Coursework Pitch

I have chosen the song 19/2000 by Gorillaz, but instead of using the original song I have found a remix, which will overcome some copyright issues. The Soulchild Remix is by music producer Damien Mandis.


Gorillaz - 19-2000
This is the video to the original song.

Gorillaz is a musical project created in 1998, which consists of 4 animated members. Completely different to mainstream music, Gorillaz creates their own frictional universe which is explored through the band's website and music video, along with other medias. The music is a collaboration between various musicians, Albarn being the only permanent musical contributor.

'Their style is a composition of multiple musical genres, with a large number of influences including : dub, hip hop, alternative rock, electronic and pop music.'   {adapted from Wiki}

Initial Ideas for 19/2000 (Soulchild Remix) Gorillaz 

Music Video

- Concept music video

• Opening shots being at a house party, the morning after. Exposition into the lifestyle - empty alcohol bottles, cigarette packets, people asleep on the floor etc.
• The music builds in with either alarm or his phone ringing. - Male lead sits up in bed - answers phone and brief conversation of "yeaah I'll be there.' 
• Then following of him going out of the house, walking down the street and meets a friend
• They then get in a car and various shots of them driving. Pick up a generator and pack up the car
• Elliptical editing. Shots of wooded area and flash lights, sudden floodlight/strobe lighting and people dancing.
• Male lead is behind decks, various shots of him and people around. 
• Fades out on vinyl spinning on deck. 

Lyrics

The world is spinning too fast
I'm buying lead Nike shoes
To keep myself tethered
To the days I try to lose

My mama said to slow down
You should make your shoes
Stop dancing to the music
Of Gorillaz in a happy mood

Keep a mild groove on

Ba ba ba
Day dee bop

There you go!
Get the cool!
Get the cool shoeshine!
Get the cool!
Get the cool shoeshine!
Get the cool!
Get the cool shoeshine!
Get the cool!
Get the cool shoeshine!

There's a monkey in the jungle
Watching a vapour trail
Caught up in the conflict
Between his brain and his tail

And if time's elimination
Then we got nothing to lose
Please repeat the message
It's the music that we choose

Keep a mild groove on

Ba ba ba
Day dee bop

OK bring it down yeah we gonna break out
Get the cool!
Get the cool shoeshine!
Get the cool!
Get the cool shoeshine!
Get the cool!
Get the cool shoeshine!
Get the cool!
Get the cool shoeshine!

Ah Ah Ah Ah

Day doo de bop

Lip-Syncing task - Barbra Streisand

Our class as a whole chose my pitch for 'Barbra Streisand' by Duck Sauce as the lip-syncing task.
As director, I split the class up, each with different tasks to do in preparation for filming.
The song was quite repetitive in parts, so I gave Emma the task of cutting down the song by taking out long sections of parts without lip-syncing.
As she did this, the rest of the class brainstormed ideas for shots, most importantly the lip syncing shots.
We came to the decision that each of the sections where the fake Barbra spoke, one of us would be lip syncing, and George would be the male rapper. After discussing as a group, we then split up individually to do shot list for sections of the edited version of the song.
Emma had from 0.00 - 0.51
I had from 0.52 - 1.24
Wizz and George shared 1.25 - 2.09
Emmie and Megan shared 2.09 - 2.42

We spent a full day around school filming, along with a few lessons to re-shoot a few shots. I then edited the footage together and here is our final video.

Barbra Streisand Music Video Pitch

For a lip syncing task, each person of the class had to choose a song and pitch and idea to the class, with one being chosen and then given a few days to film and edit.

I chose Barbra Streisand by Duck Sauce as a music video to create, as I felt the original video is interesting with the variety of shots of people, there is different sections of lip syncing, from the repetitive 'Barbra Streisand', the shots of a fake Barbra speaking, some rapping, and other singing. The music video would be  relatively easy to shoot, especially in school, as it involves random people dancing, laughing, singing etc, which would be fairly easy to  get in a short amount of time.

I thought that the class could do the sections of the fake Barbra speaking, as then we get practise in trying to lip sync properly.
There is the opportunity to be creative with the ways in which Barbra Streisand is sung, and taking the various shots that fill up the rest of the music video.
For time reasons, it would seem easier to cut down the song, and include the majority of the lip syncing and cut out the instrumental parts.

Censored Music Videos

Robbie Williams - Rock DJ 
Directed by Vaughn Arnell



This music video was surrounded by controversy because of its explicit content (Ripping off his clothes, skin and organs)

The ending was cut by most music channels around Europe - MTV, VIVA, The Box.
Other music channels cut from Robbie dancing in his underwear to dancing as a skeleton.



Frankie Goes To Hollywood - Relax
Directed by Bernard Rose

Set in an S&M themed gay nightclub and allegedly banned by MTV and the BBC, when then prompted a second video.
However after a second video was made, the song itself was banned completely from the BBC/





Cher - If I Could Turn Back Time
Directed by Marty Callner 






Cher wears a fishnet body stocking, with a revealing black one piece body suit on top.
MTV banned the video in 1989, and later only played the video after the 9pm watershed.
A censored version was then produced, showing less explicit sexual content.

Product Placement in Music Video

Often artists will include product placements in their music video, which is a form of advertisement where branded products are used in context in the music video.

An example, and recent news headline, is Britney Spears' music video for 'Hold It Against Me'.
Since her last album being released in 2008, and last music video in 2009 for the song '3', it has been a while since Britney had been in the spotlight.
Her most recent video, directed by Jonas Akerlund (same director as iconic 'Smack My Bitch Up').

Coincidentally, it is the same director who made the music video for Lady Gaga, 'Telephone'. The 9 minute long video, which includes various product placements.

Virgin Mobile - A phone is snatched from a butch prison yard toughie's waistband (2:07)

Diet Coke - Cans are used as rollers in Lady Gaga's hair (2:22)

Wonder Bread & Miracle Whip - Those are the magic ingredients in sandwiches made by Gaga (6:35)

Polaroid - A camera is used to photograph Beyonce (5:45) [By the way, Gaga is Polaroid's creative director and inventor of specialty products after inking a deal with the brand in January.]

Also look out for Heartbeats Headphones (1:34), Chanel (2:17), PlentyOfFish.com (4:27), and Hewlett Packard (4:24).



[MusicToob]

Fatboy Slim Case Study

Q7) Is there and leitmotifs in their videos and lyrics?
Watching a variety of music videos for Fatboy Slims work, there is a common theme in a majority of the videos, being dance. Praise You, Weapons of Choice, Rockafella Skank and Wonderful Night are 4 out of the 6 that I watched which follow either a group of people or one person dancing to the song. This signifies the genre of the music, and when the audience watch the video they feel it is an uplifting song and inspires them to dance too.
They lyrics seem to be fairly different in each song, but similar instruments and overall sound of the music is similar, with a strong beat and various instruments.

Q9) Spike Jonez directed 2 of Fatboy Slims music videos, Weapons of Choice and Praise You.
Praise You is guerrilla-video (one which does not obtain permission to use the location), filmed on a basic video camera, with only a few different angles which are cut between, the use of the camera zoom. All in an effort to create a music video which goes against the rules of video making, by avoiding luxrious settings and props, glamorous people, instead replacing with a simple concept of a group dancing and expressing themselves to the song. 

Label Profile

Gorillaz are associated with EMI, Parlophone and Virgin Records.

Even though they have different names, parlophone and virgin are subsidiaries of EMI.

EMI brief history

• Company founded in 1897
• Enrico Caruso is first major artist in 1902
• Abbey Road Studios open in 1931
• The Beatles sign in 1962
• Pink Floyd sign in 1967
• Queen sign in 1972
• Spice Girls sign in 1996
• Acquired a number of high-profile record companies in 1990 
• Chrysalis Records
• Virgin Music Group
• Sparrow Records
• Intercord
• Acquired by Terra Firma Capital Partners in 2007
• Several important artists walked away from EMI
• Radiohead
• Paul McCartney
• The Rolling Stones
• Citigroup (bank) took 100% ownership of EMI Group from Terra Firma
• writing off £2.2 billion of debt, and reducing debt load by 65%.

Parlophone brief history

• Founded in 1896 in Germany
• British branch was formed in 1923, which became a leading jazz label.
• Acquired in 1927 by EMI.
• Signed The Beatles in 1962 - released the first 8 albums.
• Became one of the world's most famous and prestigious record labels in the 60's.

Virgin Records

• British Record Label founded by Richard Branson, Simon Draper and Nik Powell in 1972.
• Sold to Thorn EMI in 1992. 
• Virgin launched several subsidiaries
• Realworld Records
• Innocent Records
• Point Blank Records
• Hut Records
• Continued signing new and established artists
• 30 Seconds to Mars
• Depeche Mode
• The Rolling Stones
• Massive Attack
• Gorillaz.