SoundCloud Audio of Sparks Fly - Taylor Swift.

Taylor Swift (Sparks Fly song) genre analysis.

The genre of the song Sparks Flys is country pop.

Brief description on country pop:

Country pop, with roots in both the countrypolitan sound and in soft rock, is a subgenre of country music that arose in the 1970s. Although the term first referred to country music songs and artists that crossed over to Top 40 radio, country pop artists are now more likely to cross over to adult contemporary.
The coming together of country and pop began in the 1950s when studio executives Chet Atkins and Owen Bradley wanted to form a new kind of music for the young adult crowd after “rockabilly stole away much of country music's youth audience”. According to Bill Ivey, this innovative genre originated in Nashville, Tennessee and thus became known as Nashville Sound. Ivey believes that the “Nashville Sound often produced records that sounded more pop than country” after the removal of the fiddle and banjo. Patsy Cline, Jim Reeves, and Eddy Arnold were among the most popular artists during this time. This was intended to have country singers gain more success in pop music and sell more records. The first male artists to come out of this new genre were Jim Reeves and Eddy Arnold, who both grew to have widespread acceptance in both country and pop music. Both Jim Reeves and Eddy Arnold had major influence on Elvis Presley, apparent not only in secular songs, but even more so in country gospel songs. The first female country singer to emerge from this new genre was Patsy Cline in the early 60s. She created a whole new breed of female country artists,[such as Lynn Anderson, Crystal Gayle and Shania Twain, who gained prominence in later years. Even though Cline also gained widespread acceptance from country and pop audiences alike, the Nashville Sound did not maintain its popularity for long, receiving competition first from the Bakersfield Sound and later the outlaw movement.

Lyric Analysis

The way you move is like a full on rainstorm
And I'm a house of cards
You're the kind of reckless ß Straight away she starts the song describing how her boyfriend is.
That should send me runnin'
But I kinda know that I won't get far
And you stood there in front of me
Just close enough to touch
Close enough to hope you couldn't see
What I was thinking of ß She’s stating how she wants to break away from the relationship but is too weak to do so.

Drop everything now ß She wants to forget all the negative things and that there is something still something between them.
Meet me in the pouring rain
Kiss me on the sidewalk
Take away the pain
'cause I see sparks fly whenever you smile
Get me with those green eyes, baby, as the lights go down
Give me something that'll haunt me when you're not around
'cause I see sparks fly whenever you smile ß She doesn’t see the bad in him anymore when he smiles.

My mind forgets to remind me  ß In the back of her mind she knows he’s no good but still he  
                                                         manages to win her over and have control over her emotions.
You're a bad idea
You touch me once and it's really something,
You find I'm even better than you imagined I would be. ß She is describing her change of feeling
                                                                                                      when he is and not around her.
I'm on my guard for the rest of the world
But with you I know it's no good
And I could wait patiently but I really wish you would...

Drop everything nowß Repeat of notes from the first chorus.
Meet me in the pouring rain
Kiss me on the sidewalk
Take away the pain
'cause I see sparks fly whenever you smile
Get me with those green eyes, baby, as the lights go down
Give me something that'll haunt me when you're not around
'cause I see sparks fly whenever you smile

I run my fingers through your hair and watch the lights go wild.
Just keep on keeping your eyes on me, it's just wrong enough to make it feel right.
And lead me up the staircase
Won't you whisper soft and slow?
I'm captivated by you, baby, like a firework show. ß She is still expressing how he has this hold over her and she enjoys it.

Drop everything now, ß Repeat notes of chorus.
Meet me in the pouring rain,
Kiss me on the sidewalk,
Take away the pain
'cause I see sparks fly whenever you smile.
Get me with those green eyes, baby, as the lights go down
Give me something that'll haunt me when you're not around
'cause I see sparks fly whenever you smile

And the sparks fly...
Oh, baby, smile...
And the sparks fly...

Storyboard

Rough draft of storyboard.

New idea (part 2)

Brief background on Taylor Swift:

Taylor Alison Swift (born December 13, 1989) is an American singer-songwriter. She was brought up in Wyomissing, Pennsylvania, then moved to Nashville, Tennessee at the age of fourteen to pursue a career in country music. She signed to the independent label Big Machine Records and became the youngest songwriter ever hired by the Sony/ATV Music publishing house. The release of Swift's eponymous debut album in 2006 established her as a country music star. "Our Song", her third single, made her the youngest person to single-handedly write and perform a number one song on the country chart. She received a Best New Artist nomination at the 2008 Grammy Awards.Swift is known for her narrative songs about her experiences as a teenager and young adult. As a songwriter, she has been honored by the Nashville Songwriters Association and the Songwriters Hall of Fame. Swift's other successful achievements include six Grammy Awards, eleven American Music Awards, seven Country Music Association Awards and six Academy of Country Music Awards. She has sold over 26 million albums and 75 million digital downloads worldwide.

Brief background on her song Sparks Fly:

"Sparks Fly" is a song for her third studio album Speak Now (2010). It was written and produced by Swift, with additional production helmed by Nathan Chapman. Swift wrote the song when she was 16 years old, prior to the release of her debut single "Tim McGraw" in 2006. Following a 2007 live performance of the song, "Sparks Fly" grew in popularity among Swift's fans. While Speak Now was under production, she received requests from fans to include the song on the album. The song was serviced to country radio in the United States by Big Machine Records on July 18, 2011, as the fifth single from Speak Now. A CD single was released on Swift's official store for a limited time on August 10, 2011. ''Sparks Fly'' gained generally positive reviews by music critics, who praised it for its upbeat tempo. Others praised Swift's lyrics of the song and have claimed that the song is a crossover between country and pop. Following the release of Speak Now, the song debuted at number 17 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and at number 28 on the Canadian Hot 100, due to strong digital sales. After the song was released as a single, it re-entered the US Billboard Hot 100 at 84. It peaked at number one at the US Billboard Hot Country Songs chart and was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America for sales of 500,000 copies. "Sparks Fly" was used as the opening song for the Speak Now World Tour (2011–12).

New idea (part 1)

What was the cause for the original idea change?
We previously chose the song Voodoo Child by the Rogue Trader. After analysing the up to date footage we came to realise the idea was going nowhere and that it would have been more of a struggle to try and build upon it. Reasons for this was that the location (drama studio) was restricted, the mise-en-scene was not coming through and the flow of the narrative was not happening as we pictured it to.

What is the new song choice and idea?
The new song we all agreed on is Sparks Fly by Taylor Swift. We were aware not to choose a popular artist as it would be impossible to measure up to their style but as there is no video for this song we will build it around our chosen genre and style which is edgy punk so it's not similar to Taylor Swift's style who has been described as 'America's sweetheart'. The theme in her songs are based around romance/relationships and she makes this clear through her performances in the narratives for each video such as physical actions, facial expressions and emotions. The idea is the typical boy meets girl narrative but it will be a split screen showing two scenarios of two different couples. Olivia Hartland-Robbins and Josie Crandley will be casted as the female roles. There is not set location, I (May) will be filming the video in various locations such as school, Richmond Park, Olivia and Josie's house. 

As a group, we just felt as though nothing was working with our old idea, and we chose the song Sparks Fly, because both Olivia and Josie know the song really well, and have imagined a fitting music video in their minds every time they listen to the song. Our current idea is to have a boy and girl who have a rollercoaster relationship, enjoying each others company until the relationship starts to go horribly wrong and they start to argue and it goes down hill from there. We decided to add in a plot twist of Josie then falling pregnant, and leaving the video on a cliff hanger.

The idea change was sudden and stressful but I think we can pull it off, considering how well we work as a team and our close knowledge of the song. We looked at Taylor Swift's other videos, because we obviously understand that she is a HUGE artist, so we did not want to copy her image or her type cast/stereotype. We have chosen to make Josie an edgier character. This helps us to establish a difference between us and Taylor Swift.

Some research into a record label.

I've decided to do my research on the Big Machine Records which is an independent American record label specialising in country music artists. It was set up in 2005 by former DreamWorks Records executive Scott Borchetta. The label was part of a joint venture between Borchetta and country singer Toby Keith, although Keith dropped his affiliation in 2006. Big Machine is based in Nashville, Tennessee, and is distributed by Universal Music Group. The label has six Grammy Awards, awarded to Taylor Swift.  

Current artists that are under the Big Machine Records are pictured below in order starting with Ella Mae Bowen, Edens Edge, Tim McGraw, Rascal Flatts and Taylor Swift.

Questionnaire (2)

Questionnaire (2)

1) What is your gender?
Male

2) What is your age?
18

3) What is your occupation?
N/A

4) What area do you live in?
Wimbledon

5) What genre of music do you listen to?
a) Rock
b) Classical
c) Alternative
d) Pop
e) Country
f) R&B
g) Rap✓
h) Dubstep
i) Other

6) What radio station do you listen to most often and why?
98.4 Capital FM which has the best hit rap music.

7) What is your favourite music channel and why?
MTV for its rap music.

8) How do you get the latest news on your favourite artist most of the time?
a) Their offical website/social sites.
b) Music/tv channels.✓
c) Magazines.
d) Appearances - e.g adverts/interviews.
e) Other.

9) Do you think that negative stereotypes are portrayed in popular music videos?
Yes.

10) What appeals to you most about music videos?
Narrative and editing style.

11) What is your favourite music video?

2Pac - Keep Ya Head Up

12) How often do you watch music channels?
Weekends.

Questionnaire (1)

1) What is your gender?
Female

2) What is your age?
17

3) What is your occupation?
N/A

4) What area do you live in?
New Malden

5) What genre of music do you listen to?
a) Rock
b) Classical
c) Alternative
d) Pop
e) Country
f) R&B ✓
g) Rap
h) Dubstep
i) Other

6) What radio station do you listen to most often and why?
Kiss because it plays R&B music.

7) What is your favourite music channel and why?
Massive R&B because it's the best british music channel for R&B.

8) How do you get the latest news on your favourite artist most of the time?
a) Their offical website/social sites.
b) Music/tv channels.
c) Magazines.✓
d) Appearances - e.g adverts/interviews.
e) Other.

9) Do you think that negative stereotypes are portrayed in popular music videos?
Yes.

10) What appeals to you most about music videos?
Colour, narrative and edits.

11) What is your favourite music video?

Beyoncé (featuring Jay-Z) — "Crazy in Love"

12) How often do you watch music channels?
Every day.

Voyeurism in music videos.

Voyeurism is the act of watching someone who is performing sexually such as dancing, undressing etc. The person being watched is often unaware of their audience and in the terms of music videos it is usually a men’s controlling gaze towards women that have been sexually objectified. Goodwin states that female performers are sexually objectified by camerawork and editing with fragmented body shots emphasising a sexualised treatment of the performer. Voyeurism is often used to help sell a product and create audience interest.

In my chosen examples there is a clear use of voyeurism due to the performers Beyoncé and Cassie use of dancing provocatively and through their fashion: they are both exposing body parts and the amount of shots such as close-up are all techniques combined together to draw the male audience in.

Below are screenshots from the video 'Naughty Girl' that presents the use of voyeurism.

From the screenshot you can see that her outfit is revealing her thighs and the way she is standing as if she is confidently showing off her curvaceous shape. This could be done so her female fans can relate with her and make them feel happy with themselves. The other screenshot she appears as classy and a male audience would show interest due to that image but not in a derogatory way because she herself is not dressed in a degrading fashion.

Below are screenshots from the video 'Me & U' that presents the use of voyeurism.






From the screenshot you can see Cassie undressing and revealing her midriff and because she's standing infront of a mirror that shows she is confident with her image and that she is teasing her male audience.

From the other screenshot of the water running down her body which is a good example of Goodwin's statement about fragmented body parts  because it is seductive.

Carol Vernallis theory.

Carol Vernallis theory focuses on 4 main concepts that gives an account to the way a music video is constructed. This consists of: camera movement and framing, diegesis, editing and narrative.

She states for camera movement and framing that extreme shots are the most common to use. The style of framing and movement can constantly run through and the video is distinctive to that video. The motion of the camera might be in time with the music and also with the lyrics. Establishing shots such as a master shot, is used repeatedly like close-ups.

She says diegesis may be revealed quite slowly. Actions are not necessarily finished – they may be disrupted or interrupted in someway. The motion of Character or object might be in time with the music. There may be gaps in the audience’s understanding of the diegesis – in time and space,music, performance and narrative. Some frames may be more vital than others. There may be many repetitions eg musical phrases, the beat, other musical elements, themes, lyrics, performance,images, colours, camera positions.

She claims that the narrative of a video is a visual response to the music. There is not really a balance between narrative and performance. The narrative is not always complete – it may be a partial, fragmented narrative. The structure of the video may appear disjointed. Something motivates the video forward, but often it is not the narrative. It could be the music, the performance, a combination or some other element. There may not always be a noticeable closure at the end and the video may pose questions that it doesn’t actually answer. There may be a narrative or theme running through the video, but in a collective style.

She mentions the editing may match the musical phrases or the beat. The video may break or disorganise many of the ‘rules’ of continuity editing – this is a clear convention of music video editing. Editing may become ‘foregrounded – the edits may be really obvious, to draw attention to themselves as opposed to invisible, continuity editing For example, you may see: Jump cuts, breaks of the 30 degree rule, breaks of the 180 degree rule, cutting against the movement, cutting within the lyrics, fancy edits or cuts, extreme jumps in time and space, extreme changes in pace, juxtaposed frames, graphic matches. A style of editing that runs through the video and is clear to that video. You may not see: smooth transitions, matches on action, an even pace throughout.

Promotion.

In lessons we have been looking at ways a band/artist is promoted. I created a prezi to show ideas how my fake artist Chloe Shaw could be promoted.

Textual analysis of music video.

Goodwin music video theory.

Goodwin says music videos are constructed by the connection between the visuals, lyrics and artist. Relationships are formed between these in a music video, and close-ups of the star provide them the representation and publicity they require.

A relationship between the lyrics and the visuals, with the visuals illustrating, amplifying or contradicting the lyrics:
The relationship between the lyrics and visuals match, 'I'll find someone like you' as it’s featuring Adele wandering the early morning streets and pining for her long-lost love. Her solemn looking appearance ties in with the message behind the lyrics: ‘Don't forget me I beg, I remember you said ‘Sometimes it lasts in love but sometimes it hurts instead.’‘ This shows she has been let down and is feeling lonely. For the visuals to contradict the lyrics they would have had to consist of Adele having flashbacks of the good times in their relationship for example.


Genre-related style and iconography present:
Adele - Someone Like You. It was directed by Jake Nava, a British film and music director. The genre of the song is pop and this transmit through the music video as Adele is a popular figure and is seen throughout the clip along with popular images and scenery of Paris.


Multiple close-ups of the main artist or vocalist:
There are many close-ups of Adele whilst she is walking throughout the video and her expression is sombre and this connects to the theme of facing relationship problems and feeling lonely. The image of Adele that is being offered is that she is full emotions and she is not scared to show the world how she feels on issues. This video relates to other songs by Adele which seem to be about relationships like 'Chasing Pavements'. 
 

Music Video Director!

My chosen music video director is Sanaa Hamri, who is a Moroccan American music video and film director. She is one of the few prominent female film and music video directors.

She has directed videos for Lupe Fiasco, Nicki Minaj, Lenny Kravitz, Joss Stone, Sting, Common, Raven-Symoné, Eric Benet, Amel Larrieux, Jay-Z, A*Teens, and Christina Aguilera.

Hamri has been described as intelligent, talented and versatile and I would say that was an accurate description of her looking at her background which tells how Hamri taught herself to use an Avid editing machine in 2000 and has never participated in a filmmaking course. Realising she had a talent for combining images together in order to tell a story, Hamri began making videos and approaching the music industry.

Hamri doesn't have a fixed style when it comes to directing, for example when it came to directing Nicki Minaj's "Super Bass" which Minaj stated herself for wanting the video to be 'colourful and cutesy' and then looking at Lupe Fiasco's "Words I Never Said" which contrasts with the style of 'Super Bass' and this shows her versatile directing style.

Album art research

Design and Marketing:

ORA is the debut studio album by British recording artist Rita Ora, released on 27 August 2012 in the UK through Roc Nation. The album was recorded from 2010 through to 2012. Ora made a statement on the title of the album saying the title represents more than just her last name. “Ora is my surname, but it also means time in my country, Kosovo, and it definitely took me a long time to get this album - three years to be exact.'' The watch she is wearing in this photo could be associated with this. Ora's main target audience is young girls between 14-24.




Star image and brand:

Rita Sahatçiu Ora (born November 26, 1990) is a British singer-songwriter and actress. In 2012, Ora released her debut album, Ora which debuted at number one in the United Kingdom.Ora has a mezzo-soprano vocal range. Rita Ora has a confident persona and the close-up of the image on the album could represent that she likes to get up close and personal with her fans.

Album art research

Design and Marketing:

The album cover consists of a 2009 commissioned oil painting by the African American artist Kadir Nelson. It features two cherubs, one white and one black which I associated this with his single 'Black or White' and they are placing a crown on Jackson's head against a mural depicting the images of the singer at different stages in his career. Jackson approached him several years ago to create a project detailing his life and career. "He places his hand over his heart and looks directly at the viewer, a symbol of Jackson's big heart and strong connection to his fans and music. A monarch butterfly sits on his shoulder, another symbol of Jackson's metamorphosis as a singer and entertainer, as well as a symbol of royalty. His musical history unfolds behind him." Nelson stated. 'Michael' is a posthumous album of previously unreleased tracks. It was released on December 10, 2010 by Epic Records and Sony Music Entertainment and features guest performances by Akon, 50 Cent, Lenny Kravitz and Dave Grohl.'Michael' is the first release of new Michael Jackson material in nine years since the album 'Invincible' in 2001. 'Michael' is the seventh album to be released by Sony and Motown/Universal since Michael Jackson's death in June 2009.

Star image and brand:

Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an African-American recording artist, entertainer and businessman. Often referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ. Jackson is recognised as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records. His contributions to music, dance, and fashion, along with a much-publicized personal life, made him a global figure in popular culture for over four decades. The eighth child of the Jackson family, he debuted on the professional music scene along with his brothers as a member of The Jackson 5 in 1964, and began his solo career in 1971. Labels he was associated with were Motown, Epic, Legacy, MJJ Productions.

Album art research

Design and marketing:

It is a simple design which consists of a image with the back of will.i.am and #WILLPOWER across it. As a member of the public I think this was a strong design to market the album and the reason for this is because twitter is a popular social site and the '#' in front of the album name is what is used on twitter to start a trend and gain attention from thousands or even millions of followers. All ages are on twitter but will.i.am's target audience is for anyone who is interested in his music.

Star image and brand:

The star image of will.i.am is that he is known for being an African-American recording artist, songwriter, entrepreneur, voice actor, DJ, record producer, educator and philanthropist, best known as one of the founding members of the hip hop/pop band, The Black Eyed Peas. He is the recipient of seven Grammy Awards, eight American Music Awards, a Billboard Music Award, a Teen Choice Award, two Video Music Award, and three World Music Awards all won with the Black Eyed Peas. will.i.am has also produced with other popular artists such as Michael Jackson, Britney Spears, U2 and many more. #WILLPOWER is his fourth studio album which he is planning to release on December 7th 2012.

Feedback on the previous year 13 music videos.

Josie and I analysed last year's year 13's music videos and listed them from our most to least favourite and commented why:


1) 13B6: good use of location, excellent casting, varied editing styles and slick cuts, looks professional.


2) 13B5: good casting, variety of costume & controlled mise-en-scene, good lighting.


3) 13B1: good camera work, clear & emotional narrative, good use of location.


4) 13E10: clear narrative, good editing and camera work.


5) 13E9: good location, good narrative, clear editing.


6) 13B4: emotional narrative, good camera work.


7) 13B2: good camera work, good lighting and varied location.


8) 13B3: good editing techniques, good location, brilliant performance & location.


9) 13E8: looks professional, good location but a little bit boring.


10) 13E7: repetitive but good and varied editing styles.


11) 13E11: out of sync and repetitive editing techniques but good lighting and the use of a white back ground was good.

Notes - what to do and avoid in successful music video production.

Song choice - slow (dull) - boring, cheesy.

(ditto too fast)




Visuals / locations to match -> pace of editing

camera movement -> to music.




+ be interesting.




Vary editing styles.




Great performance - charisma.




Take time with casting.




Control mise-en-scene.




Need to be in sync.




Not repetitive. Song choice - slow (dull) - boring, cheesy.
                      (ditto too fast)

Visuals / locations to match -> pace of editing
                                               camera movement -> to music.

+ be interesting.

Vary editing styles.

Great performance - charisma.

Take time with casting.

Control mise-en-scene.

Need to be in sync.

Not repetitive.

Technical terms

Codes and conventions in a music video:

Montage.
Special effects, eg colouring, fish eye lense.
Verisimitude.
Star- commodity, confident, stage presence, direct address.
Theme and lyrics of song must match image of video.
Pace needs to match song.
Narrative needs to match the song.
Rule of thirds.
Iconography.
Intertextuality.

Camera Work:

Subvert the abstract from reality.
Various techniques.
Fast paced/slow paced.
Close up shots- Use of close up: to create a sense of intimacy between character and audience
emphasises half of the commodity on sale (via song, artist and voice).

Editing:
Fast cut montage.
Slow pace.
Gentle transitions.
Split screens.
Fish eye lense.

Evaluating Foundation Production

What went wrong?

I worked with Lucksiga, Fay and Olivia but I can't discuss our foundation AS film work with them as they were year 13s and have now left. The main thing I feel that went wrong was commitment and organisation. If we started earlier and all members had managed to stick to the same day then it would have been better to have finalised it then got on with the editing as soon as possible too. Another factor that went wrong was inaccurate use of equipment, when filming it was all handheld shots and no use of the tripod which showed up in our work where it was jumpy in some places.

What worked?

I felt what went well is the casting, Olivia played the role of the ghost of a girl who had been out partying then murdered and through costume, actions, facial expressions and make-up this enhanced her role and Fay played a deeply upset mother. I was also pleased with the location and that we were all friendly with each other so that was another bonus as to why were were able to get on with it.

What should you have done?
I felt we should have organised our time and begun the filming slightly earlier. Also should have put the tripod to use and we learnt from this mistake when it came to editing and it was a challenge to structure it together clearly when the footage was jumpy.

What do you plan to do differently next time?
Organising the whole project is a major thing to do, whether it's allocating roles, storyboard, filming schedule etc.

What do you plan to do next time that you didn't do at all?
Make sure my blog is up to date and in full detail such as stating why location shots were used etc.

What did they do in their planning and research?
On their blogs they had up to date detailed group meetings (whether it was writing or photos).

What did they do in their actual filming?
They used more than one location and this builds the narrative and makes it appear more interesting, we could have used another location to make the narrative look more stronger such as film Olivia coming out her nearby pub to show her character had been out drinking.

What did they do in their actual editing?
Everyone had a go at editing, which was the case with my group but I would say they shared the editing roles more equally.

In terms of how people constructed their blogs and evaluations, what worked really well and what didn't?
What worked well is how people presented their evaluations, whether it was in wix or video form and to use different media to portray your work is more effective and makes it look interesting and shows you have skills and knowledge on how to use those platforms. What didn't go well is that some people ran out of time so some evalutions were not as detailed as they could be.

Introduction

Welcome to my A2 Media Studies blog. I will be posting about my progress throughout the project and this will involve commentary on my research, ideas, influences, artwork, group's music video, editing and evaluation.