Daniel Powter 'Bad Day' Story (incomplete)

The music video 'Bad Day' tells a love story of two single ordinary people in manhattan, who have ordinary jobs and ordinary lives. They are both single living alone but looking and wishing for love and someone to be with. This type of music video has been used before in videos like Taylor Swifts 'You belong with me' which also follows the 'love story, looking for love, and it was under their nose the whole time' story line which could look very corny and over used if done badly. Although in this case 'Bad Day' does this very well, we as the audience find ourselves wishing and willing for them to get together.



The story of the video starts with an establishing split screen shot of them both in their own double beds. This shows that they are alone and the way they act when they are woken up by their alarm shows they aren't happy to be getting up.
After this we see an establishing shot the artist sat on a piano facing away from the camera. We see him sat in-between two statues of large balls with a fountain in front of him and what looks like manhattan which can be told by the tall city style layout of the buildings in the back ground.
There is then a close up of the artist lip syncing to the song while playing the piano. He is dressed in casual clothes and wearing a beanie hat, he hasn't shaved and looks rather 'ordinary' which makes him relatable to the target audience.

VOX Pops

Treatment

Treatment

Group Roles Cinematography: Craig Haxell/ Sean Lusted Mise-en-scene: Sean Lusted Sound: Craig Haxell Editing: Sean Lusted/Craig Haxell

Title: Master Plan- Troy White music promo video Tag Line:

Synopsis:  We have decided that we will work mainly with lyrics on card or printing tape using key lyrics from the song. This will be interwoven with clips of Sean playing the guitar (particularly at the intro of the song) and also with clips of Craig singing but only for a few seconds at a time. This will be effective because there are only two of us in my group and this would allow us to fully utilise the amount of people and props available to us. It will also be cheap and possible as Sean plays the guitar and has a guitar we could use for the shots. Therefore, this is a good idea in respective of the members of our group and the money and time available to us. We are taking the inspiration for the video from the Nina Nesbit video for “Don’t stop” as we are using the same basic format.

Key Genre Conventions: The song we have chosen is in the Indie/acoustic category. It will therefore need to be light and have some clips of the “artist” playing guitar and other clips of Craig Singing some of the lyrics. It also has a reflective tone and sounds like Bob Dylan and Paul Weller so it will have the same kind of feel as similar videos from them.

VOX Pops Evaluation

We have asked a group of students and their teacher what they think on music videos. The reason for our VOX Pops are to obtain information about music videos. We wanted to know their personal opinion. VOX Pops are used on news programmes to show 'balance' but our VOX Pops wasn't 'balanced' because there was more students which enjoyed music videos than those which didn't.

The questions we asked were:

1. Do you watch music videos?
2. What is your favourite music videos?
3. What do you like about music?
4. What makes a great music video?
5. Where do you watch music videos?

The questions we asked were easy to understand and answer, which means that the answers we got back were clear and easy to compare to each other. The questions could have been more detailed but this would have made them more difficult to understand and answer easily. The questions were designed to provide the answers we required and we got the answers we needed. 

The subject was in the centre of the frame and the shot stayed steady for the entire VOX Pop. the lighting was good and the people where clearly visible. The sound equipment was used correctly as the sound came out clear and loud, but the wire did come into the corner of the frame for a second which for anyone else just observing the video wouldn't realise but because we have filmed and edited it we noticed.

The VOX Pop provided the relevant research which we required, we have a range of answers including both genders and different age ranges, and it was technically secure.

The 100 greatest music video

1. # Michael Jackson: Thriller
2. # Peter Gabriel: Sledgehammer
3. # A-ha: Take on Me
4. # Queen: Bohemian Rhapsody
5. # Madonna: Like a Prayer
6. # Robbie Williams: Rock DJ
7. # Michael Jackson: Billie Jean
8. # The Verve: Bittersweet Symphony
9. # Madonna: Vogue
10. # Nirvana: Smells Like Teen Spirit
11. # Coldplay: The Scientist
12. # Michael & Janet Jackson: Scream
13. # Pink Floyd: Another Brick in the Wall
14. # Christina Aguilera: Dirrty
15. # REM: Everybody Hurts
16. # OutKast: Hey Ya
17. # Blur: Coffee & TV
18. # Beyonce: Crazy in Love
19. # Madonna: Material Girl
20. # Gorillaz: Clint Eastwood
21. # Queen: I Want to Break Free
22. # Justin Timberlake: Cry Me a River
23. # Britney Spears: ...Baby One More Time
24. # Radiohead: No Surprises
25. # Madness: Baggy Trousers
26. # TLC: Waterfalls
27. # David Bowie: Ashes to Ashes
28. # Foo Fighters: Learn to Fly
29. # Electric Six: Gay Bar
30. # Weezer: Buddy Holly
31. # Eminem: Stan
32. # Chris Isaak: Wicked Game
33. # U2: The Sweetest Thing
34. # The White Stripes: Fell in Love with a Girl
35. # Sinead O'Connor: Nothing Compares 2U
36. # Red Hot Chili Peppers: Give It Away
37. # Guns N Roses: November Rain
38. # Fatboy Slim: Weapon of Choice
39. # Pulp: Common People
40. # Missy Elliot: Get Ur Freak On
41. # The Spice Girls: Wannabe
42. # Bjork: It's Oh So Quiet
43. # Dire Straits: Money for Nothing
44. # Kylie Minogue: Can't Get You Out of My Head
45. # Aerosmith: Crazy
46. # Adam & the Ants: Prince Charming
47. # The Prodigy: Firestarter
48. # Johnny Cash: Hurt
49. # Jamiroquai: Virtual Insanity
50. # Paul Simon: You Can Call Me Al
51. # Run DMC & Aerosmith: Walk This Way
52. # Massive Attack: Teardrop
53. # Wham: Club Tropicana
54. # Daft Punk: Around the World
55. # Fatboy Slim: Praise You
56. # Eminem: Without Me
57. # Meatloaf: I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)
58. # The Cure: Close to Me
59. # Abba: Knowing Me, Knowing You
60. # Eurythmics: Sweet Dreams
61. # The Prodigy: Smack My Bitch Up
62. # Blur: Parklife
63. # George Michael: Outside
64. # Bjork: Human Behaviour
65. # Aphex Twin: Windowlicker
66. # Bob Dylan: Subterranean Homesick Blues
67. # The Beastie Boys: Sabotage
68. # Madonna: Ray of Light
69. # Frankie Goes to Hollywood: Two Tribes
70. # The Police: Every Breath You Take
71. # Bjork: All Is Full of Love
72. # Robert Palmer: Addicted to Love
73. # Basement Jaxx: Where's Your Head At?
74. # Wu-Tang Clan: Gravel Pit
75. # Duran Duran: Rio
76. # The Beatles: Strawberry Fields
77. # MC Hammer: U Can't Touch This
78. # Godley and Creme: Cry
79. # New Order: True Faith
80. # Radiohead: Just
81. # Ultravox: Vienna
82. # 50 Cent: In Da Club
83. # Shakespear's Sister: Stay
84. # The Boomtown Rats: I Don't Like Mondays
85. # Sid Vicious: My Way
86. # The Streets: Fit But You Know It
87. # Talking Heads: Once in a Lifetime
88. # Elton John: I Want Love
89. # Smashing Pumpkins: Tonight Tonight
90. # The Pet Shop Boys: Go West
91. # The Specials: Ghost Town
92. # Herbie Hancock: Rockit
93. # The Rolling Stones: We Love You
94. # Bonnie Tyler: Total Eclipse of the Heart
95. # The Cardigans: My Favourite Game
96. # So Solid Crew: 21 Seconds
97. # Cornershop: Brimful of Asha
98. # Bronski Beat: Smalltown Boy
99. # Supergrass: Pumping on Your Stereo
100. # Musical Youth: Pass the Dutchie

Record Labels

The music industry is dominated by four multi national corporation referred to as 'The Majors';

1. Universal
2. Sony Music
3. Warner Brothers
4. EMI

The majority of these are backed by conglomerates with stakes in other industries for example film, TV and Electronics. 

Most of the 'Majors' own, or license, a series of smaller subsidiary companies in order to reach different kinds of audiences in different kinds of genre, these are;

• Columbia 
• Island
• Syco
• RCA
• Virgin

These companies are known as 'Major-Independents'.

Independents have little or no financial connection to the majors. There is a huge number of small companies with this an example of a highly successful independent is 'Domino Records'. These companies usually concentrate on a group of small acts, within specialised niches in the industry. There is often a record label that begin as independents but then are bought by a major and then become major independents.

Music Videos

Andrew Goodwin in dancing in the distraction factory identified the following features of music videos:

• Music videos demonstrate genre characteristics (e.g. stage performance in mental video, dance routine for boy/girl band).
• There is a relationship between lyrics and visuals (either illustrative, amplifying, contradicting).

• The demands of the record label will include the need for lots of close-ups of the artist and the artist may develop motifs which recur across their work (a visual style).

• There is frequently reference to the notion of looking (screens within screens, telescopes, etc) and particularly voyeuristic treatment of the female body.

• There is often intertextual reference (to films, TV programmes, other music videos, etc).

Its important to consider whether the video is primarily performance based, narrative based or concept based and how elements of each are used.

Narrative and Performance:
When we listen to a song we never really get the whole meaning of it and the rest we make up our own ideas of what its about.
Goodwin says; that music videos should ignore common narrative as it is important in their role of advertising.
Music videos should have coherent repeatability. The narrative and performance work hand in hand to make it easier for the audience to watch again and again without losing interest.
to increase the authenticity the artist needs to act as both narrator and participant, however the lip synch and other actions remain the heart of the music videos, as the audience needs to believe that this is real.


What is the purpose of a music promo video?

1. Acts as promotion.
2. It's an extension of income.
3. An extension of outlets for example music channel, direct DVD and CD  sales, website, download.
4. It's a form of Synergy (films, TV programs).
5. Producers' strategies (major label, independent, artist self-produced).
6. A form of advertisement.
7. It draws the attention to the music/song.
8. It can illustrate the song.
9. Appeals to a visual audience.
10. Expresses an individual's emotions.
11. It tells a story.
12. Markets an image.
13. It promotes the artist/single/album.
14. It can persuade the audience to buy - CD/download
15. A way to raise the audience awareness or profile of the artist/group.
16. Product placement.

Controversy between Sinead O'Conner and Miley Cyrus

The controversy between Miley Cyrus and Sinead O'Conner has hit the news and Twitter. As Miley Cyrus responds to an open letter from Sinead O'Conner warning the ex-young disney star of the dangers of objectification and stating that she shouldn't "let the music business make a prostitute of you", by comparing Sinead to troubled American actress Amanda Bynes and posting many tweets appearing to make fun and humiliate her battle with mental illness.

O'Connor's music video "Nothing compares to you" was said to inspire Miley's recent video "Wrecking Ball", which begins with a extreme close up of tearful Miley's face. Although the rest of the video involves her posing provocatively in underwear licking sledge hammers and swinging naked on a  demolition ball.

In Sinead O'Conner's open letter to Miley Cyrus posted online, she says:

• "i am extremely concerned for you that those around you have led you to believe or encourage you in your own belief, that it is in anyway 'cool' to be naked and licking sledgehammers in your videos."
• "It is in fact the case that you will obscure your talent by allowing yourself to be pimped, whether its the music business or yourself doing the pimping."

Sinead said to be writing "In the spirit of motherliness and with love". "I repeat, you have enough talent that you don't need to let the music business make a prostitute of you. you shouldn't let them make a fool of you either. Don't think for a moment that any of them give a flying fuck about you. they're there for the money ... we're there for the music. it has always been that way and it will always be that way. the sooner a young lady gets to know that, the sooner she can be REALLY in control."

In the times when Sinead was suffering from mental illness, she had posted tweets like "does anyone know a psychiatrist in Dublin or Wicklow who could urgently see me today please? Im really unwell and in danger. I desperately need to get back on meds today.". These tweets where cruelly used against her by Miley.

In response O'Conner threatened to sue Miley:
"You have posted today tweets of mine which are two years old, which were posted by me when I was unwell and seeking help so as to make them look like they are recent. In dong so you mock myself and Amanda Bynes for having suffered with mental health issues and for having sought help.

"Remove your tweets immediately or you will hear from my lawyers. I am certain you will be hearing from all manner of mental health advocacy groups also. It is not acceptable to mock any person for having suffered."

The 20 year old responded on Twitter saying:

"Sinead. I don't have time to write you an open letter cause I'm hosting & performing on  SNL  this week".

"So if you'd like to meet up and talk lemme know in your next letter. :)"