What does Auteur Mean?
- The term auteur originates from france and translates as author (which means that a directirs film reflects their creative vision).
- This can also be the case for music videos.
- An auteur is a film-maker whose style and practice is distinctive and creates a signature auteur status for themselves (a signature style as-well as creative control over his work).
Auteur theory focuses on:
1. Individual stylistic features.
2. How texts are determined by artists creativity.
3. How texts emerge as part of an artists body of work.
Areas of recognisable signature include:
- Colour
- Transitions
- Use or absence of narrative
- Location
- Actors
Below is an interactive slideshow i have created. The slideshow shows and compares some work of "Chris Cunningham", a leading auteur in the music industry.
Sunday, 25 September 2011
History Of The Music Video
1920's - Experimental film
- Absence of a linear narrative.
- Conventions include, out of focus images, rapid editing, abstract techniques.
- Todays experimental films are argued to be a genre in itself, with its own conventions.
- Experimental film or experimental cinema is a type of cinema. Experimental film is an artistic practice relieving both of visual arts and cinema. Its origins can be found in European avant-garde movements of the twenties. Experimental cinema has built its history through the texts of theoreticians and its distribution process through non profit organizations like The Film-Makers' Cooperative in New York, and similar cooperative in many others countries through the world.
1940 to 1946 - Soundies: US JukeBox
- 3 Minutes black and white films.
- Located in nightclubs, bars & restaurants.
- War time military (exposure of woman images).
- A jukebox is a partially automated music-playing device, usually a coin-operated machine, that will play a patron's selection from self-contained media. The classic jukebox has buttons with letters and numbers on them that, when entered in combination, are used to play a specific selection.
- Absence of a linear narrative.
- Conventions include, out of focus images, rapid editing, abstract techniques.
- Todays experimental films are argued to be a genre in itself, with its own conventions.
- Experimental film or experimental cinema is a type of cinema. Experimental film is an artistic practice relieving both of visual arts and cinema. Its origins can be found in European avant-garde movements of the twenties. Experimental cinema has built its history through the texts of theoreticians and its distribution process through non profit organizations like The Film-Makers' Cooperative in New York, and similar cooperative in many others countries through the world.
1940 to 1946 - Soundies: US JukeBox
- 3 Minutes black and white films.
- Located in nightclubs, bars & restaurants.
- War time military (exposure of woman images).
- A jukebox is a partially automated music-playing device, usually a coin-operated machine, that will play a patron's selection from self-contained media. The classic jukebox has buttons with letters and numbers on them that, when entered in combination, are used to play a specific selection.
1960's - Scopitones: French
-The first Scopitones were made in France.
- In colour images & 36 types to pick from.
- Unknown artists sang popular english songs.
- Low production standard.
- Scopitone is a type of jukebox featuring a 16 mm film component. Scopitone films were a forerunner of music videos. Based on technology developed during World War II, color 16 mm film clips with a magnetic soundtrack were designed to be shown in a specially designed jukebox. 
Textual Analysis - Cassius: I love You So
Cassius is a French house music duo, consisting of producers Philippe Cerboneschi and Hubert Blanc-Francart. I have decided to analyse they’re video released in 2010, I love you so (I <3 you so). I stumbled across the music video whilst browsing the internet, and was pleasantly surprised to have done so! The rather inventive music video portays a number of insignificant characters, however they are used to show an abstract and rather artistic image. Whilst performing/standing still, an iphone is held infront of they’re mouths. This is a key feature in the music video, as the iphones project & play a video of a moving mouth. The lyrics heard are in sync with the mouths movement. Although having no narational significance to the lyrics, I found this combination of performance and technology extremely pleasing to the eye. Below you can see an example of the medium close up/portrait shots that are used throughout:
The art directors have greatly thought through the process of filming, file conversion and upload onto the iphone. In order to create a life size moving mouth on the iphone, it must have been both time consuming and taken a great deal of editing. The camera work when recording the mouths would also have been a very precise and tough job. When filming the people singing, the camera must have been allocated to a set distance away from the mouth (to be sure of an equal on screen ratio of face:mouth). In addition, lighting would have been an element to remain the same throughout each shot. This is vital so that when filming iphone in-front of a person, the camera would be able to pick up the screen (even in bright lighting conditions). Below are a few images of the mouths which are played on the iphone screen. Note each image of a mouth is placed in the centre if the frame:
The music video created for this synth pop track portrays both stereotypical and counter typical elements. Although there is no performance shots (band etc) nor any shots of the artists themselves, the video is still considered stereotypical of a pop video. This is because within the commercial genre of pop, music videos are either split between Performance, Narrative, or conceptual ideas. Cassius: I Love You So is evidently a securer member of the conceptual ideas category as they have based it on an irrelevant yet aesthetically pleasing music video idea (which arguably could be considered a short film). However with this in mind, not many of the conceptual ideas within the industry have the element of performance within. What i mean by this, is that although it is majorly an artistic video, the fact the mouths are moving in sync with the song, can suggest some form of performance.
To conclude it is safe to state that Andrew Goodwin has had some input into the generation of conceptual ideas and framing of the shots. This can be seen within the close up shots (said to over accentuate the artists presence: according to Andrew Goodwin). However Andrew Goodwin supported the synchronisation of video cuts to beat of the track, when infact Cassius: I Love You So, bases its cuts in Sync with the vocal line, rather then the beat. This can be seen below:
Textual Analysis - Skepta: Cross My Heart
Skepta – Cross My Heart The music video for Skepta’s latest song is very hypocritical. With the title ‘Cross my heart’ it is used during the song in two ways. One way is from Preeya Kalidas towards Skepta expressing that she would never hurt/leave him however they are not even together! Despite this, Skepta is still surrounded by many women with little clothing on. The other way is Skepta claims to never go mainstream and forget those who got him where he is today. This is ironic as he has sold out for the biggest stereotype of a black rapper for this video. There are very strong representations of wealth and status e.g. the giant white house, white Lamborghini, gold furniture and interior and the flash outfits worn by him. As mentioned above woman have been used negatively in this video. They have only been used to surround Skepta in his mansion to reinforce his status/power. Even the featuring woman singer ‘Preeya Kalidas’ is seen sprawled across the bed every time she says “I promise”, making direct eye contact with the camera giving a feeling of connection for the viewer.
The setting for the video is very limited to the inside and outside of the mansion. However the editing keeps the video interesting as it has been synced to the fast beat. The beginning style has the feeling of the beginning of a film with the gold names floating in front of Skepta and Preeya. The font style and gold lettering is brash and tacky; it is almost an ironic representation of the key codes and conventions of hip hop videos. The colour palette is dominated by gold. The video offers lots of medium close ups when Skepta is rapping. This is so we can see his expressions and really feel the words he is speaking. The repeated use of close-ups of the lead singer was highlighted by Andrew Goodwin who states that close-ups are used to promote the artist and reinforce the artist’s status within the video.
The woman featured in Skepta’s music video have a very passive role. This is proven by their position and posture. The woman in his video have been objectified and are obviously only there to be looked at by, typically, the male audience. They have not only been objectified by the men watching the video but also the men in the music video. During the whole video, only the guest female singer moves. The other female models act like statues surround the lead singer, not even being aloud to dance as if he owns them all. This is supported by Andrew Goodwin’s forms and conventions. In almost hip-hop video woman will be used in this way in order to lure the male viewer in and make him aspire to be the lead singer with all these woman.
The setting for the video is very limited to the inside and outside of the mansion. However the editing keeps the video interesting as it has been synced to the fast beat. The beginning style has the feeling of the beginning of a film with the gold names floating in front of Skepta and Preeya. The font style and gold lettering is brash and tacky; it is almost an ironic representation of the key codes and conventions of hip hop videos. The colour palette is dominated by gold. The video offers lots of medium close ups when Skepta is rapping. This is so we can see his expressions and really feel the words he is speaking. The repeated use of close-ups of the lead singer was highlighted by Andrew Goodwin who states that close-ups are used to promote the artist and reinforce the artist’s status within the video.
The woman featured in Skepta’s music video have a very passive role. This is proven by their position and posture. The woman in his video have been objectified and are obviously only there to be looked at by, typically, the male audience. They have not only been objectified by the men watching the video but also the men in the music video. During the whole video, only the guest female singer moves. The other female models act like statues surround the lead singer, not even being aloud to dance as if he owns them all. This is supported by Andrew Goodwin’s forms and conventions. In almost hip-hop video woman will be used in this way in order to lure the male viewer in and make him aspire to be the lead singer with all these woman.
Friday, 23 September 2011
Textual Analysis - DJ Fresh: Louder
Analysing Music Videos: DJ Fresh Louder
The music video I will be analysing is “louder” produced by upcoming electro artist“DJ Fresh”. The Dubstep/Drum&Bass track released in 2011 is an uplifting, energizing and most certainly exhilarating song. Accompanied by the amazing vocals of Sian Evans, the words “higher, faster, stronger & louder” is sung throughout to strengthen and provide a general uplifting feel to the song. The music video is opened with a panning-establishing-shot of a silhouette. The silhouette is evidently a beach, as palm trees, coastal buildings and most importantly a sunrise (shimmering off the sea) can be seen. This gives off the impression it is a hot, exotic location (potentially Miami). The genre of music matches this hard hitting video (one of Andrew Goodwin’s forms and conventions). Another one is that the music follows the pace and editing is synced with the audio.
What exactly makes music become Drum and bass and does it have to have those elements? Some of the elements that one can use to describe drum and bass music are electronic, syncopated, intense and even erratic at times. Although Drum and Bass (D&B) music can also be made without the use of digital instruments and has been performed with acoustic instruments as well, it is predominantly a form of electronic music. Some might even claim that it has heavy Jazz influences in percussive elements as well as the melodic qualities. It is a high energy music that often gives the listener an adrenaline rush and heightens the senses at certain times and at others can have a meditative effect. The sub genres are so varied that one unique sound is quite impossible to nail down. To the average first time listener, the sounds of multiple D&B songs can be very unique from one another. What are some of the most commonly used elements in Drum and Bass music? Some of the more familiar elements often found within the music itself can be quick tempos and strong syncopated beats with rapid snare hits and intense sonic sounds coming and going in the mix. Once again the music is varied so it does not always contain these elements but quite a few tracks listed under this genre use the elements mentioned. Complete description is hard to pin down because of diversity within the genre of Drum bass music. When did D&B music get created and is it still as popular as it was? D&B is thought to be conceived in the early 1990s. The underground club scene started to bring to life a new electronic type of music affectionately called Rave music. This music brought together beats and sounds that had not been combined before to create a new exciting sound.
After a series of general “filler” shots including close ups of eyes, and buildings, a female roller-skater is shown in slow-motion. Although the close up shots are of various characters within the video, we can still note a strong relation to Andrew Goodwin who states that close-ups are used to promote the artist and reinforce the artist’s status within the video. As she skates along a pavement the use of slow-motion (Potentially by 50%) is used to over extenuate her movements and urban clothing. In addition every 8 bars (1/8th of a full verse) the shot is sped up to synchronise the woman’s skating movements with the uplifting melody. For approximately 40 seconds we watch her skate amongst tourists and general public (whome appear to be oblivious to her presence!). A second roller skater is introduced at this point (similarly dressed in urban/retro outfits). They meet up together and skate in sync which is accompanied by a series of well executed dance moves. The visuals on the screen have no resemblance to the lyrics nor beat being played. However the video editor has rather intelligently accomplished a link via the use of synchronized cuts and slow-motion. When discussing synchronised cuts I refer to the cuts used between a number of shots, synchronized (in time) with the tempo structure and beat of the music.
Throughout the entire music video we continue to watch an irrelevantly series of shots, however as a young, teenage viewer I would strongly note were aesthetically pleasing to watch. Accompanying the two females skate where a collection of slow motion panning shots which showed break dancing and BMX tricks (which may I add were also in sync with the tracks melody). The so called “spontaneous” and “randomness” of the collection of shots could be appealing to a young (teenage) unisex audience whom may relate to such activities. I personally will consider using the technique of simply ‘cool’ and aesthetically pleasing (well filmed) shots within my music video.
The music video I will be analysing is “louder” produced by upcoming electro artist“DJ Fresh”. The Dubstep/Drum&Bass track released in 2011 is an uplifting, energizing and most certainly exhilarating song. Accompanied by the amazing vocals of Sian Evans, the words “higher, faster, stronger & louder” is sung throughout to strengthen and provide a general uplifting feel to the song. The music video is opened with a panning-establishing-shot of a silhouette. The silhouette is evidently a beach, as palm trees, coastal buildings and most importantly a sunrise (shimmering off the sea) can be seen. This gives off the impression it is a hot, exotic location (potentially Miami). The genre of music matches this hard hitting video (one of Andrew Goodwin’s forms and conventions). Another one is that the music follows the pace and editing is synced with the audio.
What exactly makes music become Drum and bass and does it have to have those elements? Some of the elements that one can use to describe drum and bass music are electronic, syncopated, intense and even erratic at times. Although Drum and Bass (D&B) music can also be made without the use of digital instruments and has been performed with acoustic instruments as well, it is predominantly a form of electronic music. Some might even claim that it has heavy Jazz influences in percussive elements as well as the melodic qualities. It is a high energy music that often gives the listener an adrenaline rush and heightens the senses at certain times and at others can have a meditative effect. The sub genres are so varied that one unique sound is quite impossible to nail down. To the average first time listener, the sounds of multiple D&B songs can be very unique from one another. What are some of the most commonly used elements in Drum and Bass music? Some of the more familiar elements often found within the music itself can be quick tempos and strong syncopated beats with rapid snare hits and intense sonic sounds coming and going in the mix. Once again the music is varied so it does not always contain these elements but quite a few tracks listed under this genre use the elements mentioned. Complete description is hard to pin down because of diversity within the genre of Drum bass music. When did D&B music get created and is it still as popular as it was? D&B is thought to be conceived in the early 1990s. The underground club scene started to bring to life a new electronic type of music affectionately called Rave music. This music brought together beats and sounds that had not been combined before to create a new exciting sound.
Throughout the entire music video we continue to watch an irrelevantly series of shots, however as a young, teenage viewer I would strongly note were aesthetically pleasing to watch. Accompanying the two females skate where a collection of slow motion panning shots which showed break dancing and BMX tricks (which may I add were also in sync with the tracks melody). The so called “spontaneous” and “randomness” of the collection of shots could be appealing to a young (teenage) unisex audience whom may relate to such activities. I personally will consider using the technique of simply ‘cool’ and aesthetically pleasing (well filmed) shots within my music video.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)