B boy
Be my baby
(Won't you be my baby)
My one and only baby
(Be my baby now)
B boy
Be my baby
(Be my baby now)
My one and only baby
(oo oo oo ooh)
B boy
Be my baby
(Won't you be my baby)
My one and only baby
(Be my baby now)
B boy
Be my baby
(Be my baby now)
My one and only baby
(oo oo oo ooh)
It was winter time
You know what they say
Did you think about us
Did you miss your baby
I'm gonna catch the train
Cos' I'm heading your way
You're my number 1
That's all a new born son
Won't you be my king
(Won't you be my king)
Cos' I know you care
Did a dance for you
And when I'm done
I'm gonna do it again
And when it's over
I'm gonna pull you closer
Keep your Nike's on
You know how we do
There's nothing he won't try
We like two stars in th sky
You are my rainy day's Sunshine
It's plain to see
My heat in the cold of Winter
Just so right for me
So won't you please
B boy
Be my baby
(Won't you be my baby)
My one and only baby
(Be my baby now)
B boy
Be my baby
(Be my baby now)
My one and only baby
(oo oo oo ooh)
There are two in the air
If you feel like me
Someone who cares for so freaky
In demand by all the ladies
It's not for sale
It's being home delivered to me
So hang up all your trying cards please
(He's my baby)
Lovesick cos' thats what I get
I hear his voice then things get wet
Know's what I want
And then he'll fetch
He's my boo
And I'm his little pet, his little pet
You never know what he'll do next
He's my baby
My rainy day's bright Sunshine
Live in fantasy
My heat in the cold of Winter
Just so right for me
So won't you please
B boy
Be my baby
(Won't you be my baby)
My one and only baby
(Be my baby now)
B boy
Be my baby
(Be my baby now)
My one and only baby
(oo oo oo ooh)
B boy
Be my baby
(Won't you be my baby)
My one and only baby
(Be my baby now)
B boy
Be my baby
(Be my baby now)
My one and only baby
(oo oo oo ooh)
I have chosen to create a music video to the song "B Boy Baby - Mutya Buena ft Amy Winehouse".
There are various reasons for selecting this song:
The song is not overly popular and takes a very simplistic approach in the production of its music video, therefore it is possible for me to create one which can be much more narrative whilst including performance as well so to contrast with the origional video and hopefully give a better overall outcome.
The lyrics are very descriptive and can easily be illustrated to therefore I intend on including animation within my music video which will give fit in with the storyline.
Media Representations
Fergie is the artist being represented in this music video. The song is about falling in love therefore uses a pop out styled book to emphasise the theme of a fairy tale love story. Fergie is represented in a number of different ways as every time the pop out page turns over in the video,her style changes, portraying another stereotype and acting accordingly with these stereotypes. The song lyrics are acted out through each separate account of Fergie trying to impress the man she is falling in love with, however to stay consistent with the song lyrics and to narrate them effectively each scenario results in Fergie making a fool of herself due to her being "clumsy cos' i'm falling in love". This implies that although her clothing and persona changes frequently, ranging from being a model on a cat walk to a more hip hop "street" character, falling in love can have the same effect on everyone, regardless of their personalities. Fergie comes across as naive and innocent in this video due to the
still comes across naive and innocent in the way she is trying to get the mans attention.
Media languages and forms
The denotation of this music video is that the narrative belongs within a book however when incorporating the lyrics along with the video we see that it connotes a fairy tale due to the proclamations of love which come across obstacles yet there is a happily ending where the "hero" saves the damsel in distress.
The mise en scene within the music video implies a simplistic and innocent approach towards love. The settings are minimalistic and belong within a pop-out book which would generally be aimed at children, hence emphasising a naive and pure type of love story. The lighting is very bright consisting of a lot of vibrant colours which stands out from the paler, unfocused background of the room that the book belongs in, this can be seen in the establishing shot of the music video. The bright colours imply an energetic vibe and reflects the concept of the children book. Fergies clothing changes with each scene to conform to the stereotype she is portraying, they help create the correct image which will mirror the setting and her actions. Throughout the music video close ups are used to capture Fergies facial expressions which gives a better view of how she is feeling and allows the audience to empathise with her. For example, the scene where she is on the cat walk and falls has a close up of the artist in a group of onlookers arms, it shows happiness because of her infatuation and also exasperation due to her clumsiness because of it.
In the opening shots to the music video the camera is used to suggest the point of view of a person whom is walking over to the book. The book opens and the camera is positioned into a crane shot to suggest that the viewer is looking downwards onto the page, it then tilts to imply a sitting down movement as the audience are about to indulge in the book. We see a helicopter flying around the pop-out book and some the camera movements imitate the helicopters path to give a different point of view.
Narrative
The narrative is clear in the way that it is made obvious that the solo-artist Fergie is falling in love with the man who features throughout her video and this causes her to be "clumsy". There are different scenarios in the music video which includes different styles etc however all of them are very brightly coloured and exaggerated to promote the idea of the story book therefore this shows that the music video is aware that it is a narrative one. The audience are positioned in a way which implies they are the reader of the Pop-up book due to the over head views which make it seem like they are looking down upon the book.
Genre
The artist Fergie is very much Pop and R&B orientated therefore this song fits under these genres, the music video has been created to complement these genres with the inclusion of bright colours and a fun narrative which is uplifting. There is a relation between the genre of Pop and the fact that the book is a "pop-up" book, this may of been used to emphasise the style of genre. The happy ending meets the audiences expectations as most fairy tale/ love stories end with a "happily ever after" and this is the case for this music video as she ends up with the man.
Media Institutions
The institution in this music video is the artist Fergie, the text has been shaped around her by making the storyline very feminine to match her media image and also glamorous in her appearance. The text is commercial, it is used to narrate and promote her song to attract more interest and attention therefore the text is used to portray Fergie in what ever way she wishes to be shown and what would please the target audience the most.
Media Values and ideology
The values and ideology behind this text emphasises the "fairytale" childrens book approach, each different setting in the music video has the same storyline which is the girl accidentally does something wrong which embarrasses her in front of the man she is falling for. However due to the fact the audience are aware it is in a Pop-up book they already expect the happy ending because these childrens books always end in a resolved way.
Media Audiences
The target audience of this music video would be fans of the singer, however more dominantly female, this is yet again due to the storyline which is very feminine, it is also based around boys therefore girls can relate much more to the song and video. The audience would most likely receive this text on music channels or websites such as "youtube", because this song will be shown on music channels it is very likely that the size of the audience whom have watched the music video is very large. By watching this music video the audience may make assumptions about the singer such as that she takes a very innocent approach towards love.
Media representations
The music video is representing the artist Cee Lo Green, it tells the story of his childhood and how throughout the different stages of growing up he keeps getting heartbroken by the girl he loved. This represents him as being romantic as he tries on numerous occasions to fight for his love, however failing each time therefore it shows he is strong to stay motivated, this shows the artist has an upbeat attitude towards life making the audience have a positive image of the artist and helping them relate to him. In the video each version of Cee Lo Green is portrayed as an average person when compared to the boy he is competing against who is in a suit and has a toy Ferrari, the happy ending implies to the audience that anyone can become successful if they are motivated enough to do so.
Media Language and forms
The text in this music video helps the audience understand what is happening, it points out the younger versions of himself, the text also sets the scene by the way it is decorated etc, some of the text relates to American styled diners which is more associated with past eras, the text style used to indicate which stage the artist is passing also adds emphasis to it by using commonly associated type, such as the "College years" type being type which you would find on an American college students team jacket etc. Images also appear along with the text to give more meaning to it, for example, when it says "the young Cee Lo Green" the toy truck also appears with it so that the link is made between the text and the boy holding the truck, this is done for each stage, on "the high school years" the flowers which he wants to give the "heart breaker" girl are behind the text and "the college years" has images of things associated with college however the actual text is the same colour as Cee Lo Greens clothing. Each version of Cee Lo Green uses dramatic facial expressions to emphasise the emotion they are feeling, the young Cee Lo Green is quite serious and aggressive when he sings to show he is upset and annoyed that the girl is interested in someone else however we see his facial expression changes to a smug look near the end of the video when he has become successful and she is not, we can see this as she is dressed in rags and has a mop in her hand showing she has to do manual labour. The "high School years" version of Cee Lo Green uses very dramatic facial expressions to show how he is feeling, he also makes it very obvious that he is aware of the camera by pulling confused faces to the camera. The mise-en-scene of the American diner is significant as it shows it is a place Cee Lo Green has grown up in and tells the story of his love for the girl, it also emphasises the story line because diners are very common with American films.
Close ups and medium close ups are used quite a lot in this video so that the facial expressions are emphasised. Tracking shots are used in this music video, this may be done to imply that they are following the singer as he walks but also as he grows up through life.
Narrative
The narrative is organised in time order, it shows the boy going through stages of his life therefore starts with his younger self, once the stage is finished it does not go back to it, this reflects life as you constantly grow but cannot go back in the past. The tracking shots make the audience feel like they are a customer in the diner and are walking around or sat down at the seats. Good and bad characters are created in this narrative by getting the audience to feel sorry for the singer by making the girl he fancies do nasty things, this makes the outcome of the music video satisfying to the audience as the good character is rewarded while the bad one is punished. This narrative is backed up by the theorist Claude Levi Strauss who stated that there needs to be a binary opposition within a film or programme which is usually presented through good and evil just as this music video mirrors
Genre
The media text belongs to the pop genre as it is full of colour and decoration making it very vibrant and up beat like the pop style of music. The mise-en-scene of this music video matches the style of music as an American Diner is associated with where people go to listen to the popular songs which are out at the time. The text used within the music video has been styled around the theme of the American Diner and the stages of life the character is going through, for example at the beginning of the music video the text used to introduce the song takes the form of a diner sign and as the girl he fancies grows up, the "heart breaker" text also changes to style itself around her. The characters are generically determined as we see that the girl is very pretty where as the boy is quite overweight and this helps emphasise the storyline that the girl thinks she is too good for the boy and has a nasty attitude towards him.
Media Institutions
The institutional source of text is the artist Cee Lo Green as this is his music video therefore the media text has been shaped in such a way which he wishes to be represented. The music video gives the impression that he is a romantic man who has worked his way to success therefore this text is commercial as it is portraying the artist how he wants to be portrayed and for no other purpose than this.
Media Values and ideology
This media text contains values as it shows that if you work hard in life you will succeed whereas if you use others to get by then in the end you will have nothing, it also shows that being disrespectful does not pay off. Therefore we see a happy ending with the artist becoming rich and famous and is finally happy whilst the girl has to work hard to earn a living which she does not like.
Media Audiences
The target audience for this text can be both male and female as the video and song is gender neutral having a story line which everyone can relate too and all wanting the same outcome. The age range is also quite broad however due to the song being in the Pop genre the most common target audience would be teenagers. The audience are likely to receive this text via music channels, internet websites such as youtube and the radio, this impacts on the media text as this is why the music video plays a large role in the representation of the singer therefore it has to give the right message to the audience.
1a. Describe how you developed your skills in the use of digital technology for media production and evaluate how these skills contributed to your creative decision making. Refer to a range of examples in your answer to show how these skills developed over time.
At the start of my AS level I had very little skill in terms of digital technology having never used programmes such as Photoshop prior to this. A preliminary task was given in media studies which was to create a front cover and contents page for a college prospectus, this greatly benefited me as it enabled me to grasp the basic tools which Photoshop provided, I was able to experiment with different techniques and find the fastest and most efficient ways to edit photos etc. This was a great time saver when it came to creating my music magazine, for example, at first I spent a large amount of time carefully rubbing out the backgrounds of photos which I did not wish to include, however after practicing I found numerous ways to delete backgrounds from pictures; instead of using the eraser I could selected the magic tool which allowed me to carefully select and delete a vast amount of the picture which I did not require. Furthermore, I initially found it difficult to locate and apply the correct effects to use on my pictures which would create my desired vibe, however after a while I understood the format of Photoshop and could access the effects easily.
I realised when planning my music magazine that every aspect of the media product had to be carefully planned. Therefore when it came to taking the photos for my magazine, I already had the appropriate poses and clothing in mind which would stay within the correct conventions of my music magazine and hence reflecting its characteristics. Due to the experience of the preliminary task equipping me with new skills within digital technology, I could think more creatively about my designs as I already knew what effects I would be able to apply to my ideas, meaning that I could capture more adventurous photographs and use my more elaborate ideas giving the best overall effect and outcome. An example of this is a photo which I used on the right hand side of my double page spread, I intended on including a photo of the artist and thought it would be interesting if it appeared as though the model was leaning against the edge of the page, I therefore took a photo of her leaning against a wall and edited the background out in Photoshop , this made it look like the artist belonged to the page and created the correct vibe to stay continuous with the theme of the magazine, also staying interactive with the audience via the use of eye contact from the model.
I also had no experience in using video cameras or the software which is used to edit the videos on. Therefore another preliminary task was set at the end of my AS year to prepare me for the task of creating a music video in my A2 year. The task was to produce a short film trailer; I found this a considerable amount more difficult compared with the music magazine brief as the planning and editing needed to be extremely detailed and well thought through for it to be a success. This gave me an insight into how planning something well can work to an advantage as it allows you to be more creative so that you can choose your best ideas and it also mean you are using time productively . I also learnt the basic skills on the editing software however I feel I am still an amateur when comparing my skills editing videos to that of using Photoshop. This knowledge has aided my idea for my music video as I now understand how the editing process works. I am going to include animation within my media product as I can then incorporate other strengths which I possess such as drawing.
Since starting media studies I have developed more knowledge in certain aspects of the internet, for example, I now have a blog which I am able to set polls up on, this is a very helpful tool as it gives me an insight into what the audience of music videos believe are vital aspects to include and therefore can sway my final decisions on certain features of my music video. I can also add Youtube videos onto my blog which shows I am taking advantage of the wide range of digital technology which is accessible to me.
Music videos are used to promote the artists through the songs they produce. The music video can be just as important as the song in regards to making money for the artist, it also evokes an image of the artists personality and beliefs which helps the audience make a judgement on them.
Most music videos are anti-realist because the artists are aware that they are appearing in it for the purpose of their promotion to the audience. There are three elements which a music video can entail; performance, narrative and abstract. Music videos often show the artist/ band performing to their song, this is purely to entertain the audience. Narratives are used to illustrate the lyrics; they produce a story which is relevant to the song and give an amount of continuity to the music video. Abstract music videos can also be described as “arty”, they may not make immediate sense to the audience however messages can be portrayed to the viewer through codes and conventions, these videos follow no specific structure as they do not need continuity.
Music videos have existed since around the 1960’s when Bob Dylan created a short film for his first single “Subterranean Homesick Blues” which consisted of one continuous shot of Dylan holding up cards with song lyrics written on them whilst his song was being played. This is regarded as one of the first music videos and it helps promote his message through the emphasis on the lyrics.
In 1964 Richard Lester directed a documentary style film on The Beatles which included them running away from fans whilst their song “Hard days night” plays in the background. The Beatles did this as they were becoming increasingly popular worldwide and found it easier to produce a film which incorporated their songs than travelling from country to country to perform them. The film was therefore played all around the world and helped create a well-known brand and image of the band.
The Beatles continued to produce short films to promote themselves through their songs however the videos were used to challenge traditional values and beliefs via portraying the lyrics the way The Beatles interpreted them; they deconstructed the English language to criticise authority as seen in the Magical Mystery Tour – I am the walrus.
David Bowie - Space oddity is an example of a video consisting only of performance, therefore other aspects were taken into consideration to emphasise the song lyrics such as lighting, mise-en-scene and cinematography; the song is futuristic in the way it talks about traveling into space, therefore lighting was used to make David Bowie look alien-like.
Music videos are just as important as the songs in regards to popularity with the audience, Queen - Bohemian Rhapsody evidently shows this. They spent £5000 on the video which enabled them to produce a high quality product in the year 1975 and ensuring that the visuals were structured precisely around the arrangement of the song. The song stayed at number one for nine weeks, every week the video being shown, therefore this is proof that the audience can be swayed to like an artist/ band not only for their songs but for the videos they create and how this portrays the artists.
The early 1980's saw music videos becoming more important to the audience than the actual song. Peter Gabriel - Sledge hammer, is an example of this as the music video exposed a whole new style of narrative and performance to entertain the audience with, in comparison to previous videos Sledge hammer stood out due to the use of new effects such as animation and clever use of editing therefore the video took months to compose.
Beautiful South - Song for whoever, is a mixture of performance and narrative, they used humour in their video to emphasise their opinions on the music industry, implying that it was a joke. Therefore this is self-reflective because the band was aware of itself as a media text.
Symbolism is used in the music video of REM - Losing my religion. It shows the interpretation of the lyrics in its visual form by using connotations within the video to give it a deeper meaning, for example, the milk shattering at the beginning represents the belief system in religion being shattered, milk may have been chosen as the liquid in the jar because it is white which implies innocence and purity.
Radiohead - Street spirit, is in the form of an abstract media text, there is no clear narrative to the music video hence it does not follow any signs of continuity.
An artist can use music videos to re-invent themself, a classic example of this is Madonna whom frequently changes her appearance and personality in them, for instance, when comparing her persona in the media text "Vogue" to that of "Die another day" it is evident that she is emphasising a different aspect of her personality which may appeal more to certain audiences. Also, in the case of George Michael, music videos can be used to address issues that the artist has encountered in their personal life which plays on their own media image to show the public their opinions.
Music videos do not only have to revolve around the song they are creating a visual image for, they may be turned into a short film which includes an actual story line. In 1984 Michael Jackson starred in a short film for his song "Thriller" which cost around one million dollars to produce, however this was the largest selling point of the song therefore it was money well spent in terms of popularity with the audience. Codes and conventions were used in the video to give off a stereotypical horror film theme, furthermore, intertextual references were made which is where one media text refers to another; for example, Vincent Price, whom is renowned for his roles in horror films, narrates some of the lines in the music video which is in the genre of a horror.
Oasis - The importance of being idle, also uses intertextual references within its music video. Codes are the individual aspects within a media text which give meanings, many were used in this video to refer to the era of the 1960's; a very political time due to the uprising of the British social realism which showed the working class life style in a realistic manner for the first time as they were previously never represented authentically. The colour is black and white which implies that colour television was not yet invented at this time, the clothing is another factor which represents the era the video was based in and the location in which it was set is very similar to that of the soap Coronation street which first appeared around this time.
Certain types of songs have specific codes and conventions belonging to them, Blink 182 exposes this in their music video "All the small things" and makes a parody of all types of music videos by overly exaggerating their codes and conventions and as a result undermining them. The "boy band" stereotype is belittled as Blink 182 are seen to be soaking wet with tight clothing on to attract the female audience however when the camera pans out we realise that what we thought was rain is a hose pipe which is being used to clean a bus.
When comparing music videos from when they first started being produced with that of nowadays, it is evident that there is a colossal difference in not only technology but style and values as well, aspects such as mise-en-scene, cinematography, sound and editing have all improved over the years therefore so have the quality of music videos.
With the creation of the internet, it has become much easier to view music videos via well-known websites such as “YouTube” which offer fast and high quality viewing. It allows people to consume as many music videos as they want, and enables them to browse at their leisure which is the definitive difference between the internet and music video channels such as MTV. This has had a major effect on the music industry as armature artists are able to record their own songs and videos, and then upload them on to YouTube which helps bring awareness to the audience and promote their band, this can consequently make them become big names within the music industry.
