Project Four
This video and song is performed by a Korean Pop Artist Group called The Wonder Girls, the song is called ‘So Hot’. (Translation of lyrics [HERE]).
The genre of this music video is definitely pop, portrayed with choreographed dance and the fact that they’re wearing fashionable clothes.
The video to this song very much matches the lyrics, in the video; the girls each have an individual story, and also have one scene where they are dancing in unison together and lip-syncing. Sunmi is in a town surrounded by adoring boys, as is Sunye. Ye-eun is a cheerleader with lots of male fans, Sohee is a celebrity on a red-carpet and Yubin is lounging by a pool, rating boys with little flashcards. In these stories the girls portray how burdensome it is to be ‘So Hot’ (With the exception of Yubin), and show themselves being ‘brought down a peg’ with these situations.
In this video, the music obviously affects dancing, and each girl moves with the beat. The camera work is all front view and close ups except for one point of view angle towards the end (2:16). The editing is mainly the splitting of the two different scenes, one of the stories and one of the dance, expect for one moment when a dance move is reversed (2:26).
I think the meaning behind this video is a slightly sarcastic one, ridiculing girls who call themselves 'Hot', by showing each girl being brought down, they show that everyone is the same, and nobody is better than anyone else.
Must be Dreaming - Frou Frou
This video and song is performed by Frou Frou, a British Electronic music duo composed of Imogen Heap and Guy Sigworth.
In this music video it starts with a flurry of camera movements around and room, then stop on a metronome ticking, the needle of the metronome has an eye on it looking from side to side. The picture switches around and sees that the eye belongs to Imogen Heap, who is lying on a bed, then there is a series of layering of her on the bed and then the video goes into the dream sequence, in which she is running down a corridor, dancing while Guy Sigworth is playing the keyboard. Towards the end of the movie, Imogen walks through a door and then is underwater, the end of the video finishes as it starts, with the eye in the metronome. The genre of this music video is alternative; this is shown with the fact that neither of them is wearing clothes that are necessarily in fashion, nor are they using product placement or choreographed dancing which is usually popular in Pop and Hip-Hop videos. The video to this song matches the video in genre; it’s very alternative and different to most music videos. The lyrics themselves sort of match up to the video in the way that it starts off with her on a bed and then goes into a sort of dream sequence. The editing in this video is very well done, there are a lot of layering and ‘multiple mirror’ effects going on as well as some CGI (1:52), also the effect of the eye on the metronome looking left and right. There is plenty of lip-syncing in this video, and the showing of playing instruments, which is very popular with alternative videos, also, there is a small section in which Imogen dances.
I think that this video was intended as very artistic and different, the music itself is very different to a lot of music (especially other electronic music) and the video portrays it very well.
Empty Walls - Serj Tankien
Serj Tankian is a Lebanese-born Armenian-American singer, songwriter, poet, activist, and multi-instrumentalist. He is best known as the lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist and keyboardist of the alternative metal band System of a Down. He has a solo album too, Elect the Dead.
In this video, we are in a children’s nursery and they are ‘playing’ war, Serj Tankien is portrayed as the minder of the children. At the end of the video, the children stop their game and look out the window to see an American Soldier’s funeral. The genre of this video is definitely rock/metal, the genre is not really evident in the video however, it is only really evident through the song itself shown with the hard drums and guitar and the vocals.
The music is very jumpy, but this suits the very serious message of the lyrics and it matches the video very well.
The camerawork is very well done, it’s very shakily done to help portray the chaos and it helps to get the feel of the whole ‘playtime’, there is also a few P.O.V angles. The editing of this video is also very well done, the switching of scenes is very quick and jumpy (also to help with the idea of chaos), the video itself seems to be edited with the light, and when the child is looking through goggles, the camera becomes the goggles and has night vision.
The performance of this song is obviously completely done by Serj Tankien, he lip-syncs throughout and plays the piano on certain scenes.
I think there are many meanings behind this video, the first is very obvious, of the portrayal of war, and how damaging the war on Iraq has been on Iraq and America. Also, you could suggest that because it is portrayed by children, the video is suggesting that this is the kind of situation children will be born into and brought up in and therefore war will be completely normal to them. You could also suggest that by using children, the video has the suggestion that the whole idea of war is a silly and pointless as a children’s game and that the war is childish.
My Music Video
For my music video, I have chosen to use the song 'Ur so Gay' by Katy Perry. For my music video I plan to use the game 'The Sims 2' as it is quike lifelike, easy to direct and a bit of a different idea to most. I plan for a alternative genre to my video much like Katy Perry's original video to the song (directed by Walter May).
I got my inspiration from looking on Youtube and finding many different machinima. My favourite Sims 2 artist is a Youtuber called 'Jaydee227', her videos are very detailed and well done. (http://www.jd-movies.com/)
My Chemical Romance - Helena
By Jaydee227
My Music Video
In my video, I plan to tell the story in which Katy gets dumped by her Effeminate Boyfriend on myspace, so she gets revenge on him and then finally finds out that he is actually gay. I shall also edit in scenes with Katy singing and playing instruments to her song.
Script
Scene 1
Katy on the computer, is on myspace, is dumped by her boyfriend on myspace. She gets a little bit sad then goes to the phone and phones her friend, then hangs up and looks angry. All the while cutting to occasional scenes where you see Katy performing the song.
Scene 2
Effeminate boyfriend (EB) is getting ready for the day, doing lots of ‘girly’ things like adjusting his hair, picking out his outfit and staring into a pocket mirror. All the while cutting to occasional scenes where you see Katy performing the song.
Scene 3
EB meets a friend for lunch and gives her a kiss on each cheek. Katy and Friend are around the corner looking angry. They then sneak into the restaurant and tip the nearest waiter to mess with the food. EB eats food and is looks nauseated then you see him running to the toilets while Katy and Friend laugh loudly. All the while cutting to occasional scenes where you see Katy performing the song.
Scene 4
Katy performing song, cutting to Katy checking her myspace and seeing that EB is having a party at his house, she looks thoughtful then sends a comment saying ‘hey bbz, you can expect to see me there ;D’ She looks scheming.
Scene 5
Katy goes to EB’s place where a lot of people are hanging out and dancing etc. She tries to get EB to drink a spiked drink, but he doesn’t. Katy looks miserable then absent mindedly sips the spiked drink, she chokes, looks nauseated, then runs to the loo, where she finds EB and another guy kissing, the video cuts to Katy looking embarrassed and awkward.
The Finished Video
This is my music video, made with the Sims 2
I tried to portray the 'Alternative' genre by showing a story to the video, other than perhaps a dancing sequence or a band playing the song which is popular in a lot of videos.
I used Windows Movie Maker to edit the video.
