teaching music video by nikki blackborrow

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Teaching the Music Video Brief Nikki Blackborow The Latymer School

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Teaching music video by nikki blackborrow

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Page 2: Teaching music video by nikki blackborrow

Outline of A2 course

June (of Y12) – Dec: Music Video Brief G324 (AS Brief: Film Opening sequence)

Jan: exam leave

Feb – May: G325 Critical Perspectives (Contemporary Media Regulation: Film and The Press)

June: exam leave

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Organisation of unit G324

June – July: Teach music video construction and performance. Start portfolios

Sept: Teach ancillary tasks and wider issues. Continue portfolio development - research

Oct - Nov: Planning & Production work. Ongoing portfolio development

Dec: Audience screenings, evaluations and assessment

Jan: Submission of coursework

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Teaching Music Video

Summer Term of Y12 ideal time to start this

1st few lessons - lots of exposure to range of music videos

Aim - to build up confidence with terminology and increase understanding of the how and why of construction

Introduce a simple analysis framework

Students should understand that music video is a distinctive form

Useful to compare/ contrast to other forms – film, TV advertising, trailers etc

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Latymer Music

Videos 2008

produced

two BBC Blast

National

Competition

Winners

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‘I Kissed a Boy’ by Boy, Interrupted 2009

Currently our most ‘successful’ music video to date

371,028 views on youtube

Screened on MTV’s Gay TV slot on Georgian Television

Translated into Spanish

Screened at gay night club in NYC

Screened at Gay Pride NZ

Latymermedia offered professional partner youtube status as a result

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Voodoo Child 2010

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How did we get there?

1 day workshop each yearFocus on performance, camera and editingLip sync practice for allUnderstanding of structureQuality learning experience – stretch & challenge

Plus:Analysis of music videosA focus on visual planning from outsetVisual referencing

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Where to start

Start with your students and what they know

Discussion – everything they know about music video

Question – what makes a music video a music video?

Conventions – big list – what do they think music videos have in common

Get them to identify a video they would consider to be the best example of the form

Screen them if possible, students explain their choice

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Resources Our own youtube channel playlistshttp://www.youtube.com/user/latymermedia

Ours and others past student music videos eg http://www.youtube.com/user/hurtwoodhousemediahttp://www.youtube.com/user/longroadmediastudies

Our blogshttp://latymermediamusicvideo2008.blogspot.com/

Online Music Television channels: MTV Base etcBand websites: also Myspace, Facebook, Youtube channelsWikipedia – loads of info to get started

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Resources

Essential Books:Pete Fraser’s ‘Teaching Music Video’ (available from the BFI + Amazon) ‘30 frames per second: The Visionary Art of the Music Video’ (Amazon)

Inspirational DVDs: Director ‘best ofs’ eg The Work of Director Michel Gondry (Amazon)

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Theory/ theorists

Andrew Goodwin ‘Dancing in the Distraction Factory’ 1992

Carol Vernallis ‘Experiencing Music Video: Aesthetics and cultural context’ 2004

-Both available on Amazon

-Ensure the theory accessible for students – can they use/apply it?

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Functions of a Music Video

What job does a music video do?

Look at music television, online/ viral, sales and promotion, video cds, compilations, synergy with film

How has this changed over time? Impact of new technologies over last decade

History of music video (with youtube clips for illustration)

Copyright issues

Alternative forms of music video – literal, lip dub and other fan based material

Inspiration: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Music_video

Illustrate with youtube clips – there are plenty to choose from!

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Music Video historical compilation

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Music Video analysis

•Key point – to explore the relationship between the lyrics, the music and the imagery

• Pick your compilation for lessons around the concepts you want to illustrate

• Use the analysis framework provided

• Students apply the same analysis framework for a video of their choice

• Prepare an analysis of a video of their choice for their blog and present in class

• Post frames from their chosen video to illustrate points made

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Music videos compilation for analysis

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Key area for discussion (1) - Genre

Look for generic signifiers – dancing, gestures, overall look, instruments, lyrics

Familiarity, recognition, pleasure for audience

Genre as a tool for music video analysis – how useful/limiting is it?

Compare to analysis of film – quite a different process

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Key areas for discussion (2) - structure

Music, lyrics, iconography - how do these work together?

Different relationship to film?

Which code is the more powerful?

Narrative, performance, concept?

Artist’s role

Why have these choices been made?

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Key area for discussion (3)– camera and editing

Look at shot patterns

Compare to other forms

Breakdown and compare the way narrative and performance are constructed

Discuss: the process of shooting each of the above the process of editing each of the abovebeauty shots and performance bedswhy certain choices are made

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Key areas for discussion (4) – representation

Explore representation of women through discussion of:

camera work, artist performance, dress, gesture, lyrics

who is in control?

audience – who is it for, alternative readings?

changing representations over time

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Practical/creative tasks to aid learning

Copy a look – students recreate a still photo in pairs

Play an unfamiliar track in class, & provide the lyrics. Students annotate the lyrics individually, then class discuss initial responses, thoughts around genre etc. Then students prepare a group treatment. Show the actual video and discuss

Students produce a storyboard for an extract from a professional video

Students create the shooting schedule for a narrative/ performance video

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Practical tasks to aid learning

Students remake short section of a music video. Work as a class or in groups to shoot + edit the remake. Cut all sections together at the end to form a whole

In pairs, choose a song and learn the lyrics. Then lip synch to song, shoot + edit the sequence

Evaluate the process and the learning associated with the above – like a prelim task

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3 useful examples of narrative/ performance music videos

1. Britney Spears ‘Baby One More Time’2. Busted ‘What I go to School For’3. Wheatus ‘Teenage Dirtbag’

Available on youtube Set in schoolRich for analysis Past but popular/ familiar with studentsRelevant and accessibleStudents can choose their own contemporary examples to analyse

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2007 Britney Spears ‘Baby One More Time’

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BBC Blast National Awards 2009

+

= BBC Blast bursary winner

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BBC Blast National Awards 2010

+

= BBC Blast Bursary Winner

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2008 Busted ‘What I go to school For’

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2009 Wheatus ‘Teenage Dirtbag’

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Lip sync practice

2009

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Voodoo Child 2010

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Development of Initial Ideas

Track selectionMoodboard to represent chosen genre ‘Collage’ style image or photos to represent chosen

target audienceLogo ideas to represent record labelScreen test shots of possible actorsBrainstorms of early ideas for tracksTreatment to represent music video ideasBuild up to a pitch to classUse the blog to illustrate the presentation and have a

hand out ready

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Planning

Students are expected to produce:a timelinea storyboarda shot lista shoot schedulea call sheeta costume and props listongoing behind the scenes photos/video clips

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Inspired planningCreative , visual, and accessible

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Page 36: Teaching music video by nikki blackborrow

Wider concepts

One lesson on each of the following: Audience consumption and popular music: how audiences are

targeted, audience pleasure and appeal

Institutions: structure of UK music industry, who owns what, copyright issues, exhibition and distribution, impact of recent technologies

Marketing and promotional campaigns

Construction of image, branding

Each lesson could inspire a mini investigative activity

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Example 1

Lesson:Compare two websites/channels in class in order to explore issues around audiences & institutions

Follow-up: Students pick one website/channel to analyse for themselves - must be relevant to their project

Example 2

Lesson:Compare the websites of two record labelsin order to explore issues around ownership, control, independent/ mainstream/ niche, impact of new technologies

Follow-up: Students pick one record label website to analyse for their research - must be relevant to them in some way

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Can use the same approach with:

Marketing campaigns Album covers Band websites Magazine adverts Brand image/identityAim to: Discuss conventions/expectations first Have a few general examples ready Focus on one/two worked examples in detail Students follow up with their own choice, tailored to be relevant to their project Provide simple framework for analysis – a few questions The more visual the research, the better

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Teaching the ancillary tasks

One lesson each on the form and style of:

• album covers• band and record label websites• magazine adverts for album

• examples and discussion• students can contribute chosen examples• use each lesson to inspire investigative work

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The Portfolio

Each student has their own blogEach group has their own blogThese are all linked together and to the teacher blogResearch and planning tasksProvide a ‘menu’ or list of the kind of thing they should

doGuided tasks work best - make them fun and visual!Suggested tasks linked to work done in classWork done outside lessons from the startBuild evidence as they go alongMust have evidence of each stage

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Research and planning evidence

Blogs should be visual and analytical, with regular postings, and no unexplained gaps

Research must be relevant and focused. It’s purpose should be to inform and inspire the production

Individual blogs should contain evidence of individual research, ideas, skills development, and reflections

Group blogs should focus on all group research, planning and production once the project is up and running

Students should formally close their blog when the project is over/on the day of the deadline

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Page 43: Teaching music video by nikki blackborrow

Evaluation

Group video taskPrepare answers in advanceGroups brainstorm answers and debate points in class firstPresent as a video discussion Illustrate with pre-selected clips, and other imageryEach student in group ‘leads’ the discussion for one

questionAll illustrative materials linked to blog afterwardsStudents post their reflections plus any points missed outGive a time limit and some quiet spaceVideos recorded in one take

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Assessment

Positive marking systemBreak down the criteria according to your project and

students Is the evidence there? Interactive mark sheet Include a note to your moderator Candidates in sample create a ‘Dear Moderator’ final

postDo anything you can to ensure the moderator’s job is

made easier

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