Transition Music Video Analysis

Before we started working on our centre piece music video, we had to create another music video
for our transition between AS level and A2. We were allowed to choose our groups and song. I found
myself working in a group with Holly Hadaway, Estelle Lount and Valentina Nenkova. Based on our skill
sets we, as a group designated different roles to each other. Holly was given the job of directing,
Valentinas job was to bring in props and make sure that we had a location to film, Estelles was to
choreograph and my role was to film the performance as well as assist Holly in directing. Unfortunately
it did not run as smooth as we had hoped, these roles got mixed up and changed throughout the
transitional project. Due to sickness and having other projects to work on, not all of the team were
available all of the time, which limited us in terms of what we could create in reference to the quality
of the video.

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served the purpose of helping us to create a more summery feeling music video.

In reference to theorists, particularly Andrew Goodwin and his key codes and conventions it could be
argued that we both followed and disregarded them depending on the code or convention in question.
One convention that we followed would be the one that states there is a relationship between the
lyrics and the visuals that the audience can both hear and see. This is due to the fact that the lyrics
incite a holiday, summer feel, which we as a group attempted to install through our use of props and
attire. We insured that the props and clothing that were used replicated that of a stereotypical holiday
overtone. Another convention of Goodwins that we followed would the one that states the necessity of
a relationship between the music and visual, much like the first convention, we followed this one in a
similar way. We did so through making sure that much like the beat of the track, the colouration of our
frames was bright and up-beat.
Although it could not be said that we created a clear iconography for the performers in our music
video, we did keep a common theme and it could be argued that in the spirit of creating a pastiche,
the cup with fruit punch it hinted at an iconographic element in our video as one of the members of
Wham! can be seen to be drinking from a cocktail in the original music video.

Following on from this, the pretend cocktail that starred in our music video could be better described
as an intertextual reference to the original music video, which meant that our music video emanated
another code stated by Andrew Goodwin. Contradictory to the codes and conventions that we
followed, there also ones that we contradicted. For example, one code that we disregarded in the
process of making our music video would be the one that states that particular music videos will have
an iconographic performance style, in terms of the choreography for example. Instead of researching
stereotypical dance moves and performance styles of the genre pop (which is the genre that the
original music video belongs too) we decided to create our own choreography as it decreased how
restricted we were and allowed us to explore different editing techniques as we then had a range of
different dance moves and differentiating frames that we then pieced together in post-production.

We knew it was important that we were able to showcase our editing skills just as much as it was to
show our filming skills and I feel that we did this by not following this convention. Another code that
our music video challenged could be seen through our lack of use of voyeurism, which according to
Goodwin is a common theme when a woman is focused upon in a music video. It is clear that we did
not attempt to record the filming of our music video or use of separate screens, windows or cameras.
Finally, the endmost convention that we as a team negated when filming our music video is the mass
use of close-ups of the main artist. According to Andrew Goodwin the use of close-ups or a general
focus on the main artist in a music video tends to be a common demand that can come from a
directors record company. In my teams case we had no record company to answer to so there was no
pressure in terms of incorporating close-ups or a more centralised approach in reference to the focus
of the music video. Although there were frames included where only Holly was in shot.

Another theorist in which we can attune our music video too is Joan Lynch. Lynch stated that there are
three basic video structures that a music video can categorise itself in. The categories included
performance, narrative and concept. Our music video visual could not be described as a narrative
piece as it is clear that we do not follow or attempt to create a story with a beginning, middle and end
in our music video. In relation to whether our music video fits within the prospectus of performance is
arguable. This is because Holly lip synchs the lyrics throughout the majority of the frames but she is
not actually singing the words (not singing them so that they can be heard). I think it would come
down the personal opinion of the audience member as to whether they would deem Hollys actions
and the music as a true performance piece or not. On the other hand, this music video could be
allocated to the concept structure as we took the theme of the original video made by Wham! and
attempted to feature it. This meant that we transpired a similar, conceptualised feel to our music
video in accordance to the original.

On the subject of Jon Gows central genres, where the display of the performance and the relationship
between certain factors is more focused upon, our music video quite clearly and concisely fits into
the song and dance number genre. This is can be materialised due to the fact that our music video
is entirely made up of frames which include either the use of dance moves or lip-syncing. Our video
does not include the displaying of the process of production, special effects or a lack of the
participants performance. This means that the video does not fit into any of the other genres.

As mentioned before Holly and I were in charge of editing the frames and manipulating them in a way
so that everything fitted together and that there were no obscurities in relation to the timing of the
track and lip-syncing and or choreography. As well as piecing together the frame we also used other
effects that created a fading effect from one frame to another. We did this by making more than one
layer and then placing one on top of the other but we lessened the opaqueness of the top layer so that
the bottom one could still be seen. Another element that was added through editing could be seen in
the final few seconds of the music video. Instead of cutting straight to a black screen once the track
had ended, we faded the picture out so that it was not such an abrasive ending. One issue that we had
in terms of editing was that at the end of the video there is a prolonged black screen that shows for
almost an extra two minutes. Between Holly and I, we could not figure out how to decrease the time
that this black screen would show for before the deadline, in which we had to upload the music video.

In connection with what I learned from this transition project there are a wide range of different skills
that I could state. The first one would be considered as more of a personal than a practical one as this
project allowed to experience the opportunity to work within a production team of a music video. In
order for our team to complete the music video before the deadline we really had to rally, work
efficiently and effectively with the time that we were all able to dedicate to this project. On the
practical side of things I would say that I learnt a great deal in reference to editing. Before this project I
had never had the opportunity or the need to use an editing programme and I at first found it difficult
to come to terms with the software but with the help of Holly I managed to get the hang of it and
become a more helpful entity in the editing process. As a part of the editing process it was important
that the timing of the track matched the performance that could be seen on the screen. Furthermore, I
learned how to make sure that this timing was accurate.

The second practical skill that I managed to attain was the ability to direct others. Even though I was
technically the person who was second in command on this front I still, at times was left as the sole
person in charge when it came to the organisation of the framing and direction. This was due to the
fact that I was the camera woman so it made sense that I was the one to tell Holly, Valentina and
Estelle what to do and where to stand in correspondence to their positions within the frame.