Group,
We are a group of A level students and are asking for your permission to use a song for our current A2 media project. The song we would like to use is 'Me and My Imagination' by Sophie Ellie Bextor. This is track two on the album 'Trip the Light Fantastic.'
Our project involves creating a music video and ancillary products, which include a digipack and a magazine advert. If we recieved your permission these would only be viewed by our media class, our teachers and the OCR examination board. It would not be released to a large audience.
Sophie Ellis Bextor and Polydor would be fully recognised throughout pre-production and the final product itself. A copyright notice, with wording provided by you, can be included at your request in our records of the project. If this is required, please send more details.
Sincerely,
Franky Cargius, Emma Abbott, Chanelle Bellis and Daniel Tydd.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)