Penwith College
Creative and Media Diploma L3
Year 1
Unit 1 : Capture
Assignment 1: Investigation
Music and Multimedia Pathway
Issue Date: 23/02/09
Submission Date: 16/03/09 (Research deadline)
30/03/09 (Presentations)
Lecturers: Sarah Crook, Armando Garcia, Sam Jubb, Laurence Hartwell
Assignment 1 — investigation
Assignment overview
For this assignment you must work on your own, even if you are working in a group for
Assignment 2.
You must investigate past and current work in the medium of music videos.
Your investigation must aim to explain:
• the techniques and technology of both the creation and distribution of music videos
• how previous work differs from current work
• why previous work differs from current work
• how technologies and techniques vary from one example to another
• How different videos / directors use the same techniques and technologies in different ways
• The relationship between music video image and the image of the artist / s
• The impact of key, innovative directors in the development of the genre
• how developments in the past have influenced contemporary practice.
You will present the results of your investigation to the rest of the class in an illustrated
presentation of approximately ten minutes.
Stage 1 — research
First, you must look for examples. To do this you should use the full range of research resources
available to you. Do not rely only on the internet — use the library, and the department
resources as well. Whilst your own opinion is key, statements and ideas need to be backed up by well cited example. Try to include evidence from opposing points of view to add depth to your argument.
When you find good examples, take care to note where you found them as you might want to
use them as illustrations in your presentation.
Your notes must be collected together, clearly labelled, and put in your Unit 1 Process Portfolio.
All research must be completed for the beginning of the lesson on 16/3/09
Stage 2 — presentation
In your presentation you must demonstrate that you understand past and current practice of
capture in the medium you have chosen to look at and the relationship between them. That is,
you should explain:
• the techniques and technology of your chosen medium or media
• how previous work differs from current work
• why previous work differs from current work
• how developments in the past have influenced contemporary practice.
When you prepare your presentation you should think about:
• what you want to say
• the order in which you want to say it
• how you will illustrate your points.
Remember that you should always try to:
• make a point as clearly as possible
• give an example to illustrate that point
• explain exactly how the example illustrates the point.
After your presentation you must get your Unit 1 Process Portfolio up to date. The Process
Portfolio must contain:
all your research notes
paper copies of the text, powerpoints, video excerpts and slides for your presentation
where possible, copies of illustrations (where paper copies of illustrations are not possible — eg
your medium is film or video — you must indicate clearly in the presentation text or on the
copies of the slides what the illustrations are).
Presentations will take place on Monday 30th March
Presentations will be recorded as part of the evidence
Assessment
You will be assessed on your understanding of:
• past and current practice in capture in the chosen medium or media (assessment focus 1)
• how factors such as historical developments have influenced current practice (assessment
focus 1)
• how different practitioners have approached the process of capture in your chosen medium
or media (assessment focus 1).
The mark you are given will contribute to your final mark for this unit.
To achieve the higher marks you must provide a well-evidenced, critical explanation of your
subject.
Level 3, Unit 1: Capture — assessment record for Mark A, (assignment 1)
Candidate’s Name
Candidate’s Number
Centre Name
Centre Number
Assessment Focus LO.1: Understand past and current practice of capture in a chosen medium or media
Mark band 1
Mark Range
Mark band 2
Mark Range
Mark band 3
Mark range
Mark
Given
Describes past and current practice in capture in the chosen medium or format.
Describes how factors such as historical developments have influenced current practice.
Describes approaches to capture in the chosen medium or media by different practitioners.
0-4
Discusses past and current practice in capture in the chosen medium or format.
Discusses how factors such as historical developments have influenced current practice.
Discusses approaches to capture in the chosen medium or media by different practitioners.
5-7
Provides a well-evidenced critical explanation of past and current practice in capture in the chosen medium or format.
Provides a well-evidenced critical explanation of how factors such as historical developments have influenced current practice.
Provides a well-evidenced critical explanation of approaches to capture in the chosen medium or media by different practitioners.
MY TASK;Present an example of a presentation for the students..................
A comparison; Lasse Halstrom' s 'Waterloo' video (Abba) in comparison to Michel Gondry` s 'Mad World' video (Gary Jules.)...
ABBA
WATERLOO
Won the Eurovision song contest in 1974.
Abba`s first number 1 hit in many European Countries.
1st UK number 1 for the band. Number 1 for 2 weeks
Made it to the US Top 10
Brought to the European song contest 'never seen before';
flashy and flamboyant costumes
silver platform boots!
a group singing not in their Native language
simple, still unseen before, Choreography.
Song Title; 'Waterloo'. Named because the song is about a girl who is about to surrender to 'romance', in the same way that Napolean had to surrender at the battle of Waterloo in 1815...
Notes
Starts with alternate zooming in shots cutting from each band member to inserts of close up of Napolean. Edited to the music.
Then goes to wide shot of the whole band, setting the scene.
Band is the focus; shot in studio against a white background.
Performance video.
Immediately, the piano motif is there.
As the music breaks, it zooms in on Napolean again, then goes to Mid shot of 2 female singers alternating with cut aways of close ups of piano.
Changes to Profile shot of the 2 girls.
Chorus; zooms back out to Wide shot.
Then Tilts up to a Crane shot of guy on piano.
Back to Profile shot of 2 girls again, zooming into close up of guy on guitar.
alternates between shot of 2 girls and focus on guy on guitar shot between them.
back out to wide shot
back to 2 girls; over the shoulder shot.
alternates between choreographed movements of the 2 girls and piano motif.
repeats previously used techniques; crane shot of piano, zooms from mid shot to close up, close up of guy on piano.
Profile shot of whole band.
use of focus again.
repeats; each member of the band gets a good amount of coverage.
zooms into space between the 2 girls to finish; image fades out as song fades out.
very simple
filmed in a studio using very bright, high key lighting
white background, easy to edit
very literal- using the shots of Napolean to refer to the battle of Waterloo.
They are establishing their Branding through costume, use of piano motif.
Mood of the video is happy, jolly, same as the mood of the song.
Mad World
Originally by the band Tears for Fears. Released in 1982.
First music video of the song; directed by Clive Richardson in 1982.
Featured band member Curt Smith gloomily staring out of the window whilst other band member Roland Orzabi performed a bizarre dance outside!
Cover version; much slower, ballad like version by Michael Andrews and Gary Jules, written for the Donnie Darko soundtrack in 2003.
Song was released on CD as part of the soundtrack, but soon built up a cult following and was later released on single, becoming number 1 over the Christmas holiday in the UK in 2003.
The music video by Michel Gondry has since become very popular on you tube, gaining over 15 million views as of the start of 2009.
Meaning of the song/ story behind it;
'The song came when I lived above a pizza restaurant in Bath and I could look out onto the centre of the city. Not that Bath is very mad; I should have called it Bourgeois World '
Lyrically the song is pretty loose. It throws together a lot of different images to paint a picture without saying anything specific about the world.'
Roland Orzabi
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4N3N1MlvVc4
Mad World
Gary jules version;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4N3N1MlvVc4
tears for fears version;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ZRib_aAQFQ
Notes
Opens with Wide shot from above- shows someone looking through a window and you have the feeling that you are doing the same.
Then it Tilts up, following your gaze.
As the music starts, the children change from random motion into a Choreographed shape.
Their motion reflects the mood of the music. Timing may have been altered / slowed down to enhance this.
Camera stays on static Wide shot while they perform the choreographed movements.
Camera pans to follow movement of actors, continues to pan and tilt as it goes up to singer on roof.
Wide shot of singer on roof; setting the scene, putting it into context.
New York/ big American city.
Pan and tilt back down to children, then you realise it is a point of view shot- you are seeing out of the singer` s eyes- you are seeing his daydreams.
The choreographed children are illustrating his thoughts.
Pans and tilts following his gaze, the speed of the camera movement reflects the mood of the song and daydreaming theme.
The images that they form are all quite random, the same as in that quote about the lyrics of the song.
The actors which leave the scene and start playing basketball, etc; camera follows them; link back to reality.
The static wide shot of the children often has cars moving in the top half of the shot, this keeps a connection to the setting, in the city, the Mad World.
Camera Pans and Tilts around to musician on piano in snow on roof.
Whole thing is very slow paced, makes it more emotional, reflecting mood of the song.
Does look like the whole thing` s shot in 1 go, but if you look closely, iy does look like there` s bits where it ` s edited. Also might possibly use a Green screen or some CGI on some bits, for example, when they` re on the roof; backdrop looks a bit too perfect.
The whole thing is very Michel Gondry; it` s sweet, sensitive, childlike, following the theme of dreams, a bit surreal, artistic.
1 simple idea, expanded into something magical. uses repetition. Features the Artists. Use of Choreography and Timing.
Shot in New York.
Branding of the band; they are artistic, meditative, deep, creative.
SUMMARY
Common features; both videos used simple ideas and repetition.
They both used quite simple editing.
Both used cutaways to a representational scene (or object.)
They both used filming styles that enhanced the mood of the song.
They are both trying to tell the story of the song or have a connection to the lyrics.
They both feature elements of Performance.
Main differences/ development
Choreography - how the use of this in film has been developed over time.
Abstraction and Representation- the ways in which film can be used to represent ideas and as a medium of expression.
Audience expectations - The increase in popularity and exposure of music video through MTV, You Tube and general TV and internet demand has created pressure for high quality, innovative and entertaining music video.
Reason for choice
Michel Gondry still using basic techniques. Not showing off with technology. Its very conceptual.
Using the imagination to develop the idea rather than the technology.
Shows how the medium of film has developed through ideas and creativity. Experimentation.
Film as an art form.
not just the technological changes but Cultural changes, changes in ways of thinking.
....it ` s something the students could do themselves.
Bonus material......
'Mad World; old skool version by Tears for Fears. Set task for students; to compare old and new version and see what` s changed; Techniques....Technologies............80s dancing.................
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