30 December 2009

The First Videoshoot.

The first video shoot, which was unfortunately a solo mission as my co-worker George has other organised events to attend,  took place at the Old Corthouse in Dartford. The shots are really lovely, however, due to the poor lighting in this venue, the HD camera did not perform to its usual standard, and the camera often goes blurry and out of focus. This is a shame, however, our original location idea was to be at Bar Mondo at Dartford, so I'm more then happy to re-shoot these.
To give you an idea of what the lighting is like, we took photographs of our work in progress; my digital camera has a flash, my HD camera doesn't - but even with the flash, you can see there's dull areas, and not a lot of lights (well, there's lights that do not work in this case).




 Here is one of the clips we shot, which, believe it or not, was done on a HD camera...

Photobucket

09 December 2009

A New Idea.

e've had a re-think about our music video, and came up with the conclusion that we could make the video look really good, or really bad. Due to the possibility of the latter, we have decided to start a-fresh, which includes a new video concept to a different song.
The song we now intend on using is called The Girl by City and Colour (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bZqnqH9s1jk). This song is very different to the original song we were going to use, in terms of Genre and vocals. We are aware that the new song does not fit in with the typical associations of our band, but we have come up with a solution to this - many bands of the pop/punk/indie genre do 'one-off' songs that sound a lot different from their usual sound, for example, the band All Time Low wrote an acoustic song called Remembering Sunday (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=erspkBDsTm0) which sounds completely different from their usual stuff, such as Break Your Little Heart (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g0b_F-EW2cA) and Dear Maria, Count Me In (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GcNiKCmWdYE).

So, our new concept...
The song we aim to perform is about a man who is very much in love with his girlfriend, but never seems to have enough time for her;


"I wish I could do better by you,
Cause its what you deserve.
You sacrifice so much of your life,
In order for this to work.
While I'm off chasing my own dreams,
Sailing around the world,
Please know that I'm yours to keep,
My beautiful girl.
When you cry a piece of my heart dies,
Knowing that I may have been the cause,
If you were to leave, fulfil someone else's dreams,
I think I might totally be lost.
You don't ask for no diamond rings,
No delicate string of pearls,
That's why I wrote this song to sing,
My beautiful girl."


We have decided to try and portray the song's message using a narrative video. It opens with the singer (Martyn Kingsmill) sitting on a stool in a bar, with his acoustic guitar. We want to introduce the idea of him giving a performance to the public. About 20 or so seconds into the song, he gets off of his stool, puts down his guitar and makes his way over to his girlfriend (played by myself) who is seated at the bar, waiting with 2 drinks, for for her and one for him. He takes a sip of his drink and we assume he is going to sit with her, but then his friends come in and call him over, and she 'abandons' her. The rest of the video just shows the idea of a potential breakup, because of his seeming stupidity, but they eventually sort the issue out, and we're going to show this using a variety of different shots, which are left open for audience interpretation.
This is an animatic of our new idea -



We are beginning the shooting of this video on Thursday 10th December.
Here are the storyboards ( CLICK EACH PHOTO INDIVIDUALLY TO VIEW FULL SIZE) -


Page 1
Page 2
Page 3
Page 4
Page 5
Page 6

12 November 2009

The Story Boards









A Bit Of An Update...

Basically, we've spent a lot of time collaborating our initial idea and working in into a storyboard.
The idea of the video is to show a group of friends enjoying themselves, partying and playing their instruments - I suppose you could call this a 'house-gig'.
The video begins with one of the band members asleep in her bed; there's a few shots of the surrounding neighbour hood - this is in black and white. Then when the music kicks in, we cut to a shot of her phone ringing on a bed side cabinet; the phone will turn into colour (representing life kicking in), and this will wake up the band member. She realises that the band are behind schedule, and she rushes into the next room to wake up the other band members. In this room, there is a lot of litter (specifically empty alcohol containers) lying around, and band members crashed out on the floor - showing that life is just a bit party scene (hopefully the audience will realise that we are trying to show them that they've just been awoken from a party the previous night). All the band members are then frantically trying to get ready, and pack all of their equipment and instruments into the back of a van. We then show shots of the van travelling to the gig venue; and shots of the passengers inside the van. Before the van arrives, we have shots of people already at the party, displaying generic party banter - showing that they are eagerly anticipating the arrival of the band. Moments later, we show the band arriving and offloading; inbetween this, we have quick cuts to and from generic party banter. Then the band play and we all involve ourselves in the party banter. Finally, as the song draws to a close, everyone passes out on the floor. Setting up for the same thing tomorrow :)

Dayglo Animatic

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7Ni1d_TkiY
We decided to upload this video to YouTube as it meant quick and easy access; and makes the process of sharing a lot quicker and more efficient.
Hopefully from the video, you can gather an idea of how you'd like our music video to look.

01 October 2009

Mood boards..

The intention of this mood board is to give the reader a visual idea of what our band is like. My mood board consists of alot of images to do with friendship; and also contains cartoon figures to act as a visual metaphor for fun and lighthearted-ness.
This is my mood board;

14 September 2009

The Single..

DayGlo;


The theme for the video we aim to produce to this song is about friendship, and good times.
The idea;
The idea starts with one of the band members asleep in their bed, with their phone positioned on the bedside cabinet next to them. When the music kicks in, the phone will ring, awakening the band member, who realises they are late. There are alot of quick cuts of band members getting ready and packing instruments and other essentials into a van. We then cut to a house party, where a stage is being set, and there are alot of people - friends - talking, drinking, making out, dancing.. The usual party banter. In the final chorus of the song, we see the band performing the song on their make shift stage. Finally, we see everyone crashed out (sleeping), after such an eventful evening.

The Look..

PHOTO'S ARE COMING SOON.

The Red Riot Society..

Ideology;
We believe that music is a form of expression, whether it be an expression of love, anger, remorse, happiness etc. We strongly oppose narcissistic artists, and the conventions of vanity and image; we believe you should create music for the sake of music, and not for the paparazzi and the 'celebrity lifestyle'. Music has always been the flux that has brought the band members together; it created our friendship, which in turn, created our success. We don't care about the fame, or the money; we just want our messages to reach our fans, and hope they enjoy our music just as much as we enjoyed creating it.

POP ATE MY HEART...freedom of expression.

Creation Of A Music Act..

The Red Riot Society;
We are a contemporary rock band who emerged in the summer of '09. The story began when a group of friends gathered, and suggested we shared our talents in the hope that we could create songs that people will enjoy listening to, and possibly relate to. We began with a MySpace page, which consisted of music we had recorded in our keyboard players 'home studio', along with recordings created in a local record studio. We used our MySpace to promote our music to potential fans all over the world. Once we had 1,500 plays, a independent promoter got in touch with us, and offered us concerts and gigs in local venue's. We began in small underground bars, and clubs, and as word about us spread, we gained more and more interest, and soon enough, we were offered the chance to be a supporting act for some successful mainstream artists, such as Kids In Glass Houses and YouMeAtSix. A few months later, we were approached by Mercury Records, who offered us an irresistable contract, and soon enough we were signed by one of the most recognised labels in the music industry. We are now due to release our latest single; DayGlo.

06 September 2009

I thought it would be..

...interesting to look at a..
Recent Independent Label..

Bass Punch Records;
From their MySpace page:
"Bass Punch Records is ran by MarchMelloW & Skrewface. Born out of the need to get out dubs that deserves to be rinsed worldwide, Bass Punch Records will deliver QUALITY over quantity. Bass Punch's aim is to become into a label associated with high quality releases and productions in due time.
Bass Punch genres will stretch from mainly Electronica (Dubstep, Sublow, Grime, House) but also Dancehall, Reggae & Dub.
If it punches you in the face, expect it to be released through this label.
Bass Punch Records owes it to Dylan James (Betamorph/Abducted Dubs) for all the assistance and guidance. For the name 'Bass Punch' we owe it to Twisted for the helpful suggestions."

A few examples of the artists under this label include:
DZ -


RAkoon -


Twisted -

04 September 2009

I Might Aswell..

Do some research on Drive-Thru Records.. They sign a large portion of my favorite bands also..

Drive-Thru Records;
Drive-Thru Records, established in 1996, is owned by siblings Richard Reines and Stefanie Reines. The label started in the dining room of their townhouse, eventually moved to the garage with no heat or air conditioning, and the random tarantula coming in for a visit. Fenix Tx were the first band to get airplay for the label, and when they got added to KROQ, the calls came in from major labels looking to make a deal. They decided on MCA records, which turned out to be both great and terrible for the label. 5 years later, Drive-Thru finally reclaimed it's freedom and partnered with Sanctuary for distribution. Sanctuary had it's share of problems and was eventually sold to Universal, and Drive-Thru wound up in the catalog division of UME. Not the best place for a label releasing current bands. In August of 2009, the label started to decide on it's next venture for the future.
Innovators in marketing and promotion, Drive-Thru was the first label to hand out label samplers on the Van's Warped Tour, the first to have their own stage on the Van's Warped Tour, the first to add pop-up pages to a music website, and the first to offer an entire EP including artwork and videos as a free download to fans (Hellogoodbye - The Avocado EP).
Bands that have achieved notable success during their time on the label include Halifax, Allister, New Found Glory, Fenix*TX, Midtown, Finch, The Starting Line, Something Corporate, Dashboard Confessional, The Early November, Senses Fail, and Hellogoodbye. Drive-Thru Records' highest Billboard 200 charting releases include The Early November's The Mother, the Mechanic, and the Path (#31) and Hellogoodbye's Zombies! Aliens! Vampires! Dinosaurs! (#13).









Current Bands (the family);
Allister
An Angle
The Early November
Halifax
Hellogoodbye
Hidden In Plain View
House Of Fools
Houston Calls
I Am The Avalanche
I Can Make A Mess Like Nobody's Business
Dave Melillo
New Found Glory
Say No More
Self Against City
Socratic
Something Corporate
The Starting Line
Steel Train

Epitaph Records.

Epitaph Records.
I decided to do a case study on Epitaph records, as they are notorious for their distribution of punk rock music, one of my favorite genre's. They signed many of my favorite bands also, so in a way I felt like I owed them some recognition..


History;
In 1988, Epitaph released its first record as a proper label. It was the band L7,s self-titled album, and it was distributed by Chameleon. The first album that was both released and distributed by Epitaph was Suffer by Bad Religion, which eventually became one of the label's best selling albums and is credited with "saving" the Southern California punk rock scene by fans.
In 1994, Epitaph received widespread fame, both within and outside the punk community, when NOFX, Rancid and The Offspring all released hit records. This was a big year for punk in the mainstream; Rancid appeared on Saturday Night Live the following year, playing "Ruby Soho" and "Roots Radicals". The Offspring eventually left for Columbia Records in a contract dispute, but their album Smash lived up to its name and quickly became Epitaph's all time best selling album, with more than 11 million units sold worldwide to date.
Although Bad Religion was the founding band of Epitaph, releasing their early records through the label, they switched over to Atlantic in 1993, with Recipe For Hate being their first record outside of the label. Brett Gurewitz is thought to have left Bad Religion as a result of internal disputes, but actually left the band in 1994 so he could run Epitaph full time. This came after lead singer Greg Graffin said he wanted to tour more and quit school to do so. The band responded by filling Gurewitz's place with Brian Baker. In 2001, Brett returned to the band and Bad Religion once again signed to Epitaph Records, releasing three more albums: The Process of Belief in 2002, The Empire Strikes First in 2004, and New Maps of Hell in 2007
In January 2002, Brett Gurewitz was quoted saying that "I had multiple offers for $50- and $100 million for half of my business". He never took any of them.
In 2003, Epitaph sparked some controversy among its fans by signing Emo and post-hardcore acts as well as alternative hip hop artists such as Atmosphere and Sage Francis and grindcore band The Locust, leading to debates about what constitutes the true nature of "punk" music, this has caused much criticism and scrutiny within its punk base.
In mid-2005 Epitaph was added to the official list of RIAA members along with several other high-profile independent labels. The reason for the listing is not clear, but one source points to an agreement for internet P2P distribution. Another source claims label management joined RIAA in order to get certified sales awards (i.e., official "Gold" or "Platinum" record status) for releases. This sparked some controversy as some feel they should no longer be labeled independent if they are a member of the RIAA.
However, the only source that has actually been used for these claims of membership is the official RIAA membership list, which has been disputed. As of this writing, not only is Epitaph listed as an official member, but Lookout! Records is once again listed, after being falsely listed before. In addition, Fat Wreck Chords has released statements denying their own involvement in the RIAA, condemning the organization.


Current Artists;
Bad Religion
The Blackout
The Boss
Bring Me the Horizon (U.S. only)
Busdriver
Cadence Weapon
Can't Hang
The Color of Violence
Converge
The Coup
Danger Doom
The Draft
Escape the Fate
Every Time I Die
Farewell
Frank Turner (U.S. only)
Frenzal Rhombb (Australia only)
From Behind these Walls
The Ghost of a Thousand
The Higher
The Hot Melts
I Am Ghost
I Set My Friends On Fire
Leathermouth
The Locust
Millencolin (U.S. only)
New Found Glory
Our Last Night
Parkway Drive (U.S. only)
Pennywise (Europe only)
The Robocop Kraus
Sage Francis
Settle
Set Your Goals
Sing It Loud
SoliLLaquists of Sound
Story of the Year
This City
Thursday
Vanna
The Weakerthans
You Me At Six (U.S. only)











Former Artists;
1208
98 Mute
59 Times The Pain
Agnostic Front
Atmosphere
ALL
Beatsteaks
The Black Clits
Bombshell Rocks
Bob Log III
The Bouncing Souls
The Business
Choking Victim
Circle Jerks
Claw Hammer
Coffin Break
The Cramps
Dag Nasty
Daredevils
Day Of Contempt
Dead Fucking Last
Death By Stereo
The Descendents
Deviates
DFL
The Distillers
Division Of Laura Lee
Down By Law
The Dwarves
Error
The Fags (Elton John Tribute Band)
The Flaming Dildos
From First to Last
Gallows (re-releasing old material in North America)
Gas Huffer
Green Day (re-releasing old material in Europe)
Guttermouth
H2O
Heavens
Heideroosjes
Hell Is for Heroes
The Hives
Hot Water Music
Humpers
I Against I
Ikara Colt
Insted
The (International) Noise Conspiracy
The Joykiller
Wayne Kramer
L7
Little Kings
Madball
Matchbook Romance
The Matches (contract expiration)
Midget Handjob
Motion City Soundtrack
New Bomb Turks
NOFX
The Offspring
Osker
Pete Philly and Perquisite
The Pietasters
Poison Idea
Pulley
Raised Fist
Rancid (now on Epitaph's sub-label Hellcat Records)
Randy
Red Aunts
Refused
Rich Kids on LSD
Rontastic
Ruth Ruth
Satanic Surfers
Scatter The Ashes
The Seeing Eye Gods
Social Distortion (re-releasing their Greatest Hits album in Europe)
Some Girls
The Sound of Animals Fighting
The Special Goodness
SNFU
Straightfaced
Ten Foot Pole
Terrorgruppe
Thelonious Monster
Titty Sprinkles
Tom Waits (now on Epitaphs sub-label ANTI-)
Total Chaos
Turbonegro
Union 13
U.S. Bombs
Undeclinable Ambuscade
The Vandals
Vision
Voice Of A Generation
Vonland
Voodoo Glow Skulls
Youth Group (now on Epitaphs sub-label ANTI-)
Zeke








08 July 2009

Textual Analysis

On a video on my choice :)

I have chosen a song called Love Like Winter by AFI, because I really like the video; it's beautiful. And the song's pretty nice too.

Artist Case Study..

For this case study I am going to be focusing on the band which revolutionised music in the early '60s. Of course, I am talking about The Beatles.

Beatles Pictures, Images and Photos

1960
January :
Despite having no musical ability, Stuart Sutcliffe is recruited to play bass by fellow art student John Lennon in his group The Quarrymen, which includes Paul McCartney and George Harrison.

March-April :
The Quarrymen change their name to The Beatles.

May :
In a flurry of activity the group recruit drummer Tommy Moore and part-time manager, Allan Williams, which helps them secure a one-off gig as backing group to crooner Johnny Gentle.

The band change their name to the Silver Beatles.

June-July :
The band play a string of gigs around Liverpool and make a further small but significant typographical change to become The Silver Beatles.

August :
Pete Best becomes the band's full-time drummer. The band travel to Hamburg in Germany to take up a 48-night residency at Bruno Koschmider's Indra club.

They drop the Silver from their name to become The Beatles.

September-November :
In Hamburg, the naive young band are quickly immersed in a whirlwind of drink and drugs, sometimes playing for six hours per night, often as a warm-up act to strippers. Despite the gruelling conditions, they quickly sharpen up their act to become a tight and powerful rock 'n' roll outfit with a large repertoire of songs.

December :
The stay in Hamburg comes to an abrupt end when 17-year old Harrison is deported for being underage. The band return to the UK minus Stuart Sutcliffe, who opts to remain in Germany with his new girlfriend, artist Astrid Kirchherr.

1961
January-March :
The band play a total of 89 shows in three months around Liverpool, including a debut appearance at the Cavern Club. Neil Aspinall is recruited as roadie.

April :
The band return to Hamburg for a 92-show stint at the Top Ten club.

June :
The Beatles are recruited as backing band to singer Tony Sheridan and record a number of tracks in a Hamburg studio.

July-September :
Back in Liverpool, the band average 30 performances a month in the city.

November :
Local department store owner and impresario Brian Epstein goes to watch the boys play a lunchtime gig at the Cavern.

December :
Epstein becomes The Beatles manager and arranges an audition with Decca records in London.

1962
January :
On New Year's Day, the band travel to London to record 15 songs for Decca, but the session is lacklustre and they fail to make an impression.

February :
Decca rejects the group, prompting a furious Epstein to proclaim: "You must be out of your minds! These boys are going to explode. I am completely confident that one day they will be bigger than Elvis Presley!" Later in the month he arranges a meeting with Parlophone Records producer George Martin.

April :
Stuart Sutcliffe dies in Hamburg of a suspected brain haemorrhage. The band returns to the city for a 48-night run at the Star Club.

May-June :
Brian Epstein secures a recording contract with Parlophone. The band returns to London and cuts four demo tracks: Besame Mucho, Ask Me Why, Love Me Do and P.S. I Love You.



August :
Pete Best is sacked. Ringo Starr from Rory Storm and the Hurricanes - a band The Beatles had been brothers-in-arms with in Hamburg days - joins and the fab four are complete.

Later in the month John Lennon marries his girlfriend Cynthia Powell.

September :
The band record their first single Love Me Do with George Martin.



October - November :
Love Me Do peaks at a disappointing Number 17 in the singles chart.

December :
The band return to Hamburg for a final 13 nights at the Star Club.

1963
January :
Band release their second single - Please Please Me - and make national TV debut on ITV's Thank Your Lucky Stars.



February :
Band return to the studio to record their first album - Please Please Me.

March :
Single Please Please Me completes a slow climb up the charts to reach Number One.

April :
/

May :
Band tour with Roy Orbison. Third single From Me To You tops the charts for seven weeks, prompting the BBC to give them their own show Pop Goes The Beatles.



June :
/

August :
Band play their final gig at the Cavern.

September :
Single She Loves You tops the charts for four weeks. The following month an appearance on Sunday Night At The London Palladium sees the band besieged by hundreds of adoring fans.



November :
'Beatlemania' is now in full swing. At a Royal Command Performance at London's Prince of Wales theatre John Lennon cheekily suggests that the more well-heeled members of the audience "rattle their jewellery."

She Loves You goes back to number one for another two weeks.

December :
I Want To Hold Your Hand tops the charts for five weeks. The band play a string of Christmas shows at the Finsbury Park Astoria in London and appear on Juke Box Jury.


(skip the intro for the song)

1964
February :
Band make their first visit to America to be greeted - to their surprise - by hysterical crowds. A performance on the Ed Sullivan show is watched by a record audience of 73 million. The band make their debut at New York's prestigious Carnegie Hall.

March :
Back in the UK, the band begin filming their first movie, A Hard Day's Night and recording songs for the accompanying album. John Lennon's first book In His Own Write is published.



April :
Can't Buy Me Love tops the UK and US charts. At one point, The Beatles occupy the top 5 places in the US chart, as well as 11 other positions in the Top 100.

May :
/

July-August :
Premiere of A Hard Days Night. Title single tops the charts for three weeks. The band return to play their first American tour, including at date at Los Angeles' Hollywood Bowl.

October-November :
Beatles go on tour in the UK.

December :
I Feel Fine tops the charts for five weeks. Band stages a run of Christmas shows at the Hammersmith Odeon.



1965
January:
/

February :
Beatles begin recording new album Help! and filming their second movie of the same title in the Bahamas. Ringo marries Maureen Cox.

April :
Ticket To Ride tops the charts for three weeks.



May :
Band make their final performance for BBC radio.

June :
The Queen awards the band MBEs - to the disgust of some other recipients of the honour, who send back their medals in protest. Lennon's second book A Spaniard In The Works is published.

August :
The Beatles play New York's Shea stadium to an estimated audience of 55,000 before travelling to the west coast to meet Elvis Presley in LA. The film Help! premieres in London.

October :
Band begin work with George Martin on sixth album Rubber Soul.

December :
Final UK tour. We Can Work It Out/Daytripper double A-side single goes to number one for five weeks. Rubber Soul released.



1966
January :
George Harrison marries Pattie Boyd.

March :
In an interview for the London Evening Standard, John Lennon expresses the opinion that The Beatles are now more popular than Jesus.

April :
Band spend most of the month in the studio recording new album Revolver.

May :
Final UK concert - the NME poll winners concert at Wembley Empire Pool (now the Arena). Band film promo films for new AA-side single Paperback Writer/Rain.



June-July :
The Beatles continue work on Revolver album. Paperback Writer single tops the charts for two weeks. Band then goes on tour in West Germany, Japan and Philippines, where they trigger a riot and are forced to flee after offending President Marcos' wife Imelda. Lennon's 'Jesus' interview re-printed in the US.

August :
Christian groups stage protests - including record burnings in parts of the US - against The Beatles following Lennon's 'blasphemous' comments. A final US tour, overshadowed by the controversy ends at San Francisco's Candlestick Park. The jaded and disillusioned group quit live performances for good.

September :
Lennon given the part of Private Gripweed in the surreal anti-war film How I Won The War. George Harrison travels to India to study with sitarist Ravi Shankar. Ringo and Paul go on holiday.

November :
John Lennon meets Japanese artist Yoko Ono at her Unfinished Paintings and Objects exhibition in London. Band begin recording Strawberry Fields Forever.



December :
Band enter the studio with George Martin to begin work on Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.



1967
January :
During a break in recording Sgt Pepper, John and Paul go to the London Roundhouse to watch The Who and Jimi Hendrix.

March :
Engelbert Humperdinck's Release Me keeps Strawberry Fields Forever/Penny Lane off the UK Number One spot.



April-May :
Frenzy of recording continues as the band begins work on follow-up to Sgt Pepper (Magical Mystery Tour) immediately after completing the album.

June :
Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band released. Band record All You Need Is Love and appear on the BBC's One World global simulcast programme, watched by an audience of an estimated 400 million).

July :
The Beatles go on holiday together in the Aegean. All You Need Is Love goes to number one for three weeks.

August :
George Harrison visits the hippie enclave of Haight-Ashbury in San Francisco - world headquarters of the 'Flower Power' movement. Band travel to Bangor in Wales to study with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi.

September-October :
Filming and recording for Magical Mystery Tour continues around the UK and France.

December :
Single Hello Goodbye tops the chart for seven weeks. Magical Mystery Tour film is screened by BBC2 on Boxing Day to a lukewarm critical reception. Beatles open the Apple Boutique on Baker Street in London.

1968
January :
George records his experimental soundtrack album Wonderwall in India.

February :
Band record Lady Madonna, Across The Universe and Hey Bulldog before travelling to Rishikesh in India to resume meditation with the Maharishi.


(skip a few seconds for the song)

March-April :
Band straggle back from India after growing disillusioned with the Maharishi.

May :
The band form their Apple Corps. company. John convenes a meeting to inform the rest of the band that he is Jesus. The Beatles begin working on The Beatles album (aka the White Album). Lennon and Yoko Ono become a couple.

July :
Animated film Yellow Submarine opens in London. Band record Hey Jude while continuing work on their new album. Apple Boutique closes at the end of the month.

August :
Cynthia Lennon files for divorce as John's relationship with Yoko Ono continues.

September :
Hey Jude goes to number one for nine weeks in America, becoming one of the biggest selling singles there of all time.

October :
John and Yoko raided by the drugs squad at Ringo's flat in London. They are later fined £150 for possessing cannabis.

November :
The Beatles double album is released.

Release of John and Yoko's Two Virgins album is marked by controversy caused by the record's front cover shot of the couple posing naked.

December :
John and Yoko perform in The Rolling Stones Rock n' Roll Circus.

1969
January :
Band convene at Twickenham studios to begin filming rehearsals for a loosely conceived concert-album, but after a major row with John, George temporarily walks out.

The Beatles return to Apple to continue recording the album part of the project - Let It Be. Sessions remain fractious, and peter out at the end of the month.


(skip a few seconds for the song)

February :
Without a manager since the death of Brian Epstein, John, George and Ringo ask US businessman Allen Klein to look after the band's chaotic affairs. Paul objects to this, and appoints Eastman and Eastman as 'general advisors'.

March-April :
Paul marries Linda Eastman. John and Yoko get married in Gibraltar and hold a 'bed-in' at the Amsterdam Hilton. Single Get Back tops the UK chart for seven weeks. John and Paul record The Ballad of John And Yoko.



May :
Band return to the studio to begin work on Abbey Road. Refused entry to the US after their drug convictions, John and Yoko hold a series of bed-ins in Canada.

June-July :
John records Give Peace A Chance in Montreal. Band continue work on Abbey Road.

August :
/

September :
The Plastic Ono Band make their debut appearance in Toronto. John begins work on a solo single, Cold Turkey.

The Beatles' final recorded album, Abbey Road, is released.

November-December :
Ringo starts recording solo album Sentimental Journey. John and Yoko publish posters in 11 cities worldwide saying: "War Is Over - If You Want It. Happy Christmas From John and Yoko."

Paul McCartney starts work on McCartney album at home in Scotland.

1970
January :
Recording resumes on aborted Let It Be album - not all band members present.

February :
John and Yoko become involved with Michael X's Black House project and join campaigns against apartheid and for nuclear disarmament.

March :
Single Let It Be stalls at number two in the UK charts. Phil Spector remixes the Let It Be album - to the later disgust of Paul McCartney.

April :
The Beatles announce their break-up. Paul McCartney releases his first solo album.

I enjoyed this research. The Beatles are amazing.

06 July 2009

Actually..

I couldn't find much information on the director I wanted to look at, as he seems pretty exclusive, so I've decided to look at Sophie Muller instead..

Background info :
Sophie Muller was born in London, United Kingdom, but spent her early years growing up on the Isle Of Man. After leaving secondary education, she returned to London to attend Central St Martin's, gaining a Foundation Diploma in Art.
Following her graduation, Muller went to the Royal College of Art to study for her Masters in Film and Television, where she made "Interlude" and "In Excelsis Deo (In Adoration of God)." The latter won the J Walter Thompson Prize for creativity.


Career info :
Muller's first taste of professional film came working as a third assistant on the horror/thriller "Company of Wolves." Sophie then went on to work for International Film and Video, honoring her for her editing, producing, and directing skills.
Sophia's real goal was to become a successful director in her own right, and her big break came through a chance meeting with John Stewart and Billy Poveda of Oil Factory, an established film production company.
She has directed over a hundred music videos and has been a longtime collaborator with acts like Sophie Ellis-Bextor, No Doubt, Garbage, Blur, Annie Lennox and Eurythmics. Her work with Annie Lennox won her a Grammy for the Diva video album. She also picked up an MTV Video Music Award for "Why" and was also Grammy nominated for the Eurythmics' Savage video album.
Muller has directed seven No Doubt videos and six solo videos for Gwen Stefani & seven Sophie Ellis Bextor videos including Murder on the Dancefloor, Catch You and Music Gets the Best of Me Both versions. When No Doubt's "Don't Speak" won the award for Best Group Video at the 1997 MTV Video Music Awards Stefani thanked her extensively, saying, "I'd like to say that Sophie Muller is a genius." Stefani has also stated, "Sophie Muller is one of my most talented friends. She can and will only do projects that she is inspired by. She is driven by creativity and the love for what she does and as a result she never compromises. I consider her a true artist. I was a fan of Sophie's work before I even imagined working with her. She has a very pronounced style and taste that drew me in. I think she has the gift of being able to bring out the artist's personality, emotion and style. After working with her for the first time on our "Don't Speak" video, we became close friends. On the set her direction is humble and simple, but she knows what she wants and knows when she gets it. A woman in charge in the male-dominated world of filmmaking makes the whole experience that much more exciting. She has a way of making every cut have a reason and meaning. The videos have a life of their own and become better each time you watch them. I am always in shock the first time I see them and then after a few more times I am actually amazed. She has taught me a lot and I feel very lucky to have worked with her."
Muller states that her only ambition is to continue directing to her own high standards and to never grow bored. In 2004, she directed the socially aware video for Sarah McLachlan's "World on Fire", where all but $15 of the entire $150,000 video budget was donated to charities. Recently, she has directed videos for Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Shakira, Mika and the critically acclaimed comeback video for the Dixie Chicks, "Not Ready to Make Nice".

Videography :
1983
Eurythmics - "The Walk" (editing)

1987
Eurythmics - "Beethoven (I Love to Listen to)"

1988
Eurythmics - "Brand New Day"
Eurythmics - "Do You Want to Break Up?"
Eurythmics - "Heaven"
Eurythmics - "I Need You"
Eurythmics - "Put the Blame on Me"
Eurythmics - "Savage"
Eurythmics - "Wide Eyed Girl"
Sade - "Nothing Can Come Between Us"
Sade - "Turn My Back on You"
Eurythmics - "I Need a Man"
Sade - "Love Is Stronger Than Pride"
Eurythmics - "You Have Placed a Chill in My Heart"
Shakespears Sister - "Break My Heart"
Shakespear's Sister - "Heroine"
Annie Lennox featuring Al Green - "Put a Little Love in Your Heart"

1989
Shakespears Sister - "You're History"
Shakespears Sister - "Run Silent"
Sarah Brightman - "Anything but Lonely"
Eurythmics - "Don't Ask Me Why"
Eurythmics - "Angel"

1990
Eurythmics - "The King and Queen of America"
Julia Fordham - "Lock and Key"
Sinéad O'Connor - "The Emperor's New Clothes"

1991
Nanci Griffith - "Late Night Grande Hotel"
World Party - "Thank You World"
Curve - "Coast Is Clear"
Shakespears Sister - "Goodbye Cruel World"

1992
Curve - "Fait Accompli"
Shakespears Sister - "Stay"
Aaron Neville - "Somewhere, Someday"
Annie Lennox - "Why"
Shakespears Sister - "Hello (Turn Your Radio On)"
Annie Lennox - "Precious"
Vegas - "possessed"
Annie Lennox - "Cold"
Annie Lennox - "Money Can't Buy It"
Annie Lennox - "Legend in My Living Roon"
Annie Lennox - "The Gift"
Annie Lennox - "Primitive"
Annie Lennox - "Keep Young and Beautiful"
Sade - "No Ordinary Love"
Annie Lennox - "Walking on Broken Glass"
Annie Lennox - "Love Song for a Vampire"
Shakespears Sister - "I Don't Care"
Annie Lennox - "Little Bird"

1993
Björk - "Venus as a Boy"

1994
Hole - "Miss World"
The Jesus and Mary Chain Featuring Hope Sandoval - "Sometimes Always"
The Jesus and Mary Chain - "Come On"
Sparks - "When Do I Get to Sing My Way?"

1995
Sophie B. Hawkins - "As I Lay Me Down"
Sparks - "When I Kiss You"
Stone Roses - "Ten Storey Love Song"
Lisa Loeb & Nine Stories - "Do You Sleep?"
Jeff Buckley - "So Real"
Weezer - "Say It Ain't So"

1996
The Cure - "The 13th"
Kè - "Strange World"
Gary Barlow - "Forever Love"
Shakespears Sister - "I Can Drive"
No Doubt - "Don't Speak"
No Doubt - "Excuse Me Mr."
No Doubt - "Sunday Morning"
The Lightning Seeds - "What If..."

1997
Blur - "Beetlebum"
Blur - "On Your Own"
Blur - "Song 2"
Maxwell - "Whenever, Wherever, Whatever"
Curve - "Chinese Burn"
No Doubt - "Hey You"
No Doubt - "Oi to the World"

1998
James Iha - "Be Strong Now"
Maxwell - "Luxury: Cococure"
Sparklehorse - "Sick Of Goodbyes"
Garbage - "When I Grow Up" (live version)
Garbage - "The Trick Is to Keep Breathing"
Rufus Wainwright - "April Fools"

1999
Blur - "Tender"
Sinéad O'Connor - "Chiquita"
Natalie Merchant Featuring N'dea Davenport - "Break Your Heart"
Sparklehorse - "Pig"
Manic Street Preachers - "You Stole the Sun from My Heart"
Garbage - "When I Grow Up" (U.S. version)
Semisonic - "Secret Smile"
The Cardigans - "Hanging Around"
Sarah McLachlan - "Possession" (American version)
Sarah McLachlan - "I Will Remember You"
Emiliana Torrini - "To Be Free"
Beth Orton - "Central Reservation"
Sarah McLachlan - "Ice Cream"
Supergrass - "Mary"

2000
Eurythmics - "I Saved the World Today"
No Doubt - "Simple Kind of Life"
Ute Lemper - "The Case Continues"
Doves - "Catch The Sun"
Bentley Rhythm Ace - "How'd I Do Dat?"
Alisha's Attic - "Push It All Aside"
Alisha's Attic - "Pretender Got My Heart"
JJ72 - "Oxygen"
PJ Harvey - "Good Fortune"
Sade - "By Your Side"
Coldplay - "Trouble"
Jamelia – "Boy Next Door"[2]

2001
Turin Brakes - "The Door"
Sade - "King of Sorrow"
Turin Brakes - "Underdog (Save Me)"
No Doubt - "Bathwater"
PJ Harvey - "A Place Called Home"
Nelly Furtado - "Turn off the Light"
Sophie Ellis-Bextor - "Take Me Home"
PJ Harvey - "This Is Love"
Radiohead - "I Might Be Wrong"
Sophie Ellis-Bextor - "Murder on the Dancefloor"

2002
Amy Studt - "Just a Little Girl"
Sophie Ellis-Bextor - "Move This Mountain"
Sugababes - "Freak Like Me"
Coldplay - "In My Place"
Amy Studt - "Misfit"
The Beu Sisters - "I Was Only 17"
Sparta - "Cut Your Ribbon"
Pink - "Family Portrait"
No Doubt (featuring Lady Saw) - "Underneath It All"
Sophie Ellis-Bextor - "Music Gets the Best of Me" (both versions)

2003
Nickel Creek - "Speak"
Dolly Parton - "I'm Gone"
Dido - "Life for Rent"
Pink - "Trouble"
The Raveonettes - "That Great Love Sound"
Sophie Ellis-Bextor - "I Won't Change You" [co-produced]

2004
Dixie Chicks - "Top of the World"
The Killers - "Mr. Brightside"
Sixpence None the Richer - "Don't Dream It's Over"
Maroon 5 - "This Love"
Maroon 5 - "She Will Be Loved"
Nelly Furtado - "Try"
Mindy Smith - "Come to Jesus"
Sarah McLachlan - "World on Fire"
Sarah McLachlan - "Stupid"
The Strokes - "The End Has No End"
Natasha Bedingfield - "These Words" (UK version)
Vanessa Carlton - "White Houses"
Loretta Lynn Featuring Jack White - "Portland, Oregon"

2005
KT Tunstall - "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree"
Garbage - "Why Do You Love Me"
Garbage - "Bleed Like Me"
Garbage - "Sex Is Not the Enemy"
Garbage - "Run Baby Run"
Gwen Stefani - "Cool"
Coldplay - "Fix You"
Faith Hill Featuring Tim McGraw - "Like We Never Loved at All"
Gwen Stefani - "Luxurious"
Gwen Stefani - "Serious"
Gwen Stefani - "The Real Thing"
Gwen Stefani - "Crash"

2006
Shakira featuring Wyclef Jean - "Hips Don't Lie"
Dixie Chicks - "Not Ready to Make Nice"
She Wants Revenge - "These Things"
Faith Hill - "Stealing Kisses"
Lily Allen - "Smile"
Beyoncé featuring Jay-Z- "Deja Vu"
Beyoncé - "Ring the Alarm"
Sophie Ellis-Bextor - "Catch You"
The Raconteurs - "Level"
Gwen Stefani - "Wind It Up"

2007
Siobhán Donaghy- "Don't Give It Up"
Mika - "Grace Kelly"
Gwen Stefani - "4 in the Morning"
Mika - "Love Today"
Rufus Wainwright - "Going to a Town"
Garbage - "Tell Me Where It Hurts"
Sophie Ellis-Bextor - "Today the Sun's on Us"
Maroon 5 - "Won't Go Home Without You"
Gwen Stefani - "Early Winter"

2008
The Kills - "U.R.A. Fever"
The Kills - "Cheap and Cheerful"
Leona Lewis - "Better in Time"
Leona Lewis - "Footprints in the Sand"
The Ting Tings - "That's Not My Name"
Gavin Rossdale - "Love Remains The Same"
Kings of Leon - "Sex on Fire"
Cold War Kids - "Something is Not Right With Me"
Duffy - "Stepping Stone"
Sarah McLachlan - "U Want Me 2"
Duffy - "Rain On Your Parade"
Kings of Leon - "Use Somebody"

2009
Paloma Faith - Stone Cold Sober
Beyoncé - Broken-Hearted Girl

..so yeah. She's pretty cool.

Music Video Director Case Study

The director I am going to be focusing on for this case study is Nick Frew. Nick Frew's films are vibrant, unpredictable and worthy of many a re-watching. His work is always packed with ideas and unforced moments of comic genius.
To quote PROMO magazine, Nick's work "boasts the kind of confident swagger that turns paupers into kings." Nick comes from a graphics and music commercials background but has since applied his skills to live action producing virals and promos that always rack up high hit counts.
Frew has created music video's for a variety of artists, ranging from Just Jack, Lily Allen, The V.Cs, Fatboy Slim, Dan Le Sac, Mark Ronson, Ida Maria, Mint Royale and The Dykeenies.

FAVORITE VIDEO!

I've concluded that my favorite video of all time is Sounds Of The City by The Dykeenies.
I really like this video because the band used digitalism to create the video, whereby the create a moving sequence using photographs. For my AS media project, we used the same thing. I also just like the simpleness of this video - it reflects the simple meaning behind the lyrics.


24 June 2009

Inspiration..

Some guys did this for their music video; I really like it :)





After watching this, I clicked a related video, and this came up...



I like this one better :)

16 June 2009

Possibly the most difficult decision

I've ever had to make.
WHAT IS MY FAVORITE MUSIC VIDEO?!
If I'm being honest, I don't have a specific favorite one. I like many :)
So I'll list a few of my VERY favorites and why I like them...




Walking On A Dream by Empire Of The Sun

This music video is very visually stimulating. There are many examples of beautiful arcitecture which compliment the song amazingly. Also, the use of abstract and contemporary costume helps to heighten the unique sound. Basically, I love this band. And this video :)



Skeleton Boy by Friendly Fires

I really like this video because it's imaginative, and it looks like they had fun making it - reflecting the tone of the song.
(It's annoyingly catchy...)



Stitches by The Dykeenies

I really like the narrative shown in this video. It's really cute and inspiring :)
Also, The Dykeenies are a band that bring back untold memories, so naturally I'm fond of this video.

And lastly...



Best Of You by Dave Grohl (Foo Fighters)

I'm gutted I couldn't find the band video of this, because I was watcing it on Kerrang a few days ago, and the visual impact, alongside his voice and the lyrics actually reduced me to tears. This song is so powerful, and I can feel the strength of his feelings, and it's just... mind blowing.


Yeah, they're four of my all time favorites. I have no idea which I'll pick to present to the class.

Glogster

This website was really confusing when it came to saving your final piece. However, actually creating something on it was relatively easy. This example is really shoddy, but it's a representation of the majority of my musical taste -




Cest non manifique.

Project brief

For this project I have to construct an image for a new artist. I can either use an existing piece of music, or I can write my own. I'm considering writing my own because I play piano, keyboards and synthesizers, and I'll also have access to an electribe, which meant that I could create a backing beat/drum sounds. Also, I think I can borrow a Kaoss pad from a friend, which means I could add a wider variety of sound.
However, I would enjoy using an existing piece of music as I'd like to attempt lip-synchronisation, and experiment with a narrative video.
My love of rock/alternative music has compelled me to travel down that route. My favorite female vocalists are -
Imogen Heap, Alice Glass (Crystal Castles), Lady Gaga, Lady Hawke and Rie Fu.
Luckily, I use the same synthesizer as Imogen Heap and Alice Glass, but I could get away with using my synthesizer in a song by Lady Gaga or Lady Hawke as they both use synthesized sounds. Rie Fu has an amazing voice which is accomapined solomly by a piano, which is also helpful because the school can offer me a piano, or a have a large Casio keyboard.
I haven't come to any conclusions as to what I want to do yet. It's a matter of experimentation and seeing which I feel most comfortable doing.



Life Is Like A Boat - Rie Fu



Just For Now - Imogen Heap



Just Dance - Lady Gaga



Crime Wave - Crystal Castles



Paris Is Burning - Lady Hawke


I hope this gives some idea of what kind of sound I'd like to use in my music video.