Previous editing gave me the idea of using a black and white background and the original figure. This is my final editing technique I think the effect works really well as it makes the figure bolder and almost 3-D. It also is in theme with my 1960s character breaking away from a 1950s background.
I mentioned before about liking the use of static patterns and textures. I used Pixlr and found an overlay of static TV. I did like the effect but it take away from the two block seperate colours and blends them too much however its maybe an effect that would work better on a smaller scale.
Using editing website 'PicMonkey' I created a collage of my favourite three images that Ive deided to use for the magazine advertisement. I cropped the images so they were an equal size and brought forward the centre image so it stands out more. I played around with a few effects and noticed that a dull background and brighter figure worked best.
I'd like to edit my images in the same style as my music video. I have chosen to do this mainly because of the idea change, I think album covers and advertisements look better when there's a clear link between them. I first used editing website fotoflexer and chose the 'retro' effect. This did give the image a vintage look but I think the layers in the photos are blended together too much it makes the image look quite plain and 2-3. It would be interesting to try and create a 3-D effect on them. In my final music video I have used a broken TV effect throughout, linking this to the images maybe by making the figure stand out against the background somehow.
In this edit I tried to highlight the figure and make it stand out from the background, I don't like this effect as much as the retro effect.
Old photo was another effect on Fotoflexer I tried out, its too dull for an advertisement or digipak. Its also not in keeping with the 1960s colour scheme.
I decided to next try and paint the figure into black and white and the background colour. I like the effect this has and tried it again this time in reverse. It does make the image look 3-D and with the background in colour is represents the idea of a 1950s TV (editing effect) and my 1960s character breaking away from that. It gives a sense of individuality too.
I decided to look at Marina and Diamonds music video 'Primadonna' because I like the use of editing techniques. A cinematic effect is used in certain shots throughout the whole music video. A filter is put over the footage that highlights certain lighting creating an almost kaleidoscope effect, this works really well with a mixture of different shots. Another aspect of this music video is camera shots filmed in an eye line shot this type of camerawork reminds me of handheld home videos. The use of this camera work with direct mode of address really engages the audience and the artist and makes the audience connect on an emotional level. The whole music video being put together with a mix of transitions and editing effects reminds me of a camcorder especially in the use of tracking shots. I really like the camcorder effect I think this is because it gives the footage a vintage feel. There is a short amount of footage towards the end of the video which shows Marina holding a camera this gives the music video that personal home video feeling.
When filming my music video I feel it's important to use eye line view as Id like to incorporate this camcorder effect into my work without overpowering the 1960s theme and without using the cliche camcorder effects such as the red recording button and battery symbols.
House style of Marina and the Diamonds is kept the same throughout her album. Here is the album cover from 'Electra Heart'.
The images used in this album are linked directly to the singles on the album itself. Here Marina is pictured wearing the costume from her music video 'Primadonna' giving a sense of unity between the album and the music video. With this album Marina created a character who is unlucky in love 'Electra heart' is a recurring theme throughout this whole album, with a different part of her life being released with each single. There is a very clear Vintage theme to the album and Marina said in an interview "the album is a very cinematic 70s style Americana style film"
With each song release a video was also released giving a sense of a story.
http://electraheart.tumblr.com/
I like the idea behind this but because I'm only doing one song it would be quite hard to create this story effect. However the vintage effect is definitely something to look into doing when editing my images. There isnt a huge amount of photo editing in a vintage style its more mise en scene which conveys that look.
The back of the digipak is probably more of the editing style I want to be looking at. Its a simple photograph with a cinema grain effect over top giving it that Hollywood vintage feel.
THE FAMILY JEWELS
Marinas first album 'The family Jewels' is very different in contrast with Electra Heart. Marina is well known for her style variation.
The album cover is the artist in the centre drawing attention to her and capturing the audiences attention. My favourite part of this digipak is the font, I really like the contrast of a plain image and block background with a detailed font, it really captures her style and the genre well as her music is very individual and bold. Thinking about use of titles and artist names on my digipak I m thinking about using this logo because it is so unique and it would be extremely difficult to find a font as distinctive. The back of the digipak is also very simple, with the same font linking to the rest of the digipak, the font is also used on Marinas 'I am not a Robot' single and is a reccuring theme throughout the whole album, its probably the main linking factor. Looking at these example has made me realise in my ancillary tasks I would like to keep the font the same throughout to ensure a sense of unity.
I have filmed my talent wearing the 60s costume and underestimated just how time consuming the preparation of filming would be; hair, make-up and setting up the location. Location is my back garden which was easily accessible however the weather was not on our side and it rained heavily for all but one day of the christmas break, because of this I planned to film during exam leave just into January however my younger sister had exams most days. If I was too finish my music video to the quality I wanted I have chosen to focus on the footage I already have. Thinking about my initial idea of three seperate eras combined and different editing techniques layered on top of this I think a simpler music video thats not crowded and overpacked may be a better way to portray the meaning of the song. Out of all the eras I had chosen to look at the 1960s is best suited with my song choice. "I am not a Robot" is all about breaking away from how others want to see you and being yourself. During the 1950s a post war society was trying to inject femininity back into households, as women during world war two took over male work roles and the 1950s saw the return of the stereotypical "perfect house wife" role for women. The 1960s was a completer break away from this, women because more independent and publicly opinionated breaking away from how society wanted them to be viewed and each becoming themselves.
After filming I took some images that were posed. I said previously I wante to challenge the male gaze theory and the idea of women being small and weak. I used a high angle shot by standing on a chair, high angle shots often make a person appear small I tried to challenge this by filling up the negative space around my talent. I do like these images however I feel they looked too posed and to go against the normal media conventions I wanted to use images that were more natural and different.
The second camera angle that I tried was a low angle shot, I decided to use this shot to portray power, I think its important my talent looks powerful because of the song meaning. I want my music video and images on the digipak and advertisement to be linked with the idea of independence during the 1960s. I think its important that the concept of my music video is clear through camera shots and angles so the meaning is not lost or misinterpreted.
I decided that posed photos wern't working as well as I had wanted them too, so I decided to take them while filming to try and capture emotion. I'd used this technique previously when photographing people during art and textiles GCSE. This first image isn't the best one but I do like the angle of the camera it adds depth to the photo. I asked my talent to sing and dance while the song played in the background and the next images are the most successful. By putting the camera on timer I was able to capture a range of motions in an order. These images would work well side by side to create a sense of movement. Movement is also well linked to my song choice and will help to portray the meaning as the 1960s movement of women being independeant and breaking away from societies boundaries was a turning point that has lead to todays society.
Using Mise en scene that was available I tried to again capture more natural images. Using a low angle shot for the same effect.
These images of my talent were taken accidently she wasn't posing she was talking to my mum and had to lean to see her! The images that are not posed have turned out to be the most interesting and useful.
You've been acting awful tough lately Smoking a lot of cigarettes lately But inside, you're just a little baby It's okay to say you've got a weak spot You don't always have to be on top Better to be hated than loved, loved, love for what you're not You're vulnerable, you're vulnerable You are not a robot You're lovable, so lovable But you're just troubled
(1960s) Guess what? I'm not a robot, a robot Guess what? I'm not a robot, a robot You've been hanging with the unloved kids Who you never really liked and you never trusted But you are so magnetic, you pick up all the pins Never committing to anything You don't pick up the phone when it ring, ring, rings Don't be so pathetic, just open up and sing
(1980s) I'm vulnerable, I'm vulnerable I am not a robot You're lovable, so lovable But you're just troubled Guess what? I'm not a robot, a robot Guess what? I'm not a robot, a robot Can you teach me how to feel real? Can you turn my power off? And let the drum beat drop
With using different eras I also wanted to use the style of editing used during that era over the top. Firstly I looked at 1950s styles in Final cut pro. "1950s TV" was very successful, I feel this represented the era the best. The contrasty was a perfect as 50s TV was higher contrasted and this effect work much better than the plain black and white editing effect and it gave the old fashioned look I wanted. 1960s editing techniques were slightly more complex to copy, I firstly tried aged film, this worked well as it created the static TV look and the colours were slightly yellowed which again match the effect I wanted. I tried film grain next which was very similar to aged film just without the static break up. I prefer aged film as it gives it a more realistic effect. The 1980s was slightly more vibrant and defined that the 1960s technique, I used super 8mm which i think worked quite well, it added a more colourful effect but the image was slightly blurry and distorted. Add noise was the next effect I tried and this was my favourite, it appeared older but not hugely different from today this was the effect I needed to copy. Bad TV was an effect that caught my interest while I was looking at the static effect on the aged film. i quite like the idea of using this effect to change between eras as if the TV is being turned off or changing channels. It would work best edited over a small amount of film then cut quickly to reveal the next era.
I should have started filming some of my music video by now, however my talent had to pull out at the last minute so I had to change some of my plans. I've had to allow time for my new talent to learn the song.
I re-used an old dress and skirt to get the full skirt and blouse look for my music video. However when I took the first images to upload I wasn't happy with the outcome, something was missing so I added a neck tie and skin colour tights. This made it look a lot more fitting with the research I had done. Because the skirt and dress were separate garments and the waist band one of the most important aspects of the 50s fashion I used spare black material to cover the waist band of the skirt and make it look more like a dress.
Make-up
Hair style
At first I attempted a Marilyn monroe hairstyle however it really didn't turn out the way we had planned. Secondly we tried the victory roll hair style.
This is my final outfit for the 80s era.
I had an image of what this outfit was going to look like in my mind and I'm glad I tested it all together before filming because its completely different to what I had imagined! I brought a black fishnet top to go with the skirt, but looking at my research there wasn't enough colour incorporated. I'm really happy with the hair we had to re-do it a few times as we tried originally used a thicker material and it didn't work very well it flattened the curls too much, so I used a scrap of thin black material taken from an old dress.
My sister (the talent) had the majority of the jewellery already, I brought the cross necklace in for the costume because religious jewellery was a massive fashion trend in the 80s.
I followed the classic make-up trend from the 80s that I found during my research. Heavy eye liner on both the top and bottom of the eye, gold eye shadow, gold tint on the black mascara and red lipstick. I think this will work well in my video as its such a contrast from the make-up from the 50s and 60s.
If I was change anything about this costume I would add big earrings because this was a big fashion trend in the 80s. Before filming I need to try and find some cross earrings like Madonna is wearing in the top image
Madonna was one of the biggest fashion icon of the 1980s. Her style was the most sought after and was definitely the most powerful influence on fashion at the time. Religious jewellery, fishnets, beaded jewellery and skin tight clothing were the all the rage.
Punk was a massive trend throughout the 80s with tartan being extremely popular alongside Doc Martins.
Hair and Make-up
Again pop icon Madonna was the main influence on both make-up and hair styles. The perm was a must have look alongside a bow messily tied at a slight angle on top of the head. Make-up was focused mainly on the bright red lipstick and heavy black eye liner. Gold or brown eye shadow was often worn to create a more edgy and rebellious look. I think this make-up is quite simple so will be easy to incorporate in my music video. The hair is some thing I will need to think about, my talent has quite short hair which is also very straight. I will need to curl it which means I need to think of the conditions while filming this particular part, as the curls will fall out quickly if its windy or damp.
A 1960s fashion must have was the mini skirt, clothing length changed dramatically from the 1950's. Box dresses were extremely popular, with bold block colours or pattens and large buttons or a tie for decoration.
Style Icons
Twiggy became the worlds first super model during the 1960s at the age of sixteen. She later became a successful film, stage and television actress.
Hair
The talent that I will use to film in my music video has short hair so Twiggy's hair style is the style I need to try and recreate.
Clothing
For my music video I have chosen to use the 50s fashion as a costume, I decided to use the 50's because I think its iconic and recognisable.
In the 1950's media was a massive influence on fashion. Films, television, magazines and a new Rock and Roll trend had taken over. The fashion at the time was seen as rebellious and edgy as the term teenager was new. Fashion was a way for teenagers to separate themselves from adults. The sudden burst of femininity during the 50s was also party to the end of world war two. Women during the war took on what were originally seen as male work roles in places such as factories, as the men were away fighting. Fashion was a way to re-instate femininity in a post war world.
Full dirndl skirts were worn with scoop neck blouses
Halter neck dresses were also popular, this look is extremely feminine which will think will work well with my song choice. I will have my talent wearing a dress with a full skirt or a full skirt with a blouse.
Style icons
Marilyn Monroe was the most influential woman in the media eye. A model, film star and fashion icon throughout the 50s.
Hair and make-up
Pink was the most popular choice for make-up in the 50s. Peach colours and pastel colours were used to create a perfect pale complexion. Lipstick either red or pink was bold and lip outlines were often extended to make a more feminine look. Eye make-up was minimal with mascara and an arch drawn on the top eye lid.
Hair with a lot of volume hair was a must have in the 50s. Victory curls were very popular pinning the fringe back with large curls at the side of the head. I think for my music video this style of hair will be the easiest to do so I will try to recreate this.
Dani California is a performance video with a change in eras throughout. It starts in the 50s with the band dressed in iconic 50s clothing and the iconic Elvis hairstyle. This section is edited in black and white because this is how it would have been filmed and appeared on the TV. Choreographing is also used to represent the era for example the singer does the Elvis knees. An Iris is used as a transaction into the 60s. This is something I could try with a test video to see how it would look on my music video, I think an Iris would work well because its very in keeping with the era, each era in this music era has a different transaction that is suited and this is something I need to do too. This video is slightly different to the idea that I have because each era interprets one or more bands or singers that were popular at the time and I only want to use the style. Iconic clothing is used again in the 60s. The editing also changes into colour. It then cuts to later in the 60s and the lead singer is dressed as Jimi Hendrix. Hippie style clothing is worn through this section of the music video, however all this happens at only 36 seconds into the song, its very fast paced and I don't want to make the transitions in my video between eras so fast as I am only planning on portraying three eras. A star Iris is used as a transition into the 70s with the band dressed once again in iconic 70s clothing. A Kaleidoscope effect is used during this era this is something I could look into for the 60s part of my music video as it was a trend during the 60s and I won't be using the 70s in my music video. Cuts are used as a transition between the 70s and 80s to reveal the Punk era. Bands such as Guns and Roses and Linkin Park are portrayed through costume,mise-en-scene and editing. The background and camera shots are very simple for this music video with the editing and costume being the main focus points, I like this idea and I want my music video to be simple.
I chose to look at this music video because I really like some of the editing techniques and effects. One thing I really like the use of is the section filmed against a plain surface with footage projected onto both the wall and artist. I like this because its something I haven't really seen before and I just think it looks really artistic. I think it works well with the editing in this video because its edited with high saturation and the shadows really contrast eachother. This idea with the projector might also work well with my music video, if I was to use this I would need to find a projector that would have this effect.
The male gaze theory is the idea that the camera is a man that looks at and objectifies women. Camera shots are used to represent women in a sexual fantasy and from a heterosexual males point of view. Laura Mulvey believes that characters in film are meant to be viewed from the hetrosexual males point of view, and also focusing on how women view themselves. The most obvious camera shots used are pan ups from the legs upwards or cameras focusing and lingering on the curves of a females body
An example of this is the film Transporters, actress Megan Fox is sexualised during a scene where her character opens a car bonnet, the camera shot lingers on the shape of her body and the scene becomes immediately sexualised as the shot is clearly from a males view point.
Recently singer Annie Lennox quoted... "I have to say that im disturbed and dismayed by the recent state of overly sexualised performances and videos...You know the ones i'm talking about. It seems obvious that record companies are peddling highly styled pornography with musical accompaniment."
I both agree and disagree with this theory. I think that music videos have become oversexualised because sex sells and this is a very clever marketing technique. However I feel music is now judged solely on music videos, I think music has in a lot of ways has lost its meaning as a song with little meaning and a sexualised video often tops the charts. I feel strongly that music is now based on the celebrity themselves and society's obsession with fame. I do feel that music videos almost have to be sexualised to be acknowledged now as the music industry is extremely competitive. Its pushing the boundaries further and further every time a new music video is released, the next artist has to compete with the last increasing the sexualisation as time progresses.
Miley Cyrus released her music video to the song "wrecking ball" recently, this music video both challenged this theory and encouraged it. The opening shot is Miley singing in a close up directly to camera, this portrays strength however shes wearing bright red lipstick which portrays sex and passion. The next camera shot reveals her masculine work boots followed by a high angle shot of her sexualising a hammer. Miley is shown in a full length shot with a wrecking ball destroying a wall in the background this gives her a sense of power and control however Mise en scene is controversial as shes wearing a white crop top and underwear. Marina and the Diamonds "How to be a heartbreaker" music video is my favourite music video. She is a strong feminist and challenged typical media conventions such as the male gaze theory in almost all of her music videos this is the reason why she is my favourite artist and I adore her music so much. This music video challenged the male gaze theory with a complete role reversal. In a typical music video women would be treated as an object for male appeal, Marina changes this and uses males instead. This makes her look very powerful. Mise en scene is used to challenge this also, she is wearing an outfit where she looks visually appealing but its not extremely revealing especially in contrast with the males in the background, the colour of her outfit is also black which is a masculine colour. Typical music videos would portray women as controlled and weak, a camera shot showing Marina checking her phone while receiving male attention shows her as in control and reverses this as the male looks needy and weak instead. Looking at the ideas based around the male gaze theory and videos that both encourage and challenge it has given me a cleared idea on what I would like to include in my music video. I want to challenge the theory and create a sense of power with my talent. I will use high angle shots, mise en scene and direct mode of address to do this.
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House style of Marina and the Diamonds is kept the same throughout her album. Here is the album cover from 'Electra Heart'.
The back of the digipak is probably more of the editing style I want to be looking at. Its a simple photograph with a cinema grain effect over top giving it that Hollywood vintage feel.
The back of the digipak is also very simple, with the same font linking to the rest of the digipak, the font is also used on Marinas 'I am not a Robot' single and is a reccuring theme throughout the whole album, its probably the main linking factor. Looking at these example has made me realise in my ancillary tasks I would like to keep the font the same throughout to ensure a sense of unity.
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I re-used an old dress and skirt to get the full skirt and blouse look for my music video. However when I took the first images to upload I wasn't happy with the outcome, something was missing so I added a neck tie and skin colour tights. This made it look a lot more fitting with the research I had done. Because the skirt and dress were separate garments and the waist band one of the most important aspects of the 50s fashion I used spare black material to cover the waist band of the skirt and make it look more like a dress.
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Full dirndl skirts were worn with scoop neck blouses
Hair with a lot of volume hair was a must have in the 50s. Victory curls were very popular pinning the fringe back with large curls at the side of the head. I think for my music video this style of hair will be the easiest to do so I will try to recreate this.
