Monday, 26 September 2011

Video's that we have looked at during lessons


This song is called i feel better and it is by a band called hot chip, this video is a rather hilarious one because it is making fun of actual boy bands and its almost like a parody of boy bands as all of them were getting zapped with a laser beam as they were starting to look like a real boy band. The video for "I Feel Better", directed by Peter Serafinowicz, was described by Pitchfork media as "re-imagining the British dance pop troupe as a well-manicured and highly choreographed group of dudes [...] who get an unexpected visitor or two during a performance before an audience of swooning young ladies."

In the video, Hot Chip is played by four members of a boy band who perform on stage before an audience of screaming fans. The enthusiastic crowd is distracted by the arrival of a bizarre looking man, played by Ross Lee, who arrives from the rear of the concert hall. Bald, thin and dressed in a glowing robe, the levitating man sings in a high falsetto and observes the startled crowd as he floats toward the stage. As the man arrives on stage, each member of the boy band attempts one by one to upstage the new arrival. After a short dance sequence, each band member is killed by an energy beam emitted when the man opens his mouth, to the horror of the audience. As the final band member is destroyed, the audience mourns the members. The real members of Hot Chip can be seen throughout the video enjoying the concert as part of the audience.
After a flash of light, the band is resurrected by the thin man. Now dressed in all white suits, the five perform as one group before a newly excited crowd. All goes well for a time until another new arrival emerges from the rear of the concert hall, a large, floating, disembodied head (Antonio Popeye from Britain's got talent). The new arrival sings as he floats his way toward the stage and emits energy beams from his eyes, destroying the boy band (as the thin man escapes) and a few unfortunate members of the fleeing crowd, including the real members of Hot Chip. The video ends with the man destroying the on-stage sign that reads "Hot Chip", after which he emits a sinister laugh.

Thursday, 22 September 2011

Jamie Thraves

Jamie Thraves is a director who made short films at university, he used award-winning short films as a "calling card" to get a a foot in the door with the video production company factory films. He began this by shooting three very low budget music video's that cost about £5,000 each.
This is how the whole process works:
A commissioner from a record label sends a track to 5-10 directors, then the director's each submit a treatment but this stage is unpaid. The director who has submitted the 'best' treatment is then commissioned to make the video so therefore thats when the director gets paid. For many director's in the business it is a precarious existence where their livelihood is dependent on each commission. Jamie Thraves submitted treatments for his two best known video's and was accepted. These two video's are Radiohead Just and Coldplay the scientist.
Radiohead- Just had a £100,000 budget for the video and was shot in three days whereas Coldplay- the scientist has a £200,000 budget for the video which also took 3 days to shoot.






Coldplay- The scientist- This video was also directed by Jamie Thraves and he shot this video in many different locations such as London and the Bourne Woods in surreyThe video opens looking down on Martin, singing, as he lies on his back on a mattress. As the camera pulls back, the mattress is revealed to be outside. A cyclist cycles past in reverse and Martin leaps up from the mattress. He walks in reverse through a city, out into the suburbs and eventually into the woods, picking up various pieces of his suit as he goes. Upon arriving at his car, a black BMW, he gets in and briefly passes out as his girlfriend, at first lying dead on the ground in front of the car, is shown flying back in through the shattered windscreen of the car. The car backs rolls back up a hill in the woods and through a broken fence, which mends itself as the car passes back through it. As the video closes, the couple are shown driving back up the road. It is revealed that Martin's girlfriend had removed her seat belt just before the car accident, leading to her death






Radiohead-just-The single's video was directed by Jamie Thraves, who was hand-picked by the band after they saw several of his experimental short films. It was shot near Liverpool street station in London, and intersperses footage of Radiohead playing the song inside an apartment with scenes of a middle-aged man who lies down in the middle of the pavement just outside of the apartment building. People start to gather, thinking that something must be wrong with the man, and the band are shown looking out the window at the events below. A heated conversation between the man and the crowd develops, as the people start demanding to know what the man is doing and why he is lying there. In subtitles, the man finally gives in and says, "Yes I'll tell you, I'll tell you why I'm lying here... but God forgive me... and God help us all... because you don't know what you ask of me." The camera zooms in on his mouth as the man finally gives the answer, but the subtitles have suddenly stopped, so the reason is not revealed to the viewer. As the camera zooms back out, it shows the pavement covered with the crowd of people, all lying down just like the man.



Jamie Thraves most recent video is by japanese popstars called songs for lisa, jamie thrave's current video's cost about £20,000 each and his shooting time for this video was two days. Jamie Thraves has used the music video's he made to get into film business and has shot three features so far, these features are the low down, the cry of the owl and treacle jr. His tips are to use the lyrics but try not to be to literal and the key tip from him is to go with the emotion of the lyrics. 




Researching history of music videos Top 10

10-Nirvana: Smells Like Teen Spirit- This video was based on the concept of a school concert which ends in anarchy and riot. Inspiration was taken from Jonathan Kaplan's 1979 movie Over the edge, as well as the Ramones' film Rock n roll high school.


9-Madonna: Vogue-When the dance section of the song starts, Madonna turns around, striking a pose (similarly to how the lyrics put it). The video progresses, and images of men in fedora, Madonna wearing the controversial sheer lace dress and other outfits, follow. As the chorus begins, Madonna and her dancers start to perform a vogue dance routine.


8-The Verve: Bittersweet Symphony


7-Michael Jackson: Billie Jean


6-Robbie Williams: Rock DJ


5-Madonna: Like a Prayer


4-Queen: Bohemian Rhapsody


3-A-ha: Take on Me


2-Peter Gabriel: Sledgehammer


1-Michael Jackson: Thriller

Wednesday, 21 September 2011

Researching History Of Music videos 19-10

19-Madonna: Material Girl

18-Beyonce: Crazy in Love

17-Blur: Coffee & TV

16-OutKast: Hey Ya

15-REM: Everybody Hurts

14-Christina Aguilera: Dirrty

13-Pink Floyd: Another Brick in the Wall

12-Michael & Janet Jackson: Scream

 11-Coldplay: The Scientist

10-Nirvana: Smells Like Teen Spirit

Tuesday, 20 September 2011

Researching History Of Music videos 29-20

29- Electric Six: Gay Bar

28- Foo Fighters: Learn to Fly

27-David Bowie: Ashes to Ashes

26-TLC: Waterfalls

25-Madness: Baggy Trousers

24-Radiohead: No Surprises

23-Britney Spears: ...Baby One More Time

22-Justin Timberlake: Cry Me a River

21-Queen: I Want to Break Free

20-Gorillaz: Clint Eastwood

Researching history of Music videos 39-30

39- Pulp: Common People

38- Fatboy Slim: Weapon of Choice

37-Guns N Roses: November Rain

36-Red Hot Chili Peppers: Give It Away

35-Sinead O'Connor: Nothing Compares 2U

34-The White Stripes: Fell in Love with a Girl

33-U2: The Sweetest Thing

32- Chris Isaak: Wicked Game

31-Eminem: Stan

30-Weezer: Buddy Holly

Sunday, 18 September 2011

Researching History Of Music videos 49-40

49-jamiroquai-virtual insanity-1996

48-Johnny Cash-Hurt-2003- this video does not refer to Fame, wealth, sex, glamour and fantasy like most music videos which is always a fantasy, this video shows you reality, in this video it shows you how johnny cash lived his life from when he was younger up until he knew he was going to die. Johnny Cash had a severe illness at the time he made this video so therefore he had to shoot his part of the video at home as he wasn't well enough to do it elsewhere.


47-The Prodigy-Firestarter-1996

46-Adam and the ants-prince charming-1981

45-Aerosmith- crazy-1994

44-Kylie Minogue-can't get you out of my head-2001

43-Dire Straits: Money for Nothing

42-Bjork: It's Oh So Quiet

41- The Spice Girls: Wannabe

40- Missy Elliot: Get Ur Freak On

Saturday, 17 September 2011

Researching History Of Music videos 59-50

59-Abba-knowing me knowing you-1997

58-The Cure-close to me-1985

57-Meatloaf-i'll do anything for love-but i won't do that-1993

56-Eminem-Without me-2002

55-Fatboy slim- praise you-1999

54-daft punk- around the world-1997

53-Wham-club tropicana-1983

52-Massive Attack-teardrops-1998

51-Run DMC ft aerosmith-wallk this way-1986

50-Paul Simon-you can call me Al-1986

Friday, 16 September 2011

Researching history of music videos 69-60

69-Frankie goes to hollywood-two tribes-1984

68-Madonna-Ray of light-1998

67-The Beastie Boys-sabotage-1994

66-Bob Dylan-subterranean homesick blues-1965

65- The Aphex Twin-windowlicker-1999

64-Bjork-human behaviour-1993

63-George Michael-outside-1998

62-Blur-Parklife-1994

61-Prodigy-smack my bitch up-1997

60-Eurythmics-sweet dreams(are made of this)-1983