Projection Based Filming. (Looking at Conceptual Based Music Videos)

After evaluating how much work I had done towards my original music video idea I felt as if it was half-hearted and didn't have enough of my own artistic abilities or ideas involved, after assessing what I had done thus far, I began looking into projection art and how projections can be used to create visually pleasing effecting in video, a music video with an artistically based idea rather than a traditional conventional film is something I like, pushing the ideology of music videos into something thats more stylistic and individual rather than a protagonist based story music video.



Above is the original music video that triggered this idea of projection and a more artistic approach to the project brief.

Sticking with the same music and the same lyrics I began looking into the deeper meanings of the lyrics; lights are an interregnal part of the lyrics and the characters relationship in the lyrics and thought that using projection based imagery would compliment the idea behind this as well as this in my audience research many people related pop punk music with drugs and drug use, being able to use more art based projections links into this idea of 'tripping,' and the idea of escapism.

After realising this was an obtainable idea I started looking at based film websites and found this -> http://www.vimeo.com/user489966 profile of a video artistic who creates pattern for projection displays and began to play with the idea of using these. Once I had a chosen film to use in the projection I then began to play with the idea of mined and no mined lyrics personally, I preferred the non mined as it makes the audience focus on the character and the patterns around her.
Below are all the test shots and shots sped up to the music to give an initial feeling of the film and how it would look.

http://www.vimeo.com/23020592

Videos that sparked my idea towards projection and conceptual based music videos;



Matta - Release The Freq from Kim Holm on Vimeo.

I love feeling of the video, the visual don't link to the type of music or the lyrics but I feel it works. The way such tranquil animals against the music that is so upbeat, with a high tempo. I like the edits added on top of the initial visuals making this music video feel almost like a video game rather than a music based product. I like the conceptual idea behind this video.



Hermanos Inglesos feat. MeMe - Wanderland from Kristof Luyckx on Vimeo.

This is an animated music video full of humour and colours, I don't like the idea of animation or the type of animation but I do like the colours and flow of the music video. I love the way pattern is included throughout the music video as well, definitely something I want too include; thus why I would wanted to use such detailed patterned projections.


Moullinex - Catalina from Moullinex on Vimeo.

I like the completely digital created music video, I like the contrast between the stark background and the animated video like images, which also go to the beat, something I think is important in any and every music video, conventional or conceptual, the images and visuals need to match the beat of the music and needs to show the audience the rhythm of the song. I believe this music video does this extremely well.


let yourself feel. from Esteban Diácono on Vimeo.




Moullinex - Love it Is Then from Moullinex on Vimeo.



Underwear by FM Belfast (Music Video) from Daniel Scheinert on Vimeo.



SCINTILLATION from Xavier Chassaing on Vimeo.

What elements of the album artwork and posters I have analysed do I want to use?

Looking at posters from Other bands.

Looking at Other media packs from related bands.

Elbow.
This album cover is made up of subtle colours and an artistic feeling, definitely reflecting the band known for their musical flare.  I like colours used and the way the bands name is the main focus of the piece and it's not completely obvious what the centre image is or means. The negative spaces in the album cover work well because of the texture in the image.

Tenacious D
This album cover has some classic rock elements to it but it also reflects the characters of the band members and they're tongue and cheek attitude towards music and the industry. The black gives a blank base to the image making the band members and the 'devil' to stand out and catch the eyes of either their fans or people looking to buy their album.

Evanescence
I love all the colours in this album artwork. The blues and blacks reflect the mood and melancholy feel to the whole album and band. The way the face is shot makes her eyes look intense drawing myself in to look closer and closer to the images and take in the smaller details. I like how the band name is included but in an area where negative space would have been.

Linkin Park
I'm not to fond of this album cover, there's too much negative space and I feel like the black and white are an overly used combination of colours and tones that are always linked to rock/punk music and this has become a bit of a cliche! I do like the blurred effect, it gives the image movement.

Deftones
I love this album cover, I love the symmetry as well! the textures of the birds feathers against the plain black background is really pretty but the owl has a haunting feeling about it too, giving this album cover a feeling of mystery and suprise. Though black and white are the majority of colours used the textured and tonal differences make it an interesting piece to look at.

I like the colours used in these 3 album covers, red is a common thread between all 3 although different bands the colour between them and the feelings reflected in the artwork links themselves to each other. There is a feeling of loneliness within these album covers. I also like how the artist names and album titles are visible and seem to feel as part of the art work not just as a naming method for viewers of the piece.

Analysing My Chemical Romance's Posters

A lot of the promotional posters featured on My Chemical Romances website and promo website are bright and colourful, gearing away from previous ideologies of the band and moving in a new direction. They seem to be exploring the freedom of their art form more and this is definitely visible in their products.

Above is my favourite poster of their new collection, I like the mixed signals you get from the poster, rather than being cold and unattractive vivid colours are used which also are used in the bands music videos.

Red is an important colour featured in this poster, this is reinforced by the word 'exterminate,' giving a visible and verbal reasoning for the posters layout and colours. The shots of each band member I find attractive because they resemble head shots taken by police, as if their convicts and in the story of the CD; runaways trying to fight against evil.

The animated feeling of the poster, the exaggerated hair and costume, though minimal adds a lot of body and meaning to the images, showing messed up hair and dishevelled appearances, something if involved with the CD's storyline, you would expect.

The elements of obvious colour choices against a storyline is something I'd really like to incorporate into my music video, by doing this a simple poster becomes a connection between fans, the work and product and the band, giving the music a personal, relatable feeling.

I love this poster so much! I love the way it looks like part of a scrap wall on a bedroom, a collection of images all related to the band, I like the way each persons personality is involved in the over all image and how I immediately feel a connect toward the poster and band.

I like the use of minimal colour involved and how the images though black and white really stand out, possibly because of the almost tactile looking staples and tape making the poster look as if it would have a texture if you were to touch it.

Though spurs and not presented in the traditional way expected each band member does have a vertical section of the poster, each member have a series of images that show their personality, horizontally all the images connect, the top line are all face on smirking shots. This both shows the relationships between band members and gives their audience an insight into their personal lives without words or moving images. Another small detail I really like about the poster is the way the pictures aren’t perfectly aligned or positioned, again giving a personal, tactile feeling to the poster.

Looking at Media Packs For CDs

My Chemical Romances most resent CD came in a variety of Media packs, a couple consisting of coming in a special edition box that either came with an exclusive bandana all featured in their latest music videos or the newest tshirt design. In the UK the CD by it's self was £9.99, the exclusive special edition packs were £18.99. I bought a special edition myself and got a blue badana the colour Gerard Way was featured wearing, I wore this to their concert on the 12th February 2011. The box the Cd came in featured the same artword as the CD cover and have a cut out area where the design form the cd underneath came out, this really gives the media pack a special quality to it and made myself want to buy it evenmore, it felt worth it paying the extra for a well presented product rather than just a plain CD.

All the colours in this media pack reflect the music and the statement the band are trying to make. Bright and cohessive colours are used throughout giving the CD an appeal to a wide audience as the imagery used doesn't seem to target a single audience, instead it seems to be created to appeal to everyone. It does have an element of dark imagery, but the spider isn't an expected coloured which would be a dark omminose colour.

Other Animated Music Videos

OKAY GO, is a band well known for electro pop music as well as their creative music videos. These videos really have inspired my own music video and the process that I want to follow to create my music video. Below are two examples of their music videos and how stop motion animation can be used in a music video. I also really like all the bright colours, the contrast between foreground and background as well the lack of relevance between the lyrics and the images the audience watch. These music videos are individual and have a sense of style and creativity, I personally really enjoy creating stop motion animation with card and paper images, perhaps showing a link between music videos and the animations shown in South Park.