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Essay Plan Media

Practice Essay (C/W) 19/05/14

There is no such thing as a collective identity. Discuss with reference to the groups you have been studying.

Fashion today is towards the individual. Audiences, it would seem, want troubled protagonists to sympathize with, individuals with individual struggles and conflicts: struggles with identity, society, and ambition. But the truth of the matter is that the media industry caters to groups, rather than the individual (what money is there in appealing solely to one person?). The industry must condense the audience into tropes, groups, and so they must think of being able to appeal to masses, while keeping in mind the concept of the individual. After all, audience statistics are made up of hundreds upon thousands of individuals, each hoping to find themselves through the media. So what is needed is a character that is open to many different interpretations, that any and all individuals can project themselves through. I, of course, am talking about the superhero. 

Masked and mighty, the superhero is a beacon of justice throughout the world, and most recently, Cinema and Television have been dominated by them. Super is the word on everyone's lips, with the incredible success of Marvel's Avengers movie franchise, taking the impressive title of the second highest grossing film franchise of all time. Film studios have been churning out more superhero films than ever before, to cater to the hero-hype started by 2008's Iron Man. But the superhero has long existed, with the first superhero created by Jewish boys Joe Shuster and Jerry Siegel in 1938, DC's iconic Superman. 

Superman, originally from planet Krypton, is an alien among men. Adopting a new, gentile persona, Clark Kent, he attempts to merge into American society. Superman's experience in fitting into Earth's society can be seen as a parallel of the Jewish-immigrant experience, something Superman's creators, Siegel and Shuster were more than familiar with. Superman, becoming the savior of the city, is accepted into society and praised as a hero: An outcast's fantasy. DC's Superman is not only a symbol of justice, peace, and the American way, but has become a form of wish-fulfillment. A vessel to tell the story of an outcast, who strives to be accepted into society. This symbolic character reflects the struggles of acceptance, and a vast amount of audiences sympathize with him. Social outcasts, immigrants, people forced to hide their true identity for fear of scandal or hostility are able to see themselves within Superman, whose tale has been told time and time again.

Superman, being the first ever superhero, has been template for countless more supers, retelling the story of the outsider, adapting with the times to bring newer, more relatable heroes. Marvel comics, rival to DC comics, introduced more rounded, human heroes, to rival DC's more god-like heroes. The X-men retell the story of the social outsider; mutants who deviate from society's perception of normality. X-men has very potent underlying themes of discrimination. The discrimination the mutants face is parallel to everyday struggles regarding racism and homophobia. Director Bryan Singer (X-Men, X2, X-men: Days of Future Past), mentions in interview that it was the themes of discrimination and identity that led him to take the project on, and it is something he has placed great emphasis on in the films. The characters of Magneto and Charles Xavier, presented as the leading forces of the mutants, have been compared to Malcolm X and Martin Luther King in their differing approaches to humanity. Both X-Men and X2 mention the Mutant Rights Movement, a clear parallel to the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s. Along with bearing similarities with racial conflicts of the past, the X-men films draw similarities to the current issue of homophobia. X-Men(2000) establishes at the very beginning that a mutant's powers do not manifest themselves until adolescence, similar to how teenagers do not fully discover themselves until they come of age, (especially regarding sexual identity). X2(2003) plays upon the idea of homophobia in the memorable scene where teenage mutant, Iceman, comes out as a mutant to his parents. The conversation that follows mimics a conversation a teenager might have with his parents regarding their sexuality, his parents asking uncomfortable, misled questions like: "Have you tried... not being a mutant?"

Possible Exam Questions (Essay Practice)

"The representation of a particular social group can never be realistic." Discuss. 

INTRODUCTION: Why? Direct answer to question, why can mediation never be realistic? Reference to Buadrillard's SIMULACRUM theory. Distort truth to appeal to audiences. Perhaps example? 

Naturally the media can never portray a true representation of a certain group of people, of even of a particular person. This is especially true of fictionalised texts, such as is incredibly popular in film and television. These characters are written; essentially, synthesised, and therefore can never be a true portrayal of a person, but rather a simulation, mediated to audiences tastes. 

Recent film, Saving Mr. Banks (2013), for example, although based on true events and true people, is but a simulacrum. Baudrillard's theory regards simulacra as a mediation of the truth; distorting the content of both the story and the characters to create a derivative, but independent variation of the story; in this case, to appeal to audiences. Tom Hank's portrayal of a playful, over-friendly, un-threatening Walt Disney has been under scrutiny for being a dishonest characterisation of who many agree was both a sexist, racist and fascist  man. Disney, reasonably decided to omit these traits in their mediation of Walt, to present him as the likeable man the audience want to see. (Or, rather, what the Disney Studio want the audiences to see). 

Bring up the topic of the underrepresented - Gerbner's Cultivation Theory.

The point I mean to bring up with this example is that the media is unable to reveal an untouched truth: writers, reporters, editors, directors, have the power to omit details they feel are best not shown. What is shown to audiences is always a mediation of the truth, and this is especially true in regards to the representations of social groups. Representations of characters of different races, genders, sexualities and social status will always be phased by bias, or stereotype. Gerbner's Cultivation Theory suggests that media is used to reinforce 'conventional beliefs and behaviours' of the audience. Gerbner implies that the media is a tool to maintain the audience's opinions on both society and politics, and perhaps is the reason why some social groups, such as women, people of different nationalities, sexualities and gender identities, and people with disabilities are vastly misrepresented, or underrepresented.

Introduce the Superhero - Brief summary of current hero-hype. Hero is a symbol for the outcast.

However, there is a way the underrepresented have found their way onto our screens and into the public eye, and it has taken the world by storm.
Super is the word on everyone's lips, with the unprecedented success of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (Avengers (2012)), every film studio is rushing to get a piece of the action, and the past 5 years have seen a burst of superhero films. But the superhero is not only a symbol for justice and the greater-good, but something far more intriguing: The Superhero is a vessel for the unfairly represented groups in society.

FIRST EVER SUPER: (HISTORICAL) Superman (DC) - Immigrant - Representative of Jewish immigrancy. Superman is vessel to tell otherwise untold story. 

From the first ever super, Superman, created by Jewish boys, Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster in 1938, the superhero has been a symbol for the outcast. Superman, a refugee from his war-enveloped planet, Krypton, is an alien among men: An immigrant. 

CONTEMPORARY - FOX's XMEN Franchise. "Mutants" representative of those discriminated against due to race/sexual identity/disability. 

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"Media representations are complex, not simple and straightforward." How far do you agree with the statement in relation to the collective group you have studied?

"Audiences use the media to construct their own identities."Discuss.

pres

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1aNMV__gQMWNHSpNz34rU5T_Qi1uKlO8-ixQjUzlX9tA/edit#slide=id.g383e068b0_044

How are Superheroes representative of the 'outsider'? (Essay Practice)

How is the presentation of superheroes in media representative of the outsiders in society?

"The history of the Superhero is about the misfit, the unlikely hero; the ability to create greatness where there once was doubt." 

Sana Amanat (Marvel – Editor)

Superheroes, as much as they are domineering Hollywood these past years, and as much as they have evolved into Pop-Culture icons, are fictional, and therefore audiences cannot identify as a Superhero (no matter how much they would like to). So, by this rule, Superheroes cannot be a collective identity, however, they may be representative of one. The first ever Superhero,  DC's Superman, coming from a distant planet, having to integrate into a new, unfamiliar society, reflects perhaps the experience an immigrant faces. And Marvel's X-men are human beings with fantastical mutations, that separate them from the rest of humanity who perceive them as a threat; their experience being discriminated against by the majority can be representative of humans being discriminated due to race and sexuality. The Superhero is  a subversion of normality, a representation of the under-represented, and a vehicle to tell the untold story of the outsider.

"Young readers of Marvel's Comics, many of whom doubtless shared his 'nerdy' status, could empathise with Peter as a character, and so be inspired by his devotion to a superhero's career."

"The persecution of the mutants was a fitting allegory for the Holocaust, the civil rights movement of the 1960s, and all forms of racism and homophobia."

"(Professor Xavier and Magneto) are the equivalent of Dr Martin Luther King Jr and Malcolm, one preaching understanding, the other ready to attain their goal 'by any means necessary'."

Video Bank

"Why not tell stories that are empowering, and aspirational, and challenge us to be better?
That is exactly what superhero stories do. The history of comics is about the misfit, the unlikely hero; the ability to create greatness where there once was doubt."

"For 75 years Marvel has been telling the tale of the outcast behind the mask. It's through his flaws and desires that we connect with the heart of the character. So that when he emerges as a hero, we have a real reason to champion him. Because we understand those struggles too, don't we?"

"We all want to be heroes, don't we? And wouldn't it be amazing if heroes looked just like us?" 

Superhero Quote-Bank.

Superheroes and Patriotism

"Superheroes are the American Gods, they are American Mythology. Just like the Greeks had theirs, the Romans had theirs. These are the all-American heroes."

"Superheroes have always flourished in times of the greatest American adversity. In the depression era we were afraid of whether or not we would be able to put food on the table. We were afraid of being involved in a great world war that would take our freedom away. In the atomic age we were afraid of radiation. Today, we're afraid of terrorist attacks. And all of those eras of history, that's when superheroes enjoyed their greatest eras of resurgence."

"It's American. It's sort of like Jazz. It's an American art form."
Stan Lee  (Comic Book Writer) 

"Superman is an Alien; he's an immigrant. He comes from Crypton, he immigrated to Earth, he left everything behind. His old world is gone, he comes here, he changes his name to something that sounds gentile: Clark Kent. He transforms himself into the ultimate symbol for the American way of life. That was a powerful expression of the American immigrant experience."
Michael Chabon (Author)

"When you strip everything else away, what you get is a stranger in a strange land, who wants to be part of a world, and not an isolated alien. That's the backbone of America."
Mark Waid (Writer)

"Because the war effort was so prominent (...) It was an important propaganda device, especially that first cover, Captain America was throwing a right cross into Hitler's jaw." 
Jim Steranko (Artist/Writer)

"This was at a time, where everybody was patriotic (...) And it was ridiculous not to do Captain America." 
Jack Kirby (Co-Creator, Captain America) 

Superheroes and Aspiration

"Superheroes are really just a personification of who we believe ourselves to be. Pioneers, and heroes."

"I think as symbolic ideas (superheroes) remain useful, and we should try and treat them not as anything that could possibly be real, but as fiction, as fantasy designed to tell us things about ourselves."
Grant Morrison  (Writer)

"Superman may have started as a fantasy imagination of a couple of teenagers, but he became a social crusader very quickly."
Bradford Wright (Comic Book Historian)

"A lot of folks who came to this country had this feeling of: I can become the hero to my family, I can be better, I can be bigger."

"The whole superhero industry was seized by space-age fever. The sleekness of the costumes, the sleekness of the artwork, and more importantly, the goals and the boundaries that we can break as a society."
Mark Waid (Writer)

Superheroes and Controversy

"Wertham warned parents that superhero stories seduced their children with messages about sadism, homoeroticism, and gender role reversal"
SHARON PACKER M.D. (Superheroes and Superegos: Analyzing the Minds Behind the Masks)

"The "Big Three" – Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman – were each linked to different aspects of subversive sexuality. Dr. Wertham said that superhero stories substitute sadism for ordinary interactions without sublimating any instincts at all. He linked Superman to sadism, Batman to homoeroticism and man-boy love, and Wonder Woman to bondage and discipline; female domination."
SHARON PACKER M.D. (Superheroes and Superegos: Analyzing the Minds Behind the Masks)

"Dr. Wertham does accuse Superman of being a fascist, Batman and Robin of being a homosexual fantasy of a man and a boy living together, and Wonder Woman of being just plain kinky."
Dwight Decker

"Bruce Wayne is described as a socialite and Dick Grayson is Bruce's ward. Batman is sometimes shown in a dressing gown. It is like a wish-dream of two homosexuals, living together."
Fredric Wertham (Psychiatrist, Author)

"Superman (...) has long been recognised as a symbol of violent race-superiority."
Fredric Wertham (Psychiatrist, Author)

"Almost exclusively, until the past few years, Wonder Woman has been written by and drawn by men.   Wonder Woman is a classic exercise in watching how men, through the decades, are trying to handle the idea of women and equality through this character."
Phil Jimenez (Artist)

"I wish that I could say that super heroines have changed in a way that reflects the women's movement (...) but they're still sex objects for the most part."
Trina Robbins (Comic Book Historian)

Representation/Collective Identity

Write 500 words on the representation of a character/collective identity of your choice. You must take a theoretical approach to it, referencing media theory and utilising your media terminology. 

I've chosen to look at the hero, more specifically, the superhero. 

The superhero is undoubtably an aspect of our modern culture that has branched out in all sorts of ways. Superheroes are icons, idols, symbols of hope, patriotism, not to mention they are dominating every type of media text, most notably film. 

On average, how many superhero films are released to cinemas every year? Usually, five. Five big-budgeted, epic superhero blockbusters dominate the cinema every year, be it the Man of Steel, The Avengers, or The Amazing Spiderman, it's clear to see that audiences can't get enough of supers. Why? Why is that? Superheroes are icons. They are representative of greater things. Superheroes can be an incredibly patriotic thing. Look at the ending to the trailer for the 2002 film Spiderman.

Look at Spiderman. Gosh, what an American icon. God bless America! 

Spiderman, being released in 2002 was struck by the trauma of the 2001 attacks on the World Trade Centre. Which is exceptionally unfortunate these teaser trailers for Spiderman being released before the events of 9/11. 

Incredibly creative use of the towers. But good golly, post-9/11, vastly distasteful. 

But we shan't talk about that. 

Previous controversy aside, the point is, Spiderman became a symbol of hope for the distressed society of America, post-9/11. The audience needed to see a symbol of hope, the audience needed a hero to glorify America after the shock of 9/11. 

Of course, they revisited the American-flag motif in the third film in the trilogy, pandering to the American people. Symbol of Hope, exclusively for Americans. Because who doesn't want a nation-specific hero?

I rest my case.

May I take some time to talk to you about our personal lord and saviour: Superman?

Other-worldly father, with other worldly powers, sacrificing himself for the betterment of humanity? The Church should sue on grounds of copyright infringement. And with imagery like this:

The portrayal of Superman, in Zach Snyder's 2014 film Man of Steel is laden with Jesus analogies. 

Alien Presentation

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1NXtvIYIvRoBI3TDwp92HH-6jCOaeIYFEQwkMD2EsAoY/edit#slide=id.g128cf84dc_018

Short Presentation on Shia LaBeouf

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1PiUFSwI0CQLOemJpMnS3OAZMWqSR1h9XCzSaENIuAQA/edit#slide=id.g1282aca0d_042

Representation of Teachers in Media

Sexting Teacher is a recent television series, exploring stories of sexual relationships between teachers and students.
The show reveals sides to these stories that had not been previously revealed; the narrator asks: Are these stories as simple as the media suggests?
One woman remarks: He never pursued me. I was the one in the position of power. 
In these teacher-student relationships, the teacher is typically shown as a predator of sorts, however this series sheds light upon another side of the argument, that the students were in the most case the initiators of the affair, if not, then rather, they were fully willing, and did not feel pressurised or taken advantage of, at the time.
One of the three stories begins with the student having taken a shying to the teacher, liking the fact that he was older and more mature. 
Students of one of the teachers remark that the teacher was good-looking, a friend, a mentor, who got them through their GCSEs. 

Comparative Essay somewhat.

This clip is a very iconic scene from Richard Curtis' 2003 rom-com Love Actually, with Hugh Grant starring as the British Prime Minister. His speech is in response to the American President, stating that though Britain may be a small country, it is a Great one too. The speech is thoroughly patriotic, as he proceeds to list the things that make Britain great; he lists things that are known worldwide, like  Shakespeare, The Beatles, and David Beckham. This list of things familiar to not only Brits, but recognised on a global scale emphasises to worldwide audiences, not only British audiences, that Britain is responsible for a great deal of great things. The purpose of this speech is not only to show the Prime Minister's defiance against the American President, but also to band the British together by influencing them with a sense of pride for their country and it's accomplishments. The Prime Minister recognises that Britain is often belittled, and therefore emphasises all of the good points of British culture: Disregarding the bad points of British Culture, mind you. 

David Cameron delivered a similar speech in response to a Russian official's remark that Britain is but a small island that no one listens to. Not unlike the scenario above, where Hugh Grant's Prime Minister expresses that Britain's relationship with America is founded about America taking exactly what it wants, and forgetting about what really matters... to Britain. Much like the American President's belittling of the Britain in the above speech, the Russian official belittles Britain, causing Prime Minister David Cameron is retaliate with an uplifting, patriotic speech. 

Parallel to Hugh Grant's Prime Ministerial speech from Love Actually, Cameron starts by acknowledging that Britain is small. A small island. A small group of islands. But this remark is followed by his stating that Britain has a proud history, and great resilience. The use of words like pride and greatness really hammer in the sense of patriotism that oozes from this speech. Both David Cameron's speech, and Hugh Grant's speech begin by playing the small but mighty card, establishing the patriotic tone of the speech.
Cameron goes on, much like Grant, to list the great things to come from Britain, comedy coming through his reference to very current events, most notably his mention of One Direction.
Cameron's sugar-coating of British history effectively inflicts a sense of patriotism, due to his insistent mention of the positive aspects of Britain, and his brushing aside negative aspects, offering only a shallow truth. Understandable, as the speech certainly wouldn't have been as appealing had Cameron said Britain took slavery off the high seas, even though Britain endorsed slavery and was one of the main forces initiating it to begin with. Certainly that wouldn't have sparked the same feeling of pride and patriotism as Cameron's half-truths. 

How to improve my Media Essay Writing

Plan my response before writing.
Explore points in greater depth, (how you reference previous artists and products).
Keep a formal tone.

Assessment

Why is the public row between the music artists Sinaed O'Connor and Miley Cyrus important in understanding the relationship between artists and between artists and audience? Explore with reference to the representation of women, media institutions and the role of the media.

 

In response to Miley's latest music video, Wrecking Ball, Sinéad O'Conner voiced her thoughts with bitter honesty. Sinéad's rant touches upon numerous feminist controversies within the musical industry. The bitter reality is that the portrayal of women, through media, is, in the long-run, incredibly superficial, and sexualised. Big media industries do capitalise upon the simple fact that... Sex sells. 

Laura Mulvey, feminist media theorist, introduced the concept of the male gaze. Essentially, what it is, is that media texts targeted towards men typically commodify women. More than that, it has become almost expected of the media to present women as little more than sexual objects, to attract the male audience. Lynx is a capital example of this, commodifying females, suggesting to the target audience of heterosexual males that if he were to buy the product, he'll get the women, also. This commodification of women is a fail-safe for advertising companies, and it's extremely apparent in the music industry. 

Let's be honest, music artists that are popular in this day and age are incredibly reliant on sexual image. Artists like Rihanna, Nikki Minaj, Katy Perry, and Miley Cyrus are all designed to satisfy the male gaze. Singing sexual songs, and wearing skimpy clothing. 

"Real empowerment of yourself as a woman would be to in future refuse to exploit your body or your sexuality in order for men to make money from you."

Miley's Wrecking Ball is clearly taking advantage of the concept of male gaze, to grab an audience. But beyond this, what it does is draw publicity, from it's controversy. 

It's unanimous in the music scene, and in any media arts scene, that there is no such thing as bad publicity. Miley's apparent nakedness has captured everyone's attention. Miley's Wrecking Ball is certainly memorable. Perhaps, as Sinéad O'Conner argued, for all the wrong reasons, but the point of the matter is that it accomplishes precisely what a music video is set out to do. To publicise the artist. 

Miley Cyrus has a history. Previously a Disney star, taking the eponymous role in the hit teen series, Hannah Montana, and becoming an idol for young girls everywhere. Here, I believe, is where the majority of the controversy lies. Miley Cyrus's downright turn from child-friendly Disney, to the impure, heavily-sexualized Music Industry. Though it's not unheard of, for Disney stars to turn, it certainly causes a scandal in the press. For example, huge controversies previously surrounded Vanessa Anne-Hudgens (High School Musical), among many others. It seems Disney stars are eager to break free from the fetters of child-friendly programming. 

But this rebellion is much more pronounced in female stars, than in the male stars of Disney. Male stars tend to fade away from the public eye. While male stars, (Zac Effron for example) do go on to more adultish things, they are hardly ostracised, unlike Miley Cyrus with her supposed betrayal of Disney. 

Miley previously being a figure for girls to look up to, causes much outrage in audiences. A common argument being that she 'must continue to be a positive role-model' as her fans may continue to follow in her footsteps. Miley Cyrus has been labelled as a bad influence.

But is she doing any worse than the other powerful women in the music industry? 

The absence of clothes is nothing new to music videos. Many women wear little to no clothes. It's almost the secret to success. Sexualisation is at the core of modern music. So, while Miley's morality may be in question, she's doing little more than what is expected of women in music, in order to get into the public eye. Artists like Björk have used nudity in their music videos, and they're widely acclaimed across audiences, and thought of as inspiring and artistic. Why is Miley different?

The reception of Wrecking Ball has been incredibly skeptical, and arguments have been revolving around how the video is little more than purposeless sexualisation and smut, while other videos have used nudity in a more conceptualised and meaningful way. However, there is meaning behind Miley's Wrecking Ball. It may be hard to grasp, due to the sheer eccentricity and surreal nature of her video, (heck, I don't know what the hammer-licking is supposed to mean), but the song and video are meant to (metaphorically, I hope) convey Miley's relationship with her ex-fiancé. The two separated, which left Miley feeling stripped of love; naked. 

Wrecking Ball may have been received better, had the video been not so horrendously exaggerated. It possessed a relatively meaningful concept, (numerous music videos have little meaning at all, these days), a weighty budget, and a talented star. But, tragically, the music video is not interpreted as meaningful or inspirational, but rather, smutty and scandalous. The video was seen as a farce, and has become the butt of jokes. 

In Sinéad O'Conner's letter, she admits to being swindled into the industry's sex-promotion scheme, and expresses her shame for doing so. Her letter does address Miley with respect and genuine concern, offering her wider knowledge of the industry to advise Miley Cyrus. I personally find it endearing, and it shows that though music is a very competitive business, musical artists can be (though certainly not always) warm-hearted and helpful to one another (not only for their own personal gain). Miley did cite Sinéad's Nothing Compares as inspiration for Wrecking Ball, so for Sinéad to respond to this on such a personal level requires incredible honesty and faith that Miley may listen to her opinion. (I sincerely hope she will.) 

However, it is a great injustice to Miley, for this video to be scandalised and receive such harsh feedback, due to it's content. While it's very easy to take a naked woman swinging on a wrecking ball as it demolishes a small concrete room as a joke, the audience may not fully comprehend the deeper emotions behind the video; the inner toil of Miley, spilled out through the lyrics. 

(We Can't Stop, however, deserves every bit of harshness.)

Additional Music Video Analysis

This is my most favourite song, so be gentle. 
And such a sweet and lighthearted song deserves a sweet and lighthearted music video. And that's exactly what this is. 

With incredibly bright colours and vivid movement and characters--- golly, it's sugar for the eyes. 

It builds a grand and bright world full of colours and oh my god just happiness just pure happiness are you seeing this even the flowers are smiling. Takashi Murakami would be proud. 

With elements of performance, (the singer being animated), this video is mainly reliant on concept. Which, to me, is quite a missed opportunity, because the lyrics do convey a narrative, and it'd have been very cool if the video conveyed a narrative too. 

But for what it is, it's an incredibly bright and jolly video, for a bright and jolly song. 

I'd like to think the premise of this video is some kind of homage to Toontown, (Who Framed Roger Rabbit? 1988), because, come on, it's pretty much parallel.

Like, really parallel. Right down to the bunnies. 

But that aside, it's certainly a call back to the 1920-30's era of animation. Round-- childish-- and very fairytale-esque. 

For whatever reason-- I don't like this music video. Well-- I like it, the animation is-- nice. And I like the idea of using the oldern-cartoon style-- but--
Not for a song with such adult themes in it.
It's just wrong.
Blasphemous, even.
But regardless, the animation is very well done-- And it is a very clever idea.
Following a cherubic kid, straight out of a fairytale, following them throughout their messed-up, but deceptively child-like surroundings. 
Of course though, much like many music videos, it's been done... better.

MIKA's Lollipop takes a similar premise, following a little girl through her slightly dodgy fairytale world. With clear references to Red Riding Hood, and Alice in Wonderland, it's much sweeter and more wholesome than the previous music video. And hey, it's also got bunnies in it---

Oh. 

That's right. Lollipop also delivers it's more adult messages, though much more subtle than the previous video. Because nothing in music is sacred and honestly child-friendly anymore. 

The song, while seemingly childish and sweet, does deliver a message regarding the definition between lust and love. It seems that most music videos these days usually go down one route or the other, so it's nice to see a music video exploring the definition between the two. 

The animation, while basic, is very sweet and endearing. And just like the previous one, colourful and childish. 

Animatic and Sketches

Work in Progress; Animatic for 'U DON'T LOVE ME ANYMORE'.

Drawn in SketchBookExpress

Compiled in iMovie

Animation Practice

Done as an experiment on Flash, with the school computers. During post-production, I will need to come into school a whole lot, to animate for the actual video, considering this incredibly brief animation took up the span of 2 lessons. That's a lot of time, that.

The Uses of Animation in Music Videos

As it's unanimous that we'll be using Animation in our music video, and as I'm chief Animator-- (I'm the only animator), I'll be looking at some examples of animation in music videos.




Firstly, Peter Gabriel's Sledgehammer.
Let's face it, this is a trippy video. I love it, but it's mad.
There's certainly no narrative to it at all, so it's solely concept-driven. And, well, performance too, considering Peter Gabriel's ridiculous face is right in the middle of it all.
There's a use of mixed media, of course. But for the most part, it's based upon stop-motion. And when it isn't, it's camera tricks.
We may or may not incorporate some of these tricks in our music video---
It might be cool to do so, but-- Sledgehammer is really weird and aged. We don't want our music video to be so, too.




Ah, here is something modern. A recent single from Arctic Monkeys brings along this visually intriguing music video, Do I wanna know?
The beginning is simply S-waves to the music, but with the chorus, it evolves into something much more interesting. The waves morph and transform into and out of eccentric characters and vivid movements. An interesting concept, definitely, and it's stunning to view. The fluidity and the way the movement compliments the music is incredible. The video gradually gets more and more ridiculous and fast-paced as it reaches the end. Again, an incredible finish to a great video. It reminds me of Disney's Pink Elephant's on Parade, in the way objects are morphing into each other, and how it both visually stunning, and baffling.



This is my kind of music video. It really tugs on the heart strings, right?
Okay, it's utter madness. But of course it is. It's japanese.
The crazy Japanese 90's Techno Artist, Denki Groove put out this single in 1999, and boy howdy, is it nightmare fuel. While it may not be animation-based, I had to mention it at some point, because of the sheer eccentricity. When it was established that we were going to be making music videos, this was exactly the kind of video I had in mind. I'm sorry to admit that, but it's true.
With bright clashing colours, and a cluttered room in a dark and ambiguous atmosphere, it very much clouds the mind. And a music video that leaves the audience with such a strong reaction, is a great music video in my book. Try to watch it without finishing it thinking: "...What the---"



Studio Killers has quickly become one of my favourite musical groups. The beat and melodies are incredibly catchy, sure, but the music videos are stunning. Talk about eye-candy.
Like Sledgehammer, this video also utilises mixed media, but of course, in a vastly different way. The lead singer, Cherry, is an animated CGI model. She was brought to life with 3D animation software. Her surroundings and additional characters, however, are brought to life in 2D. While it brings about a beautiful contrast to make the lead singer stand out in the video, the two media coincide beautifully, truly blurring the lines between 2D and 3D.
The group is similar to British musical group Gorrilaz, in that the group members are represented by animated characters, rather than themselves. The two other members in the group are represented by the fox, (Goldie Foxx) and mink, (Dyna Mink), shown to be playing the music in accompaniment to the singer.



If ever a music video built an atmosphere, this would be it. Incredibly memorable, and outstandingly heart-wrenching, Bedshaped, from Keane, is truly remarkable.
The dark and gloomy colours--- the slanted surroundings-- the queer, odd-ish design of the character. All of these help form the weird and isolated world of the character in this video.
Mainly reliant on concept and narrative, but still retaining some small aspects of performance, the music video follows a strange and outcasted character, and really conveys the feelings of anxiety, loneliness and fear to the audience.
Though the video is mostly stop-motion, there are parts of 2D hand-drawn animation, and so, it is also a mixed media video. The hand-drawn animation however, especially towards the end, is free-moving and fluid, juxtaposed to the stiffness of the plasticine figures. Also the brightness of the ending is a beautiful juxtaposition to the darkness of the beginning and middle of the video.

Analysing Music Videos

How to analyse Music Videos
Andrew Goodwin identifies 5 key aspects of music videos that we audience should look out for, which are:
-Thought Beats - Seeing the Sound
-Narrative / Performance
-The Star Image
-Relation of Visuals to Song
-Technical Aspects of Music Video

First Step; the music itself.
Second; the voice of the song.
Thirdly, the artist's image or mode of address.

Songs fail to give us the complete narrative.
We only get a jist of the meaning, and are free to create our own interpretations.
It doesn't have to show a complete and coherent narrative.

Star Image is one of the most vital aspects of an artist's success.
Artists keep a signature look and attitude, but it's common for an artist to change their image to keep up with the times and trends.

Relation of Visuals to Song
Illustrate
Amplify
Disjuncture

Technical Aspects
Camera Work
Movement
Special Effects
Editing
Setting
Costume
Authenticity



Lassy Gag

Lassy Gag oh my god

Lady Gaga acts as the narrator of this music video, addressing the audience directly. She sings about a chaotic night full of drunken antics, and the video quite rightly reflects this. In relation to Andrew Goodwin's theory, (which I have to reference, no matter how much I protest), the music video very cleary illustrates the music. The visuals remain very true to the lyrics, apart from the one line 'what's the name of this club?' when it's apparent they are in a house. But this might be due to Lady Gaga's drunkness, which is very clearly stated in the song and represented in the video by her harrassment of a inflatable whale.



Now for something completely different.
This is J-POP sensation Kyary Pamyu Pamyu's first hit music video, PONPONPON, establishing her as a sweet, girly idol, albiet a very excentric one.
The music video doesn't convey a coherent narrative, but nor does the actual song. If you have the great fortune of understand japanese, the lyrics are preppy, sugar-sweet and encourage friendliness and goodwill to all men. While the music video doesn't very much convey the last point, it very much conveys the first two. With the pink, girlish set and bouncy dance moves.