Evaluation

In my music video most things went according to plan, although some things I wanted to do weren’t really practical or didn’t work out the way I wanted it to. For example I wanted to have a car drive past with one of my actors in but they couldn’t drive, and I couldn’t find anyone else who would do it for me. Therefore I had to give up on this idea. If I had done this again I would have checked if anyone could drive for me and then decide on my plans after knowing, or just check way before I started filming. Another thing was to have both of the actor’s faces kind of blurred together, but when I done this it looked rather odd and I then decided against it. Once more if I were to do this again I would have practised on Final Cut first to see what this effect looked like before I said I would do it.

Something else that didn’t go right was some of the lip syncing, because my actors weren’t singing out loud it was hard to tell what part of the song they were doing. I tried to match it to the song but they were either singing too fast or too slow, I attempted slowing them up or down but sometimes it was still out. Something I would do to improve this would be to have the music playing in the background all the time opposed to just sometimes, and to have the actors actually singing along so I knew which part they were always meant to be singing. Doing this would have also saved me time.

On the good side though I am very happy with some of the things that turned out right, like when I had put inserts into my video when I was highlighting the fact that it was just a dream. I wanted it to be in a sepia effect and I thought this turned out well, I felt that this made the inserts look dreamlike. I also slowed these bits down which helped in creating the dreaming illusion. When the video clips suddenly went back to normal colours I felt that this helped the audience to understand that the actors were reliving their dreams and memories with each other.

I also thought that my match on actions went well because a lot of things that were sung I managed to relate to something that was happening. Like “I was thinking about you, thinking about me, thinking about us,” I showed clips of them in separate shots and then together for “us.” Also when “I was at the top and now it’s like I’m in the basement” I had the male actor walking down the stairs. “And now I’m wishing that you’d pick up the phone,” my female actress is dialling his number. I feel happy with these because it helps the audience relate to the song being played.

Over all I am happy with my music video because I accomplished most of what I wanted to do. It would have been nice if it had gone perfectly to my plan but some things weren’t possible.

Lyrics For The Song

‘Just a Dream’

Boy (Sam Tsui)

I was thinkin about you, thinkin about me.
Thinkin about us, what we gonna be?
Open my eyes; it was only just a dream. Girl (Christina Grimmie)
I travel back, down that road.
Will you come back? No one knows.
I realize, it was only just a dream.
Boy (Sam Tsui)
I was at the top and I was like I’m in the basement.
Number one spot and now you found your own replacement.
I swear now that I can't take it, knowing somebody's got my baby.
And now you ain't around, baby I can't think.
I shoulda put it down. Shoulda got that ring.
Cuz I can still feel it in the air.
See your pretty face run my fingers through your hair.
My lover, my life. My baby, my wife.
You left me, I'm tied.
Cuz I know that it just ain't right.

(Together)
I was thinkin about you, thinkin about me.
Thinkin about us, what we gonna be?
Open my eyes; it was only just a dream.
So I travel back, down that road.
Will you come back? No one knows.
I realize, it was only just a dream.Girl (Christina Grimmie)When I'm ridin I swear I see your face at every turn.
I'm tryin to get my usher on, but I can let it burn.
And I just hope you'll know you're the only one I yearn for.
No wonder I'll be missing when I'll learn?
Didn't give you all my love, I guess now I got my payback.
Now I'm in the club thinkin all about you baby.
Hey, you were(was) so easy to love. But wait, I guess that love wasn't enough.
I'm goin through it every time that I'm alone.
And now i'm wishin that you'd pick up the phone.
But you made a decision that you wanted to move on.
Cuz I was wrong...

(Together)
(Chorus)

If you ever loved somebody put your hands up.
If you ever loved somebody put your hands up.
And now they're gone and you're wishing you could give them everything.

Ohhh, if you ever loved somebody put your hands up.

(if you ever loved somebody put your hands up.)
If you ever loved somebody put your hands up.

(if you ever loved somebody put your hands up.)
And now they're gone and you wish you could give them everything.
And I was thinkin about you, thinkin about me.
Thinkin about us, what we gonna be?
Open my eyes (open my eyes) (open my eyes); it was only just a dream (it's just a, it's just a dream).
So I travel back, down that road.
Will you come back? No one knows.
I realize (i realize), it was only just a dream X2
(baby, it was only just... it was only just a dream)

Nooo... Ohhh... It was only just a dream.

With these lyrics I managed to plan my video with match on action. It also helped my actors when they needed to learn the lyrics so they could mime along with the song.

Music Video Script

Just a Dream

Boy and Girl walking towards each other smiling, (fazed around the edges so it doesn’t look real, also in a slight slow motion to emphasise that) “I was thinking about her” See close up of the girl’s face, “Thinking about me” Close up of boys face, “thinking about us, what we gonna be?” then a mid shot of them both together.  The image phases away, “Open my eyes, it was only just a dream” close up of boy opening his eyes in an aerial shot, high angle and long shot of him sitting up in bed. “I travel back, down that road” A car drives past in a pan shot, “Will you come back? No one knows,” Girl leaning on the car and looking at her feet, close up of her face looking past the camera, (on the same road as later) “I realise, it was only just a dream.” Insert of them about to kiss, carrying on from the beginning.

“I was at the top and I was like I’m in the basement,” Boy is walking down into a basement with a long shot. “Number one spot and now you found your own replacement” Boy just looking distressed in mid shot, then an insert of the girl talking with another boy. “I swear now that I can't take it, knowing somebody's got my baby.” Boy looking as though he’s about to cry in close up, picks up a photo of him and her together and touches her picture in a close up. “And now you ain't around, baby I can't think.” Boy sits down staring at nothing. “I shoulda put it down. Shoulda got that ring.” Insert of them looking into a jewellery shop together, they walk away, zoom in to see a ring.
“Cuz I can still feel it in the air. See your pretty face run my fingers through your hair.” Boy still sitting down and putting his head in his hands, insert of the girl smiling and him running his fingers through her hair. “My lover, my life, my baby, my wife” Boy singing (miming) with emotion, he looks at the photo again. “You left me, I'm tied. Cuz I know that it just ain't right.” There’s an insert of them having an argument and her leaving.

“I was thinkin about you, thinkin about me. Thinkin about us, what we gonna be?” Them both singing (miming) together in a close up two shot. They’re both looking in opposite directions. “Open my eyes; it was only just a dream.” Close up of the girl singing and opening her eyes, “open my eyes,” close up of boy singing, “It was only just a dream.” “So I travel back, down that road.” The girl is walking in slow motion down a road, in a long shot. She fades out to be replaced by the boy doing the same thing, “Will you come back? No one knows.” They’re both at the same place but at different times. “I realize, it was only just a dream.” They both leave the scene without seeing each other.

“When I'm ridin I swear I see your face at every turn,” The girl is walking down a high street in a mid shot, there are lots of people about. The boy walks past her and she turns around in hope, only to realise it’s not him. “I'm tryin to get my usher on, but I can let it burn,” She’s still looking for him in the street, and then closes her eyes in disappointment (Close up). “And I just hope you'll know you're the only one I yearn for.” There’s an insert of them both laying down together laughing and smiling (Aerial shot, long shot) “No wonder I'll be missing when I'll learn?” She imagines a close up of his face, it fades out. She tries to reach it but can’t. “Didn't give you all my love, I guess now I got my payback.” She’s all dressed up and in a public bathroom (in the club) looking at her reflection, she looks miserable, mid shot. “Now I'm in the club thinkin all about you baby.” She starts walking through the club in slow motion, the shot is being taken from behind her on a track dolly. “Hey, you were (was) so easy to love. But wait, I guess that love wasn't enough.” She’s miming towards the camera in the bathroom, close up. “I'm goin through it every time that I'm alone.” She’s back in the club walking again. “And now i'm wishin that you'd pick up the phone.” She looks down at her phone, close up, we notice that he won’t answer. “But you made a decision that you wanted to move on. Cuz I was wrong...” There’s an insert of them together looking upset and him walking away.

“I was thinkin about you, thinkin about me. Thinkin about us, what we gonna be?” Them both singing (miming) together in a close up two shot. They’re both looking in opposite directions. “Open my eyes; it was only just a dream.” Close up of the girl singing and opening her eyes, “open my eyes,” close up of boy singing, “It was only just a dream.” “So I travel back, down that road.” The girl is walking in slow motion down a road, in a long shot. She fades out to be replaced by the boy doing the same thing, “Will you come back? No one knows.” They’re both at the same place but at different times. “I realise, it was only just a dream.” They both leave the scene without seeing each other.

“If you ever loved somebody put your hands up. If you ever loved somebody put your hands up.” The girl is in the club miming in a mid shot and she starts to put her hands up, other people copy her. “And now they're gone and you're wishing you could give them everything.” There’s a two shot of them both together, close up of their faces looking at the camera miming. But they’re both in different places. “Ohhh, if you ever loved somebody put your hands up. If you ever loved somebody put your hands up.” The boy is in his room miming in a long shot, he puts his hands above his head. “And now they're gone and you wish you could give them everything.” There’s another two shot of them both together, close up of their faces looking at the camera miming. But they’re both in different places still.

“And I was thinkin about you, thinkin about me. Thinkin about us, what we gonna be? Open my eyes, it was only just a dream.” Girl is walking down the road, mid shot, camera in front of her on track dolly. “So I travel back, down that road.” Boy standing looking for the girl, long shot. “Will you come back? No one knows. I realise, it was only just a dream.” Girl is walking down the road, mid shot, camera in front of her on track dolly.

“And I was thinkin about you, thinkin about me. Thinkin about us, what we gonna be?” Open my eyes, it was only just a dream.” Boy is walking down the road, opposite side to the girl, mid shot, camera in front of him on a track dolly. “So I travel back, down that road.” Girl is standing looking for the boy, long shot. “Will you come back? No one knows. I realise, it was only just a dream.” Boy is walking down the road, opposite side to the girl, mid shot, camera in front of him on a track dolly.

“Baby, it was only just... it was only just a dream. Nooo... Ohhh... It was only just a dream.” They finally reach each other and hug, long shot.

R&B Research

Contemporary R&B (also known as simply R&B) is a music genre that combines elements of hip hop, soul, R&B and funk.
Although the abbreviation “R&B” originates from traditional rhythm and blues music, today the term R&B is most often used to describe a style of African American music originating after the demise of disco in the 1980s. Some sources refer to the style as urban contemporary (the name of the radio format that plays hip hop and contemporary R&B).
Contemporary R&B has a polished record production style, drum machine-backed rhythms, an occasional saxophone-laced beat to give a jazz feel (mostly common in contemporary R&B songs prior to the year 1993), and a smooth, lush style of vocal arrangement. Electronic influences are becoming an increasing trend, and the use of hip hop or dance inspired beats are typical, although the roughness and grit inherent in hip hop may be reduced and smoothed out. Contemporary R&B vocalists are often known for their use of melisma, popularized by vocalists such as Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder,  Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey.
With this information I am able to class my song for my music video as R&B Ballad.

Ballad Research

A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to musicc. Ballads were particularly characteristic of Britishh and Irishh popular poetry and song from the later medieval period until the 19th century and used extensively across Europee and later the Americas, Australia and North Africa. Many ballads were written and sold as single sheet broadsides. The form was often used by poets and composerss from the 18th century onwards to produce lyrical ballads. In the later 19th century it took on the meaning of a slow form of popular love song and the term is now often used as synonymous with any love song, particularly the pop or rock power ballad.
With this information I knew how to go about classing my song in what genre.

My Idea

My idea has been influenced by my research of the song genre which is R&B ballad, although the cover version I have chosen may be considered more of a pop genre. I have found that strong lyrical songs such as this one will tell a story within the text opposed to lots of dancing, which you may find in music videos such as ‘Just Dance’ by Lady Gaga. My idea links into the lyrics of the song. There are a lot of match on word opportunities for me to create within my video.

For my second idea I thought about doing a music video with dancing opposed to telling a story. This is because I feel that dancing may be an easier option for me to complete, and because dancing generally fits in with most R&B music. Dancing is what an audience watching an R&B video would normally expect because of the research I have done. For example in the music video for Beyonce’s ‘Single Ladies’ dancing is the main objective throughout. As in the video ‘Material Girls’ by Madonna, there is all dancing. 

My Survey

I found that doing a survey around my school would help me with my research and planning for my music video. I managed to recieve the answers that I expected when doing this survey. People around my age group liked R&B and R&B ballad music, and even if they didn't they answered that they too expected other's of our age group to. I found that people also answered that they would expect to see dancing in R&B music videos and in R&B ballad music videos they would expect to see a story being told through the lyrics. Most people also answered that they prefered to see stories in music videos to make them interesting. I took all of this on board when creating my music video.

Survey

Put a circle around the bullet point to indicate your answer

1.      Do you like R&B music?

·         Yes

·         No

·         Sometimes

2.      Do you think people your age group like R&B music?

·         Yes

·         No (If not state what age group you think do)

·         Sometimes

3.      Do you watch music videos?

·         Yes

·         No

·         Sometimes

4.      Do you like music videos?

·         Yes

·         No

·         Sometimes

5.      In an R&B ballad song what do you most expect to see in the music video?

·         A story being told through the lyrics

·         Lots of dancing to the music

·         Voyeurism (Women’s bodies or sexual acts)

·         Maybe all of them

·         Something else (if so please state what)

6.      What do you most like to see in a music video?

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….......

7.      What is your favourite music video? Or one that sticks in your mind.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………............

Thank you for completing this survey.

Voyeurism

"In clinical psychology voyeurism is the sexual interest in or practice of spying on people engaged in intimate behaviors, such as undressing, sexual activity, or other activity usually considered to be of a private nature. In popular imagination the term is used in a more general sense to refer to someone who habitually observes others without their knowledge, with no necessary implication of sexual interest.
Voyeurism (from the French voyeur, "one who looks") can take several forms, but its principal characteristic is that the voyeur does not normally relate directly with the subject of their interest, who is often unaware of being observed."
I decided to look at the theorist Laura Mulvey's work to help with my idea's for my music video. Mulvey looks at voyeurism, and I thought whether or not I should put this aspect into my video. I have decided against this now though as my song is a type of R&B ballad with both male and female roles.

Voyeurism - Laura Mulvey

Mulvey is best known for her essay, "Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema", written in 1973 and published in 1975 in the influential British film theory journal Screen. It later appeared in a collection of her essays entitled Visual and Other Pleasures, and numerous other anthologies. Her article was one of the first major essays that helped shift the orientation of film theory towards a psychoanalytic framework, influenced by the theories of Sigmund Freud and Jacques Lacan. Prior to Mulvey, film theorists such as Jean-Louis Baudry and Christian Metz had attempted to use psychoanalytic ideas in their theoretical accounts of the cinema, but Mulvey's contribution was to inaugurate the intersection of film theory, psychoanalysis, and feminism.

Mulvey's article engaged in no empirical research on film audiences. She instead stated that she intended to make a "political use" of Freud and Lacan, and then used some of their concepts to argue that the cinematic apparatus of classical Hollywood cinema inevitably put the spectator in a masculine subject position, with the figure of the woman on screen as the object of desire. In the era of classical Hollywood cinema, viewers were encouraged to identify with the protagonist of the film, who tended to be a man. Meanwhile, Hollywood female characters of the 1950s and 60s were, according to Mulvey, coded with "to-be-looked-at-ness." Mulvey suggests that there were two distinct modes of the male gaze of this era: "voyeuristic" and "fetishistic."

Some feminists criticized "Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema," claiming that, while Mulvey believed that classical Hollywood cinema reflected and shaped the "patriarchal order," the perspective of her writing actually remained within that very heterosexual order. The article was thus said to have contradicted its "radical" claims, by actually being a covert perpetuation of heterosexual patriarchal order. This was because, in her article, Mulvey presupposes the spectator to be a heterosexual man. She was thus felt to be denying the existence of lesbian women, gay men, heterosexual women, and those outside of these identities.

"Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema" was the subject of much interdisciplinary discussion among film theorists that continued into the mid 1980s. Critics of the article objected to the fact that her argument implied the impossibility of genuine 'feminine' enjoyment of the classical Hollywood cinema, and to the fact that her argument did not seem to take into account spectatorships that were not organised along the normative lines of gender. For example, a metaphoric 'transvestism' might be possible when viewing a film – a male viewer might enjoy a 'feminine' point-of-view provided by a film, or vice versa; gay, lesbian and bisexual spectatorships might also be different. Her article also did not take into account the findings of the later wave of media audience studies on the complex nature of fan cultures and their interaction with stars. Gay male film theorists such as Richard Dyer have used Mulvey's work as a starting point to explore the complex projections that many gay men fix onto certain female stars (e.g. Liza Minnelli, Greta Garbo, Judy Garland.)