Tuesday, 29 September 2009

Textual analysis of Music video




The cinematography used in this video is mainly shots like POV shots which strongly link in with the lyrics of the song. The camera uses close-ups and POV shots mostly on the English rapper (Gentlemen), where he is in the mini cab. The close-ups also promote both of the artists star persona. The shots used in the car are very interesting there is alot of unsteady camera movement used in the interior of the car making the lyrics seem uncomfortable and in an unsteady state. The POV shots focus alot of the artist inside the car looking outside showing different locations, passing traffic. The video can be considered as an amplifying video because the lyrics have some relation to the song and concentrates on the Rappers journey through-out life. There is alot of close-ups used of the rapper, the close-up help convey his facial expression and the emotions. There are a good amount of low angles used with both of the singers. This shows their position of power and the superior status. The low angles also show the Turkish artist on the roof top conveying him as being in control of he situation and lyrics that he is singing is very significant. However the the camera focuses more on the artist (Gentlemen) then the main Turkish singer which shows that Mustafa Sandal is considered to be a star and does'nt affect repeatability of the song because he is still shown in the video. The camera shot at the beginning is an establishing shot where the camera pans setting the scene for the audience. There is alot of camera movement used in the mini cab, again which is demonstrated mostly by POV shots which is used to manipulate the head movement of the artist, this helps position the audience in the artist point of view. There are a huge amount of extreme long-shots used with in the music video setting the scene and also signifying the journey that the artist is going through and shows the narrative so that the audience can understand and relate to the singers.There are a few over the head shots used where the camera focuses on the mirrors in the car where we also see small glimpses of the rapper in he car. The camera movement used are mostly pans used within the POV shots within the car and there are tracking shots used where the camera is tracking the mini-cab showing that Gentleman's part in the video is significant.
The Mise en scene used are both location and studio, The first location is used at the Mustafa Sandal's house which immediately shows there is a friendship between the two artist and that some point in the video they would be singing in the video together. The second location is inside the mini cab which only focuses on gentlemen again making his part in the video personal to the audience. There are lots of shot of the sites and tourist attractions from cities driving the narrative and getting the idea of a journey which links in with the journey through-out Gentlemen's life. Other locations include on top of the roof where we are alone with the Turkish singer again we get time with both singers on there own showing that each part is personal to the audience. When we are with Mustafa Sandal most of the shot that display him are low angles making him superior. The last location is in the studio where both of the artist come together to perform the song which is the journey both of the artist go trough which is shown in the narrative. They are both recording the track which the audience are listening o which is very interesting. The lighting used is mainly natural light because most of the locations take outside on site. The lighting used is very bright which signifies the narrative taking place in the day, and may be in the morning where the narrative or journey takes place.
The editing used within this video is continuity editing. The pace of editing is fast where the beat of the music becomes faster and more upbeat which is used when Gentlemen is rapping in the mini cab. When Mustafa Sandal sings on the roof top the editing gets slower because the pace of music has slowed down and become more smooth. There is alot of cross-cutting used in the video especially where Gentlemen is rapping in the mini-cab, the camera cuts to him rapping then a cut away is used to show where the cab is going and what is happening outside. Other parts where cross-cutting is used is where both artists are in the studio, at first it shows both of them recording parts of the song but then the camera cuts to both of the artist negotiating on parts to edit and shows both of them enjoying each others part of the song.

ALBUM COVER







The cinematography used in this cover is a long-shot of Mustafa sandal to display his whole body and gestures. There is a close-up of Gentlemen's face but is placed behind Mustafa Sandal to show that he is not as important but signifies that he would be featured in the song. The colours used are very limited and basic. The colour red is used at the top which can appeal to a female target audience. The colour red usually connotes romantic themes and love, and the shade of red is like that of a rose. The Typography is comical and written in lower case suggesting that the image is most important for seeing the album and star image. However the typography is made large so i does attract some attention. The most important part of the typography is the colour it is in which is white place on the red background which clearly stands out and is appealing but the album name is made black to tell the audience. The photograph is also very interesting and the lead singer is captured in colour whereas the featured artist is photographed in black and white. this draws the audience attention more on him because he is the most appealing image on the front cover. The featured artist is made black and white to show that he not as significant as the lead singer who would see the album. Mustafa sandal is wearing a black jumper which clearly stands out in front of the faded black and white images.


Sunday, 27 September 2009

Textual analysis of Digipak




The digipak in the CD cover is appealing to the target audience. Inside the CD album it contains the songs that are included in the CD, some quotes made by the artist when making the album and a small book containing the lyrics to the songs and photo's of the artist on set. The first part when the you open the CD cover is a picture of the artist smiling, looks like he is enjoying making these songs and showing his optimistic and enthusiasm. The cinematography used is a close-up and mid-shot for the cover, promoting his star persona.The photo of the artist also shows him smiling signifying that the songs are going to be pleasant songs and the genre will be upbeat rather then slow and sad. To the side of the photography is the list of songs in the album, they are highlighted in very earthy colours such as dull yellow and light and dark greens. The next layer of the CD album digipak is the CD which is silver and the album name written in black typography which is bold but presented in a comic like style. There is also the pattern designed for this album which is very Islamic suggesting the origins of a Turkish music CD. The pattern is bold and presented in a clean white colour suggesting the purity of Turkish culture. Opposite to the CD contains a little pocket where the mini book is kept and the photo on the book matches up to the one printed on the cardboard pocket. The book contains all the lyrics to the songs where some are presented in bright and appealing colours such as Orange however most of the pages are with the artist photo in the background with the lyrics printed in small black typography against the bright blue sky which stands out.


Other examples of digipaks

ismail-yk-bas-gaza-2.jpgIsmail YK - Haydi Bastir.jpg

Wednesday, 23 September 2009

Textual Analysis of Music Video



The type of music video is Amplifying, where it has some relationship with the song but is not entirely literal to the words of the song. The whole video is all performance based and there is no real narrative within the music video. The reason why this video is just performance is because of the words of the songs which in the singers words he wanted to " open my heart in its deepest and purest form. I wanted to share the self of me that looks so different when watched from outside but in reality is torn by storms." He wanted to use no acting or narrative for this video as his intentions where to concentrate on the words of the song and the emotion of how Tarkan is feeling at this moment in time. Tarkan also wanted the video to capture his emotions and feelings through the camera because he felt that the narrative would take the attention off his song and into what was happening within the narrative. The camera work used helps capture the way Tarkan is feeling. The use of Close-ups show his facial expressions revealing his true emotions. There are alot of long-shots used in this video to show the special effects behind the artist and to show is hand and body gestures showing hi expressions. The use of Close-ups and the frequent use of Long-shots also emphasizes his star persona which is very important as Tarkan has a very different Look for the types of songs he produces. Image-wise Pare Pare presented different visuals from the 2001-2003 period. The new image portrayed a more laid back Tarkan sporting shorter hair, and wearing less glamorous designs. It was a declaration that glitz and sex were no longer a necessary tool to sell his works. Indicating his desire to show different sides of his personality. The camera movement was evident through the use of 360 rule where the camera. The use of the 360 degree camera movement also represents the uncomfortable, confusing, lonely state that he is and also tries to give the same experience to the audience watching him.

The mise en scene in this Music Video is set on stage, as he would be singing to a live audience in a concert again giving a realistic effect. The lighting in this video is vital making this emotional and giving us an insight to Tarkans feelings. There are spot lights used again making this seem like he is concert, but the lighting is very dim, highlighting his dark, lonely feeling through the music video. The is also use of a smoke machine in the video because he mentions that he is on fire "I burn and also I go out", creating the same effect as if there was a narrative to the song. Tarkan's dress codes have some relations to the meaning of the song, Tarkan has very dull and dark dress code for example he wears a grey t-shirt underneath his dark blue shirt. the grey represents depression, loneliness and emptiness. The editing used in this video is mainly cuts and cut-aways. The camera will show a close-up of Tarkans face then cut-away to a long- shot o
r mid- shot showing the empty space behind him and showing his hand movements and body gestures which are very important in making his feelings very clear to the audience. The editing at first is very slow which matches the beat and pace of the music but towards near to the end the editing gets much faster as does the pace of the music.

ALBUM COVER


















On both of the album c
overs Tarkan is not placed centrally however is the closest and largest image on the cover. On the cover on the left there is a mid-shot and on the right there is more of a long-shot of the artist which is used so the audience can see the background location, Tarkan's dress codes, and title. The enlargement makes him stand out, and shows that he is what our attention should be at. In both of the album covers he is wearing dark and dull coloured clothing giving the audience an idea on what the album and songs will be about and what sort of genre it will be based on. The colours that he is wearing is in comparison to the colour of the background which signifies that the songs will be sad and personal. The use of the grey leather coat shows that the mood of his songs will be based upon sad and personal feelings. The Grey suit shows that his feelings are emptiness, loneliness and emotional expressions. Both of the backgrounds used are similar which is dark and stormy clouds showing again the genre of music and the mood the singers songs are written in. However the background on the first album cover presents a waste land, which again conveys the heart-breaking mood he is in. The second album cover Tarkan's gestures are more authoritative because his hands are on his hips and he is set in a crop land representing that his songs are about him and nature, or him vs nature which are included in the lyrics of his songs. The colour of the cropland contrasts to the colour of the sky and the crops represent life and are brightened to stand out representing the artist to being refreshing and energizing. On both album covers Tarkan's facial expressions show how he feels which looks to be sad and depressed, an the artist is is eyes are not focusing on the audiences. Both of the album covers could be appealing to two different audiences as the one on the left he is wearing a dark grey leather jacket making him look more trendy and cool which could be targeting a younger audience who also enjoy his music. The second album cover, the suit could be appealing to an older , more mature audience. The typography used on the album covers are very small signifying that the names is not as important what the artist can afford to have his name smaller because he's a huge Turkish star. However Tarkan's name is written in capital letters again defining him as being important but is not made bold. The Typography is made small because the producer wants the image to have a larger impact on the audience, which will get the message across and stand out to the audience much more.

Sunday, 13 September 2009

Analysis of profesional music video



The Mise en Scene used in this music video is very creative. In this video there is three locations, the first location takes place on a traditional Turkish street making the audience aware that it is Turkish music video. The male artist is singing to the female character expressing his love for her, they are placed at opposite sides representing the split and emptiness between them.The second location is set on a bus where the singer is now more closer to the female character expressing more deep emotion which he has for her. The third location is in concert where he is singing to a crowd of mainly women, this signifies the position of power and authority he has over the female characters in this music video. The props used are very limited in this music video emphasizing the artists words, the props used is at the very beginning where the male artist is playing on a particular drum, which is very conventional of Turkish music video's. The second prop used is a microphone which he uses on the third location when singing to the audience making the viewers aware that he is a singer. The costume in the video is very important. At first he again wheres a traditional Turkish shirt matching the drum and the street he is set in making it very conventional. The second costume is on the bus where he is wearing a white shirt and blue jeans. The white shirt emphasizes his pure and innocent intentions, the female character at this stage is wearing a dress made out of red roses which matches the Tarkan's word comparing her to being like beautiful red rose. It also signifies the romance between the two characters. The third costume is the most important as the singer wears a pink shirt. The use of he Pink shirt challenges conventions and strong stereotypes of the Turkish community where they have strict dress codes for men and women. The lighting in the first location is shown as day-light matching the songs words comparing her to a beautiful day when he thinks of her. The lighting in the last location is dark which would be typically be used in a concert, however there is a light blue spot light shining at him signifying that he is the centre of attention and that he is the one who has authority at this stage.

The use of camera shots used are mainly close-ups and mid-shots. The close ups are used again to show his facial expression and reveal his emotion in the song. The close-ups are mainly used in the beginning where he is alone, the use of the close-up's show that at this point nothing else is important but his facial expressions and the the words he is singing. The are a few long-shots where we see in the first location showing the space in between the characters and the emptiness in there love for each other. The long-shot also reveals the leafs being blown away signifying the loss of romance between them. Other long-shots used is at the very end where the camera zooms out showing the amount of women in the crowd again putting the artist Tarkan in a position of power.The camera is also placed within the audience making the viewers feel involved and actually there. It also makes the viewing audience feel like the song is being sung at them. There are also few low angles used of Tarkan showing the authority and power he has over the women in the video and how the words which he sings are important. The camera movement used is also important, at the beginning the camera is still however the artist is shaking his head a lot showing the emotional state and uncomfortable situation he is in. The camera uses pans at the end where reveals the amount of women who have been drawn in to him.
The editing is used is also very important. Continuity editing is used and Cross cutting is most dominant, which is is used through out the whole video. The camera cross-cuts through all three locations, how ever the cross-cutting gets faster as he gets more emotional. The pace of the editing is rapid matching the upbeat pace of the music. There are a lot of reaction shots used where the camera cuts to Tarkan's face and then cuts to the female characters face. There also cutaways used where Tarkan uses the word emptiness in my heart which is a close-up then cuts back to a long shot of the empty space between them signifying the hole in there relationship.

Analysis of students music video

Monster



The mise en scene used in the students work is very creative which would reach the level 4 criteria. The students have used the props and costume to match the genre. one of the costumes used is a red monster costume which creates some humor but also matches songs title. The main artist who is portrayed as a rock star is wearing conventional costumes such as skinny jeans and a has a funky hair style which immediately tells us the genre of the music video. Other props used is the instruments like an electric guitar and a band who are playing on drums which again conforms to the generic conventions and the level 4 criteria. the lighting also is used appropriately where at the beginning the artist is waking up from a drunken party and the lighting is very dim however we are still able to see wot is happening with in the shots. there is also use of a green screen which is highly risky however very creative.

The music video clearly establishes its target audience with the clear use of props and costume to create meaning. The use of an electric guitar tells us this is a rock related genre. The costume again is very conventional to the rock star conventions which the audience can clearly recognise. The narrative is original however could of been inspired by other professional rock music related music videos. The narrative clearly matched the performance and as a member of the audience i understood where the music video was taking me. There are good use of shot types used in the music video such as close-up to mid-shots to capture the artist performance and emotions. there also some low angle in the video giving the character celebrity status as if he n actual singer. It also gives him authority and puts him in the position of power cause his is meant to be centre of attention. The framing used is also good as most of the shot are relevant to what is happening in the narrative. The editing used was also very well used as the there was fast paced editing which matched the pace of the music and the upbeat tempo. the was alot cuts use and cross cutting from the actor in the monster costume to the artist portrayed as the rock star. This was important so that the audience knew what was happening with-in the narrative. Overall i would give this a level 4 as it used alot of creativity with costume and props which established its audience. The narrative was also very well planned as i was able to understand what was going on within the video, the editing was very well used as the use of cross-cutting where the camera switched from the monsters point of view to the rock stars view.