(no subject)
Ahoy^^
So the diary took a long hiatus. That's because I did >>;; Last semester was a bomb. This semester ... will be better. Yeah.
So to summarise this entry:
1// The current state of the dreaded research question.
2// The state of the project in general
3// Lists. I love lists.
1// The Research Question
Okay, so as you all know this was HEINOUS and stuff >>; but yeah, the last state of it was:
"Over time, aesthetical music videos are giving way to videos containing narrative. The scope for narrative development within the timescale of a music video is limited, therefore this project will examine the use of aesthetics as a more powerful means of communication within this genre."
Well... Now it's not. I took this along to my [now named] supervisor, Paul, on Monday of last week and we tried to hammer it down even more so I knew exactly what I was doing. And in five minutes he managed to make everything alright <3.
So to start from the beginning:
Last year's mini personal project surrounded thiiiis question:
"Over time, various genres have established themselves within the film industry. They have, in turn, established standard conventions, which are regularly employed in order to fully immerse their chosen audience. There are ways in which these conventions be manipulated or subverted in order to achieve the director’s chosen goal. "
And expanded out into:
"The overall project aims to give a summarised definition of genre, following with a discussion of one particular filmic genre and its recognised conventions to do with sound and visual communication. To complete this objective, a film in that genre will summarily critiqued. Also to be undertaken is the creation of a short music video in order to get a practical grasp on the theory, and an ensuing critique."
So. Taking the look at that project and how it covered soundtracks, I'm going to be directing this project along the road of why music videos that contain narrative risk turning their songs into nothing but soundtracks.
I.E.
If you have a song that want to promote with a music video, the song should, ostensibly, be more noticeable overall than the visuals. It should be the primary focus. It should be sold by the visuals, not taken over by them. If you put narrative into a music video, you risk drowning out the song itself and relegating it to a narrative support, aka soundtrack. I'm going to be looking at the correlations etc. etc.
2// Overall Status
a) Is actually okay. I'm going to be tailoring my research a little more now that I have the question sorted, and I'm going to be incorporating a lot of the essay I did for last year's project [the case study, at least] into the overall dissertation, just over 1000 words that, to be blunt, I can almost directly lift, from what I can see. I'm going to be breaking the dissertation into three sections, I believe:
* overall research, including narrative in music videos, the opinions of directors, and the limitations of attempting to incorporate narrative into a music video, i.e. time limitations, leading onto the main subject of the study, which is the aforementioned correlation between narrative in music video and soundtrack relegated film songs.
* case study of film / soundtrack
* case studies of music videos with and without narrative.
b) The practical side of things have changed slightly. I'll still be doing the one video, but I'll be mapping out a second alongside that includes narrative - whether I get the time to make the second one isn't a problem. As long as it's completely designed and developed to the point of being made it's inclusive. It's to compare the non-narrative I will be making with etc. etc.
* As for the actual status of said video, I'm probably going to be using the Lee Jung Hyun song for now, simply because I doubt I'll be able to get down and do filming with Vicky and Scott for the Void Construct piece. I WILL be doing that, though, I think, if they're up for it, because although I have permission to use the LJH song, it's not really going to pad out my portfolio with a lot of stuff I can use as official project material.
* Storyboards are already hashed out for both VC and LJH, but I want to redo them in more, bigger detail. LJH for now. VC can wait as it's going on the backburner.
* I need to decide on the narrative song and start planning it out asap.
I'm also going to completely rehash and finish that Deathboy video now that I have my baby working again. It'll be slow going, obviously, because it doesn't take priority here, but I really want to get it done and into the portfolio - because >> well. It IS a priority to pad that out for -cough- job hunting ;o;
3// Lists, lists, and more lists, biatch >/
A) Dissertation
* Re-read over soundtrack information re: Royal S Brown Overtones & Undertones. Should have book of notetakings from last semester around somewhere >>;;
* Read over case study and make sure it really is inline with shit.
* Re-scan information taken previously for narrative study question and work out what still applies.
* Pick out music video case studies, and do 'em! - Personal set deadline: 13th February.
B) Practical
* Storyboards
* Song selection and narrative story plotline.
* Work out schedule for filming - especially driving through the pennines avec vidcam @ sunrise / set.
* Sketches for set design / costume design.
* Ensure all software installed and ready for use.
C) That Exit Strategy thing >>;;. Deadline: 4th February
* Identify 2 companies to apply for.
* Identify 2 competitions, ditto.
* Write something? >>;
So the diary took a long hiatus. That's because I did >>;; Last semester was a bomb. This semester ... will be better. Yeah.
So to summarise this entry:
1// The current state of the dreaded research question.
2// The state of the project in general
3// Lists. I love lists.
1// The Research Question
Okay, so as you all know this was HEINOUS and stuff >>; but yeah, the last state of it was:
"Over time, aesthetical music videos are giving way to videos containing narrative. The scope for narrative development within the timescale of a music video is limited, therefore this project will examine the use of aesthetics as a more powerful means of communication within this genre."
Well... Now it's not. I took this along to my [now named] supervisor, Paul, on Monday of last week and we tried to hammer it down even more so I knew exactly what I was doing. And in five minutes he managed to make everything alright <3.
So to start from the beginning:
Last year's mini personal project surrounded thiiiis question:
"Over time, various genres have established themselves within the film industry. They have, in turn, established standard conventions, which are regularly employed in order to fully immerse their chosen audience. There are ways in which these conventions be manipulated or subverted in order to achieve the director’s chosen goal. "
And expanded out into:
"The overall project aims to give a summarised definition of genre, following with a discussion of one particular filmic genre and its recognised conventions to do with sound and visual communication. To complete this objective, a film in that genre will summarily critiqued. Also to be undertaken is the creation of a short music video in order to get a practical grasp on the theory, and an ensuing critique."
So. Taking the look at that project and how it covered soundtracks, I'm going to be directing this project along the road of why music videos that contain narrative risk turning their songs into nothing but soundtracks.
I.E.
If you have a song that want to promote with a music video, the song should, ostensibly, be more noticeable overall than the visuals. It should be the primary focus. It should be sold by the visuals, not taken over by them. If you put narrative into a music video, you risk drowning out the song itself and relegating it to a narrative support, aka soundtrack. I'm going to be looking at the correlations etc. etc.
2// Overall Status
a) Is actually okay. I'm going to be tailoring my research a little more now that I have the question sorted, and I'm going to be incorporating a lot of the essay I did for last year's project [the case study, at least] into the overall dissertation, just over 1000 words that, to be blunt, I can almost directly lift, from what I can see. I'm going to be breaking the dissertation into three sections, I believe:
* overall research, including narrative in music videos, the opinions of directors, and the limitations of attempting to incorporate narrative into a music video, i.e. time limitations, leading onto the main subject of the study, which is the aforementioned correlation between narrative in music video and soundtrack relegated film songs.
* case study of film / soundtrack
* case studies of music videos with and without narrative.
b) The practical side of things have changed slightly. I'll still be doing the one video, but I'll be mapping out a second alongside that includes narrative - whether I get the time to make the second one isn't a problem. As long as it's completely designed and developed to the point of being made it's inclusive. It's to compare the non-narrative I will be making with etc. etc.
* As for the actual status of said video, I'm probably going to be using the Lee Jung Hyun song for now, simply because I doubt I'll be able to get down and do filming with Vicky and Scott for the Void Construct piece. I WILL be doing that, though, I think, if they're up for it, because although I have permission to use the LJH song, it's not really going to pad out my portfolio with a lot of stuff I can use as official project material.
* Storyboards are already hashed out for both VC and LJH, but I want to redo them in more, bigger detail. LJH for now. VC can wait as it's going on the backburner.
* I need to decide on the narrative song and start planning it out asap.
I'm also going to completely rehash and finish that Deathboy video now that I have my baby working again. It'll be slow going, obviously, because it doesn't take priority here, but I really want to get it done and into the portfolio - because >> well. It IS a priority to pad that out for -cough- job hunting ;o;
3// Lists, lists, and more lists, biatch >/
A) Dissertation
* Re-read over soundtrack information re: Royal S Brown Overtones & Undertones. Should have book of notetakings from last semester around somewhere >>;;
* Read over case study and make sure it really is inline with shit.
* Re-scan information taken previously for narrative study question and work out what still applies.
* Pick out music video case studies, and do 'em! - Personal set deadline: 13th February.
B) Practical
* Storyboards
* Song selection and narrative story plotline.
* Work out schedule for filming - especially driving through the pennines avec vidcam @ sunrise / set.
* Sketches for set design / costume design.
* Ensure all software installed and ready for use.
C) That Exit Strategy thing >>;;. Deadline: 4th February
* Identify 2 companies to apply for.
* Identify 2 competitions, ditto.
* Write something? >>;