by Jenny Pham Vo -

THIRTEEN – WITCH’S LAMENT

So today was pretty awesome. I’ve worked on live productions before, but never had to record a live music performance, aside from crappy concert fancams which don’t really count. So today was very educational. I knew the obvious pointers from Georgia, like making sure that crew set up and are briefed well before the artist does, and to make sure that said artists have water and access to a bathroom. Those practical points came easy to my floor manager mindset, but the one thing I didn’t account for was her nervousness. It didn’t occur to me how the artist would feel in the environment, so I didn’t account for her sudden mistakes, and sometimes non complimentary performances. That’s not to say she didn’t perform beautifully, Georgia’s voice and songs are beautiful, but as Rohan had warned us earlier she hadn’t had a lot of practice in a while. So as a professional we had to take into account her comfort and make sure that we could present an environment for her to perform her best. It’s definitely eye-opening, and now with this small experience in my pocket I can use this knowledge for future projects and remember that although it’s not always practical to treat the talent as royalty, we should still make an effort to let them feel comfortable.

Now to follow with this weeks live recording, I have decided to share three videos that showcases some of the qualities of recording live performances.

1. Hate To See Your Heart Break – Paramore ft. Joy Williams

In it’s simplest form it is a behind the scenes kinda video, showing us clips of the studio process of how the song was recorded. It blends both artists as intricately as the song does, and doesn’t shy away showcasing these two amazingly talented women singing. As a video I find it to be charming, especially with how it doesn’t detract any attention from the emotional song. Their delivery is heart-wrenching and just watching their faces as they sing the song lets us connect with the artist much more than we would with a different form of music video. Also they’ve used a lovely filter effect which I believe to be just candles being waved back and forth in front of the camera, which is very similar to Rohan’s technique of using sparklers in one of his videos. It’s just a cool thing I didn’t even pick up on on the first viewing, but after Rohan’s enlightening talk about music production I can appreciate it’s effect and how simple it is to execute.

2. One – Ed Sheeran

So what do I have to say about Mr. Sheeran that hasn’t already been said about his live talent. Not only does he do all his shows solo with just his guitar and loop station, but he does it without fault. This music video just highlights how truly angelic his live shows can be, and it’s especially effective in it’s ability to position you like you are the only one (see what I did there) in the stadium. With the inclusion of a few clips from places around the main stage, it captures the real experience one would have at his concerts. Like hearing his voice slightly distorted to match along to the fact that you’re in a location that isn’t directly in view of him. Upon first viewing, I thought it was all lip-synced to the original audio, with filters used to distort the song when they edited the shots, but after a little sleuthing, which is to say I compared my album version to the music video version, I found that the audio they used for the video must have been recorded on location. The studio version has more instruments that come into play and layers of backing vocals that just aren’t there in the video version. Since that discovery I have watched the clip over and over again, and would argue that this choice to have only live music makes the experience of watching him more intimate, or even voyeuristic. It’s like we are intruding on a rehearsal, or a personal moment for Ed and just gives the video a bit more personality than just a simple clip of him lip-syncing to his song.

3. WHO YOU? – G-DRAGON

This final music video is one of my favourite fan collaborations out there. In the KPOP world fan-cams are abundant, with almost every single live show and performance recorded in some form or another and then uploaded to the internet. G-Dragon and his crew here embraced the culture completely, and invited fans to practically shoot this 2013 release for him. It’s a genius idea which not most can pull off, and it also works to showcase the power fans have in GD’s career. The video also proves that again you don’t always need the fanciest of camera’s to create something special.

by Jenny Pham Vo -

TWELVE – THE WITCH’S TRANSFORMATION

No you didn’t just watch the prequel to Everything Is Awesome, but The White Stripes’ super cool music video directed by Michel Gondry. It’s another one of those videos I love because of how small the budget could have been, and again gives me more hope for my future inevitable success. Now I’m not entirely sure how big animation is in the music video industry but I feel like it never get’s enough credit for it’s art. So this is my appreciation post for all things animation in a music video.

1. Funny Hunny – Orange Caramel

So if you haven’t gathered by now, I like KPOP! and not just because of it’s more upbeat and catchy tunes, but also their completely refreshing humour used in music videos. Orange Caramel aren’t a group to half ass a music video as well, with some really head scratching and clearly not-to-be-taken-seriously concepts. So when they came out with Funny Hunny die-hard fans, including myself, were delighted. They always seem to be having fun no matter what form they are in and this music video gets a nod from me for just being purely and genuinely funny.

2. Do I Wanna Know? – Arctic Monkeys

This mesmerizing gem is almost orgasmic to watch. The first them I watched it I got Tame Impala vibes with it’s almost psychedelic feel but now I know better. Now I know it’s the most accurate incarnation of the song and Alex Turner’s voice out there, with the animation fitting perfectly with every element of the song. It is a true compliment to have such amazing animation capture the essence of a song in such simple lines. And when the last chorus kicks in and everything just shifts and changes before your eyes so fluidly, you know that it could only have been executed through animation.

3. Clint Eastwood – Gorillaz

Now I couldn’t talk about animation without mentioning one of the few musical acts out there that, well only appear as animated characters. The Gorillaz don’t actually exist as a band in our “real world” but that doesn’t stop them from giving us bomb as music videos or live performances. There’s not much I could say aside from great it is that music doesn’t always need a ‘real’ face behind it to make it enjoyable. Like the Arctic Monkey’s video the animation just compliments the song and compels you to keep listening as things progress/

4. Talk Is Cheap – Chet Faker

Don’t worry, Chet is fine. He eventually awoke from his hibernation and is walking among us Australians alive and well. But that video right? I’m always compelled to ask my friends how they think it was done. Like we would be sitting there theorizing if he actually sat in ice, or if it really is all animation. I think it was a combination of stop motion, after effects and possibly a little method acting on Chet’s behalf, but I wasn’t there so I could never know (Unless you worked on the video, then by all means feel free to tell me how it was done so seamlessly). But putting questions aside I find this music video just relaxing to watch. The stop motion gives it a very slow paced burn as the song builds up and just keep a consistent feel of propelling forward, but not quite dying as well. It’s a weird way to explain something, but like how the video constantly shifts and flows into the next season building up more layers, the song doesn’t let up and yet still contains the same qualities from before.

Maybe I’m looking at it completely wrong and just interpreted it poorly but alas there is my animation appreciation post. Goodnight people, I’ll probably write tomorrow.

by Jenny Pham Vo -

ELEVEN – CAREFUL MY TOE

So movement in a video can be very crucial in some aspects. On such a small screen any hand gesture or foot movement draws the attention of the audiences eyes, and it’s up to both the artist and editor to make it look good and purposeful. It’s like when you’r at gig and the artist isn’t sure where to put their hands, so they flail about hoping that no one notices that all their dance moves are unscripted and slightly awkward. But it can also be a part of their brand, and the artist just owns it like a badass. So here is my blog post exploring movement and dancing in music videos.

1. The Trouble With Us – Chet Faker & Marcus Marr

With very deliberate and repetitive actions, this music video gets audience’s intrigued but also amused by the scenes that unfold. It plays with movement in a fun way and is synced so well along with the song that it feels natural. You almost expect someone to break away from the supposed norm created in the actions, and I was actually disappointed that no one strayed in the end. Despite that one small personal thing it is seriously just a fun video to watch.

2. GROWL – EXO

These lovely boys are EXO, and they sure know how to bust a move. They have a whole entire playlist full of performance music videos but I’ve chosen to share this one because of it’s pseudo one-take style on shooting. To capture what was shot, the camera man would of had to rehearse this for hours and hours, and make sure all 12 members (one for every month) were exactly in the right place at the right time. It also is a great colarboration between the cinematography and choreography, with the company’s choreographer keeping in mind camera movement and incorporating that into the dance. When the focus is on half the members for a few minutes, the rest prepare and get ready to jump in and mirror the other half. It’s what all good KPOP videos aspire to be, focusing just on the overall dance and performance of the artists.

3. Yellow Flicker Beat – Lorde

With her little T-Rex arms flailing about with passion burning in her eyes, Lorde’s dancing is an acquired taste. Personally I think it’s wonderful. She’s so into the music and comfortable in her own self that she doesn’t care how she appears. When I mentioned earlier that some artists can just get away with moving weird, I know people thought of Lorde. Her dancing is something we can all relate to and it isn’t something we can just overlook as over-acting. It’s almost a message to all her fans and haters that she doesn’t care what you think, this is how she is and she is showing it with both her music and movement. Her strange dancing has become a staple for live performances already, and so to incorporate it into a music video just emphasizes her rebellious music video for the Hunger Games song.

by Jenny Pham Vo -

TEN – BACK INTO THE WOODS

SET REPORT

Well what happened today?

Let’s see, as usual I was late, but not because I wanted to be. We even pushed back our meet-up time from 9am to midday due to weather concerns, but it still didn’t help me. The gardens are huge, and parking was especially difficult to find. Yet the start of my day was not deterred, and while walking around I got to immerse myself in how beautiful our location truly was.

We had a good shot list prepared the night before, not detailed heavily, but it outlined what was needed. The sequences were supposed to be shot in reverse order of the linear timeline, so the first scene of the day was the last scene in the music video. This was so we could get all the big scenes with lots of people out of the way, and then as the day progressed people who were done with filming could go home. The only people who were definitely not allowed to leave early were Abby and Jon.

Right I completely forgot to introduce our cast for the video, but whats the point in spouting out names now, when you can’t exactly see them yet. Or can you. For now lets enjoy this image of Jon Miranda.

IMG_2263

A man who has helped me my entire uni life, albeit still a short lifespan so far, and has been a lifesaver for my degree time and time again. The whole crew were pulling at strings to find a suitable “Elvis Hair Guy”, and I realised that Jon would always be open to help me.

But anywho, more about shoot day. Well, since we went from a full 9hr shoot to half that time and started at 1, we didn’t plan any catering for cast and crew. It was mainly because we didn’t think we’d be able to squeeze in the time, and trust when I say that our biggest concern was time. Since we were technically only allowed to legally shoot till 6pm we knew that we had to work extremely fast. Maggie was the badass boss that with kept us on track, and with Blair and I acting as production assistants that only left the wonderful and amazingly difficult job of Director of Photography to our esteemed Jordan.

Below is a few more photos from today taken from various individuals. I can’t remember who took which because we all just shared them in our group chat to have a bit of a laugh.

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As you can see the shenanigans were a plenty. Also this posts music video share is one that shares our fun vibes. Paramore’s “Ain’t It Fun” made me smile, laugh and is one of a kind, breaking the world record for the most word records in a music video. I would have definitely loved to be a part of this production, I mean you can just tell they had a lot of fun, just like we did on set.

by Jenny Pham Vo -

NINE – THE SLIPPER FITS

S o our pitch went well. Or as well as anything could be. We finalized our ideas and presented them so they have to be good. Rohan and Georgia were concerned for our modern Disney theme, which I admit could be hard to translate, but it’s too late to back out now since we shoot on Sunday!!

So now class has got me thinking again. If our initial ideas don’t pull through what will happen. I mean, our entire video isn’t depending on this one aspect, but it was a critique that Rohan had about out narrative. He said we needed some meat to our fish, and we had scrambled to settle on out Disney idea, but will the video fail if the middle fails. I like to believe that we can still tell a decent story, even if our princesses won’t interpreted well. I mean he can just be a genuine human being and help random ladies out. It’s not too hard to pitch a video like that, I guess we just needed another push to get something up and running that wasn’t just moving from point A to B.

To reflect my ideas of telling a romantic fairytale-esque story, I will look no further than Taylor Swift’s “Love Story” today. It is the epitome of a simple princess theme and hopefully we can get something across that resembles it.

by Jenny Pham Vo -

EIGHT – MOMENTS IN THE WOODS

So Rohan said that location can be anything. He even told us that some of his music video were shot in his living, and all he used was a good light and some black curtains to hide away his home. It’s very comforting again to know that anyone can make anything with the lowest of budgets. Why it reminds me again of how simple Panic! at the Disco’s GIRLS/GIRLS/BOYS allowed me to dream about working with a naked Brendon Urie and nothing else.

Setting can be anything, but for our music video we have our hearts set on the Royal Botanic Gardens. Now at first it seemed like we had to jump through a lot of hoops just to get a filming permit, but after some heckling and very nicely worded pleas, we got the permit and can safely confirm that we are shooting this Sunday the 24th at our beautiful gardens in the city. It’s the best location we could have for our story, with gorgeous scenery to compliment our gorgeous cast.

Now inspired by our wonderful location I am happy to exposure to certain locations in music videos and my very thorough opinion on some of them.

1. Only U – VIXX

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m8LCqaYKluQ

This music video completely took advantage of the location they were in. During their world tour concert, VIXX shot their “ONLY U” MV in Sweden. It shows the boys walking through some lovely streets, and highlighting the architecture and scenery of the country. It’s almost like a homage to the city, and really showcases the beauty in places that don’t need to be manufactured.

2. TAKE MY CHANCE – DOLL$BOX

This music video gets props for its location use because it’s hilarious when you understand it’s usual context. The underground stage setting is a staple in Japan, and usually houses a lot of old and often questionable men enjoying a live show from cute JPOP girl group’s. I recognised the stereotype instantly, and was pleasantly surprised, just like many others by their sudden change in tone for song. It is an excellent use of using location and it’s assumed knowledge and making a video more complex and interesting. It’s also gotten me to think of whether there is a hidden message condemning this underground JPOP shows, but for now I’ll just let you recover from this metal af clip.

3. Elastic Heart – Sia

My final music video is about the minimalism of location. It’s possibly just for aesthetic and practical purposes, but the setting for Sia’s “Elastic Heart” lets the audience take a step away from the where to focus more on the what. That sentence made more sense in my head, but what I’m trying to say is that with such very little going on in the background, the audience is able to solely focus on the action and performance in the video. I could care less where they actually are, I’m more intrigued by the cage and the reasons behind how they got in the cage. If there were to be colour and props lying about in frame, my attention would be divided between the dancers and the random things lying around. Sure maybe giving props and indication of a clear location may have been able to develop the story of what’s being told through movement, but I believe that there is definitely an art to having less.

So that’s it for now. I’m slightly growing tired after posting so many posts in a row. Hopefully the next few weeks I can spread them out and maybe provide a bit more insight on things.

by Jenny Pham Vo -

SEVEN – FIND THE BOY

So after a very interesting talk with Rohan about our groups ideas for the MV, we have decided to announce our music video concept. We want to have Abby chasing after a man who appears to be helping people out and giving out balloons as well. Along her journey, she acquires friends who have encountered this “Elvis hair guy” to help her search.

Now looking at it the premise is very simple. It’s simply girl follows boy around until they eventually meet, and walk off into the sunset, but I think it’s simplicity is what works best for us. We haven’t got time to develop a strong narrative, or to include lots of imagery and hidden messages. For our time-frame, and short budget having the narrative read very linear is the best we can do for now. And I know what you’re all saying “but Jenny, why do you have to be so hetero-normative and basic af”. Well imaginary readers, it is because we feel like the song already carries a lot of the story, and we don’t think we need any fancy plot twists to deviate from the beautiful song. Less is more, and we hope that just adding a little touch of fairytale magic, and the having a cute story is enough to get your attention and make people listen to the song.

Now for my music video recommendation this blog post, I leave you with K.will’s “Please don’t…” It starts off with the general and almost formulaic story of a man heartbroken because the love of his life is about the marry another person. Classic tragic story, but the beautiful twist which made me re-watch the entire music video forced me to check my views of media. Give it a go and tell me what you guys thought about the ending.

 

 

by Jenny Pham Vo -

SIX – AGONY

So I’m in pain.

Nah jokes, not physical pain anyway. It’s all psychological. Mainly concerning my stress levels for this class. I mean I know it’s summer school, but I cannot afford to relax. If I do I will fall into a pit of nothing, and forget to do a lot of things. Important things. Like order balloons, or schedule in a group meeting. I know it’s hurting me, but I’m accepting the stress and using it as motivation. Writing it in the blog helps, and I know I’ve already shared a bit of what’s on my mind before, but right now I need to release some of this pain. And what better way then to use graphic imagery through music videos.

So without further ado, this is my collection of videos that feature pain that can help me alleviate some of my own pain.

WARNING! IF YOU AREN’T COOL WITH BLOOD AND STUFF PLEASE DON’T CONTINUE. YOU MAY JUST FIND SOMETHING YOU LIKE 😉

1. She’s Bad – DyE ft. Egyptian Lover

You’ve gotta watch till the end to see true pain. But another thing that pains me is the amazing production on this. I discovered this gem after watching this viral video and searching for more content to understand what I witnessed in the depths of YouTube. The simple of prey being predator was executed perfectly, and the pay off for such beautiful imagery was worth it. If there is anything to take away from this it is that you can never judge a music video by it’s thumbnail.

2. Voodoo Doll – VIXX

This bad boy is my pride and joy. Not because I had anything to do with the production of the music video (because I wish I got to work with them), but because this 4 and a half minute clip has helped me discover one of my favourite artists in the world. VIXX is recognized in the KPOP world as the concept idols, working with obscure and sometimes fantastical ideas and still get the fangirls rolling in. Voodoo Doll is just one of their goriest videos, and props to them for keeping with their theme of unnatural submission, even if their pain looks far too real.

3. Queen of Peace & Long and Lost – Florence + The Machine

This masterpiece share my psychological pain, although Florence seems to be experiencing a lot more emotional suffering than I am. This MV shows raw passion, both in voice and in dancing. Her movements are already hypnotic, but the editing, and movement of the video keep you flowing along with her as well. It may have been long, but it needed to be done. The narrative as well gives me hope that I too can express a story without as many words, although again she did have a lot more time than I do to get across a cohesive storyline, and a intermission with voice over.

4. The Mighty Fall – Fall Out Boy ft. Big Sean

And to end my listicle, I am bequeath you all with a small part of the Youngblood Chronicles, in which Fall Out Boy are chased down and brutally stabbed by kids on bikes. I loved there series, especially when it flowed well along with the songs, and each and every music video in its own right could have been it’s own short film. They even released a full uncut version with all 11 parts smashed into one long 50 minute film for your viewing pleasure. I think the pain of knowing your possible killers haven’t even reached puberty yet is what sticks with me the most. I mean getting a bat to the head may be inconvenient, but realizing later on that maybe you could have taking them on is the true pain. The pain of regret.

Anyway, thanks for sticking along with this weirdly themed blog. Hopefully next time I may be able to contribute something of worth to this curriculum. Maybe an update on my music video pitch, that’ll be relatively easy.

by Jenny Pham Vo -

FIVE – WHO CARES!

Feminist: A person who believes in the social, political and economic equality of the sexes.

Today’s discussion of the Railton readings made me think. I mean that’s what’s supposed to happen when you’ve engaged in a very politically charge discussion on how we are now the media in which representation is compared to. No pressure at all with our project, since we are leaning towards a narrative kinda MV. Not only would we have to figure out the plot beyond pretty gardens and Elvis hair, but we need to be conscious of how we portray any of the women we have. It’s relevant for Abby, although she mainly has to figure out how she wants to would to view her as an artist, but when I have to consider how people may interpret the storyline along with character representation it does put a toll on you. Luckily so far we haven’t had a lot of issues with being PC, but then again we haven’t got a completely solid pitch yet to censor. But do I want to censor it?

I’ve linked below (Queen) Beyoncé’s “***Flawless” which is a feminist anthem for many people. While contemplating all the shortcomings of society, and how women are perceived, I wanted to reflect on how the women I hold high are perceived. Beyoncé has been crowned as a modern feminist icon, with her non-apologetic views and attitude towards the industry and herself within the industry. She doesn’t just flaunt her body for “cheap” attention, she’s owning it. But is it the same as how P!NK depicts her “Stupid Girls”. These two very different views on representation are striking sometimes. Beyoncé is owning her shit, she loves herself and doesn’t care what anyone thinks, while P!NK rejects traditional feminine qualities altogether it seems, and appears to be putting down women who adhere to societies stereotypes. Her MV paints an image that girls that like girly things are stupid, and that we should embrace more masculine traits to finally be seen as equal. Personally I think like Queen B, and would like to dictate how my body and mind are viewed, but I can see how P!NK’s 2009 MV could also strike a chord with people. Neither are completely right, but both women would probably agree that things do need to change.

Now back to my dilemma of image and perception of my characters. Well for now, lets let Abby decided for herself how she, and her music video want to be viewed as. It is her voice and persona that we are presenting to the public, so she definitely has a say.

 

Now that feels like it definitely went on for too long, or maybe I’m just imagining that as I write this at 11:30pm. Anywho this blog posts MV share, aside from the two lovely videos above, is another KPOP one. Keeping in theme with females killing it, F(x)’s “Red Light” is a striking video with 5 ladies who definitely know how to project a strong image. I think the cinematography, and the use of projections were fantastic in this, and I glad to see more amazing video from them. Seriously so glad that they are free from their caged box sets. Like seriously.

by Jenny Pham Vo -

FOUR – GIANTS IN THE SKY

The fear of falling apart.

So I’m worried already that I can’t maintain this blog. Not just the blog but this class too. It’s only the second week but I’ve already missed 66% of my classes. That’s two out of three. And I know that it’s summer school, but my fear is that I won’t be able to bounce back and get my shit together for this Thursday’s presentation. It’s the first marked assessment for the semester and not being in class has put me at a disadvantage. I don’t know what to expect of everyone. Have they shared notes with each other, or has Rohan shown them what he likes and hates. It all just circles back to the question of “am I going to fail again?”

It’s hard already, and I’ve only just begun. In regular semester timelines this would be our 4th week, and right now I feel like it’s still my first day. I know I said I wanted to complete things and be my own person. I was supposed to take 2k16 by the head and show them that I’ve got what it takes to be here, but I’m allowed to be scared right.

Our class project is still in works, and since I haven’t been to class my group has started the brainstorming process without me. I’m letting them down already and I can’t shake that feeling away. I know this is a very personal blog post already, but I think I needed to express my fears before they ate away at me again.

For now I’m just going to try and focus on the upcoming project brief that’s literally due in less than 2 days. I’ve tossed up with either analyzing Panic! At The Disco’s “GIRLS/GIRLS/BOYS” or Florence + The Machine’s “Kiss With A Fist“. Both have a very simple premise and have a certain home-made quality which I love. It gives me hope and let’s me believe that despite my current flaws, these successful artists don’t need someone with loads of animation skills or artistic flair. All I need is a camera, light and determination.

This post’s MV’s are also by Panic! At The Disco. Off their latest album (new one dropping in a week!) “This Is Gospel” has some neat as choreography, that doesn’t necessarily have to be full body movement. I love his passion in this, and it’s follow-up (watch below) is the perfect antithesis for it. Where Gospel depicts Brendon Urie fighting to stay alive to stay with his love, “Emperor’s New Clothes” tells the complete opposite story of a him leaving it all finally and embracing his inner demon.

Also I’m a complete sucker for music videos that allude to continuous long takes and sotrylines, but aren’t (it’s a common theme in KPOP as well).