Bjork 'Oh So Quiet' Music Video

Music Video Brief

Tonic

You have been asked to devise and make a promotional music video for the new act 'Tonic'. As a new act the record label is keen that this first release appeal to a wide audience and establish an image that is both recognisably unique and appealing to their target audience. With this in mind, their release will be a cover version and will be used as a platform for future original releases. The record label is happy for this release to be any of the three songs listed below or another to which has been approved by the teacher and would like you to choose whichever on you can make a dynamic promo for, as the key thing is to get them exposed.

Rob(25), James(25) and Nick(23) are middle class lads from Portsmouth, Sussex. they started the band when they were in school and after performing in local pubs and clubs for a few years were sounded by a local producer and eventually signed to Rough Trade.

Sound: 'Funky pop with an indie undertone'

Music Ideology: 'It''s not nuclear physics, it should be fun!'

Influences: 'Supergrass, Blur, Pulp, Queen'

Likes: 'Gigging, jamming, music festivals, laughing, eating, drinking cider, mates

Dislikes: 'Frowning, people who take themselves too seriously, politics, dance music, musicians who mime, fakery.

There will be a few changes to this brief which is mainly the fact that we need to add a female in the group which needs to be discussed so that we can have the same name and age.

The song choice that we have gone for is Bjork 'Oh so Quiet'. We have chosen this as we really love this song and as far as we know no one has chosen this song before to use for their music video. It was between Dakota by Stereophonics but in the end we decided to go with Bjork as that was more our style and we think that we could create and amazing video for this song.

We have already come up with some ideas, such as Time Lapse for the more up-beat melody and a more calming environment for the calmer melody, we would also like to use inanimate objects to seem as if they are talking like you may see on adverts for sweets and such, these however are all ideas and we may or may not use them. We also had the idea that with the lead singer we could use our knowledge of micro features by making sure that when the calming melody is playing she looks calm and is dressed in a calming way, but when the beat becomes up beat she is wearing something very harsh and harsh black make up to make it go with the music. Once again these are only ideas and we have yet to discuss as a group exactly what we want to do for the music video.

Adorno and Horkheimer

Adorno and Horkheimer

Adorno and Horkheimer came up with the term 'culture industry'. They wanted to argue that the items produced by industries such as toy dolls, posters, duvet covers and so forth were comparable or analogous to how the other manufacturing companies would produce items for their client. They use the phrase 'assembly-line character' which are seen as commodities so that they can see how much money they can make out of for example JLS so that they have longevity within their career and so that they can make more money out of the products that they are selling.

In example of the X-Factor it can be compared to a machine, that like JLS they went in singing acapella with a very R'n'B style to them but as they went through the process of the X-Factor they soon became a stereotypical boy band that sung pop songs and the corporation wanted to have them seen as. This machine produces commodities which are goods that can be exchanged for money, this also makes us passive in our interaction with the X-Factor. They are a capitalist institution that are seeking to keep control of the status quo...break down of that sentence: Capitalists in this case means; an economic system in which the means of production and distribution are privately owned or corporately owned, by the meaning of status quo we mean that they want to control the way in which we stereotype music so that pop artist don't start singing screamo music etc.


It is all about control within the X-Factor industry. Adorno and Horkheimer were trying to show us that shows such as X-Factor are surrounding us by mass culture that is filling us with sceneries that we would not be faced with on a daily basis, they are diluting us of the real culture. The X-Factor is like a machine you see this amazing act that have all it takes to be a big success but then the X-Factor corporation intervenes and they turn them into what they think the audiences want to see, the real talent that we are so desperate to see is being corrupted by the function of X-Factor. They only do this so that the acts fit into what they feel will sell and will draw in the audiences, they do not think about what the act wants they only think of the marketing and longevity that they can get out of the act, this is the dreaded X-Factor machine process. Adorno and Horkheimer use a very interesting word when describing this in their book which is 'homogeneity', this basically means the saneness of mass taste.


This also shows us that even though we understand what the process the X-Factor machine is doing we are all being controlled by this process and we listen and we like what we hear, the X-Factor is able to keep the status quo and hegemony (prominent influence of a group then over another in maintaining the status quo) which means that we have been taught to reject everything that is not familiar to us, this helps the process that the X-Factor use as it allows them to be in control and become almost omnipotent (all powerful/present). As an example of hegemony we were told in lesson would be that Akala Ms Dynamite's little brother interviewed a well known British grime/rapper. This rapper is well known on YouTube but his music is not shown on charts or radio stations as he sings about political and social issue's that corporations such as the X-Factor do not want us to hear, as this would disrupt the status quo; they would not longer be omnipotent.


Adorno and Horkheimer also suggested that many industries within the culture operated in a similar way as manufacturing industries did; all the work had become formalized and in the case of the X-Factor all the artist that were churned out ended up being within the same music genre and sounding all the same.


When talking about 'Standardization' we can look at acts such as Take That, Boyzone, Westlife, JLS and One Direction to whom do not have anything massive that sets them apart. When thinking about things that they have different they are very small factors that do not even come off of the top of your head at first. They also said that songs that become successful and well known over time are referred to as 'standards' this means that songs were based around a repetitive sequences, this was used for certain reasons in a commercial sense so that the song would imprint on the persons mind and provoke a response which would lead to them purchasing the item. For Adorno the production of songs had become mechanical and a very manipulative process purely for a commercial gain.


You also have the Pseudo Individuality (force difference), this meant that the ay the industry such as X-Factor claim to be original and unique acts which when looked at more carefully they exhibited little more that superficial difference, such as my boy band reference. Adorno and Horkheimer also used the example of the lock and key - an item that is mass produced in millions, whose uniqueness lies in only very minor modifications.


In conclusion what Adorno and Horkheimer are trying to tell us is that the culture industry is allowing people to become a mass of one and that their is no individuality even though they make us believe there is. We can be easily manipulated by capitalist corporations and authority figures within the industry.

Shortlist

Shortlist

This is our short list for the songs that we would like to use.

Seasick Steve - Doghouse 
Elastica - Connections
Pearl Jam - Oceans
Bjork - It's oh So Quiet
Stereophonics - Dakota (acoustic)

My favorite out of all of them would have to be stereophonics dakota but in acoustic as i think that it has more feeling towards it then. I really like all of the choices here but at the end of the day we can only choose one and this is were our team discussion comes in place as we need to decide upon a song asap.  

21st Century

21st Century

How has Rough Trade evolved in the 21st century?

Rough Trade decided to re-invent themselves and reshape the music landscape. Geoff teamed up with a former employee and musician from when Rough Trade started and they decided to start again but make sure that they do everything right and do it on the terms of the artist and there own. This meant that Rough Trade became a very serious company that wanted to give people the music that they want to hear and give artist the chance to share their music.

How are their working practices different to the music produced through programmes such as X-Factor?

They decided to make sure that they got the artist just right so when Duffy came along they decided to give her a development deal which meant that they would give her the resources she needed but they wanted her to go away and to experience the music the way she likes it and to find her own sound. When they were satisfied that she had found a unique sound to her own taste they produced her music. This is different from the X-Factor as they tell you what music ti sing and they do not give you the time to flourish in the music that you want to be associated with or make even.

What success have they had at this time?

At this time they decided to go ahead with Duffy's music and it all paid off as she went straight to number one in the charts. This was the biggest success that they had had since The Smiths and they knew that it was to do with their new work ethic and the way that they let the artist find what music they wanted to sing.

How has Rough Trade's ideology developed for the company int he present day?

From when they started they had a very laid back approach to the music industry which did not do them any justice. Whereas now they are able to take things slowly and produce music that is a massive hit whilst doing everything correctly.

The 1990's

The 1990's

What problems did Rough Trade incur at the start of the 1990's?

Rough Trade had all their assets frozen and had to move to another warehouse. This meant that they did not have much money to produce another chart topping band. Rough Trade were loosing money and business.

What effect did this have of the Record label and distribution?

This meant that they could not produce many more bands as they could not spend much more money; they had to tighten up with what they were spending and who they were spending it on consequently this meant that many people working for Rough Trade were signed off.

How did the major record labels branch out into the independent music scene?

Bands such as The Smiths would be offered much better deals by bigger record labels and they would want to take them which meant that Rough tRade would loose business, so the major record labels then decided to take the same approach to the music scene as Rough Trade did but in a more liberal way.

What actions were taken to revive Rough Trade?

They bought in someone who knew how to handle the expenses which then enabled them to concentrate on what they could use and what they had to pay back. They bought in and artist management team which enabled them to sort out what they were doing and what artist that they had to concentrate on and what ones they were to drop.

What new music industry areas did Rough Trade begin to work in and with which artist?

Rough Trade went back to their original ways but more within the pop scene as they produced the outstanding pulp which became a high selling band that went through music history outstanding people. 

Rough Trade 1980's

The 1980's

How did contracts effect the development of Rough Trade?

When Rough Trade entered into a deal with an artist it went simply like this: They do not sign a contract so there is nothing holding the band to the label what so ever. Then the cost would be split 50/50 so that it was fair and equal. The problem with this system is that once the band had become well known other labels would want to work with them and as their was nothing holding them to Rough Trade i.e a contract then their is no reason for them to stay with them. End result..Rough Trade loosing their major artist to bigger and better paying labels.


What issues occurred between the record label and distribution?
As the band that they were working with became bigger it meant that more records needed to be sold and made, however Rough Trade did not have the facility to do this so it held them back considerably.


What changes did this lead to within the business structure to Rough Trade?
This lead them to move to a bigger warehouse where they could make more records within a shorter amount of time. This also meant that lots of other companies were contacting them asking for them to distribute records to supermarkets and shops and so forth.


What has been Rough Trade's ideology and how was this effected by the change in structure?
Rough Trade wanted to keep music as it was and allow independent bands to share their music with everyone and keep it that way however as they became more known as a record label they began to get more orders and they were also loosing their biggest bands due to lack of a contract, this then lead them to change the way that they dealt with things. They drafted a contract with 'The Smiths' which did not end well.


What artists led to success for Rough Trade?
Desperate Bicycles
Scotti Polloti
Stiff Little Fingers
The Smiths
The Strokes
Pulp
Duff


What music trend emerged at the end of the 1980's?
At the end of the 80's there was a familiar scene approaching the music industry and that was the beginning of 'Rave' music.


What differences were there at this time between Rough Trade and other Independent Labels?
Other record labels had caught onto the trend of rave music however Rough Trade were still stuck with what they had and had not quite caught up to this. By this time they were beginning to be a no show within the music industry.

Rough Trade 1970's

Rough Trade and the 1970's

How did Rough Trade start?

Rough trade was a small but hip record shop. Geoff Travis came back from his travels in America where he had purchased many records by small bands. He decided that it would be good if he could start his own record shop as he had so many records and he thought that it would be good to have a shop that people could relax and feel at home in whilst doing what they do best, listening to music.

What music trends were popular?

Punk and Reggae were very popular at this time as it was a new era of revolt against the government and this was how people revolutionized against the people, Thatcher was in crisis as the people of Britain were rebelling with music and fashion.

What was the ethos of Rough Trade at the time?

Rough Trade decided that they wanted the shop to be a place were people could come and relax, listen to the music they love whilst having a drink or reading. They also allowed new artists to come in and play their record in the shop so that they could get recognition even if it was just to the local community.

How was Rough Trade different to large corporations?

The Political division gave Rough Trade a unique and alternative spirit which the community relished in. They allowed artist off of the street to play their music in the shop and they then judged whether they felt it would sell records then make some copies and sell them as unique small bands for the local community or who ever was interested.

What techniques were used to expand the Independent music scene?

One of Rough Trade's bands decided that for their their record cover they would put the costs and how they produced a record without any inside help. This enabled many other wannabe artist to 'Do It Yourself' which then increased the Independent music scene.

How did this lead to Rough Trade's expansion?

By giving Independent bands the opportunity to make their own record without having to be signed and Rough Trade playing their tracks within the shop floor this enabled them to become a unique label that allowed the artist to be free with what they wrote and what they did with out signing a contract.

What type of Business Structure existed in the 1970's?

Explain the success of the distribution department and record label?

By allowing the artist to be free with the ideals that they had with music this allowed them to make music that they wanted to hear and in a lot of cases the public also wanted to hear it. The success of the distribution relied solely on whether or not the public like the artist that they were listening to. As there was a punk revolt and that was all the people wanted to hear as soon as Rough Trade were selling music by bands that had got into the chart they were selling records of the shelf.

Music Video Analysis, My choice

Gnarls Barkly Crazy

Genre Characteristics 

The genre for this piece is called Neo-soul, alternative hip hop. Neo-soul is a term that was used during the late 1990's to market and describe a style of music that emerged from soul and contemporary R&B, this was heavily based on soul music with incorporated elements ranging from jazz, funk and hip hop to pop, fusion and African music. However alternative hip hop which is also known as alternative rap is a sub genre of hip hop music. Alternative rap refers to hip hop groups that refuse to conform to any of the stereotypes of rap, such as gangs-ta, bass, hardcore and party rap. Instead they blur genres drawing equally from funk and rock as well as jazz, soul, reggae and even folk. Within this video we can defiantly see these genres come though very potent especially the alternative hip hop.

Lyrics and Visuals

When the lyrics read 'But it wasn't because I didn't know enough' we see a blob bulging and then spiders running out, this can visualize two things, one that the blob is like a brain exploding from too much knowledge and the spiders represent the nothingness that engulfs the brain.

The whole video itself is an essence of the title 'crazy' the way that the video has been made reminds me of when you are tested for insanity and they show you picture of shapes and blobs stuck together and you have to say what you think it looks like.

When the lyrics read 'To loose their lives out on a limb' we see the shapes of two guns appear and shots being fired, this shows death and it symbolises the lyric 'Loose their lives'.

Music and Visuals

At the beginning of the song the their are four clear beats which we seen ink splash onto the screen in synch with then on the last beat the music starts and the image pops up on the screen ready to get on with the song.

The flow of change of the images go with the flow of the music, of the music is slow them the images are very subtle and mellow however once it picks up again the images instantly become more violent and quick.

The large and small black ink stain at the bottom of the screen are still following the distinct beat of the music which gives it an extra variety to it.

When the lyrics read 'who do you, who do you, who do you think you are' we see two images of Barkly facing each other and taking it in turns to say 'Who do you' which creates a sense of confusion and also as if he is arguing with himself as to who is really is.

The as the line reads 'Ha ha ha bless your soul' we see the two heads of Barkly combine with devil horns on his head and he laughs to the tone of the lyric and the music.

Demands of the Record Label

He used Warner Music and Downton Records, so being big labels they would have wanted something new and that has not been done. Especially as Barkley was a recent artist who was new to the charts they wanted him to make and impression so that they would also earn more money and reputation.

Analysis of a Music Video David Mallet

David Bowie Ashes to Ashes

Genre and Characteristics 

The genre of this single is classed as 'New Wave', this is a sub-genre of rock music which in the mid 1970's alongside punk rock. This incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, disco and 1960's pop music. This is shown really well in this video as Mallet uses colours to express the weirdness of the music and the genre. It almost looks as if it is a negative colour but the colours are so bold but yet static you some times think that your screen has mucked up. The clown costume also shows the modernistic value of the music and 'new wave' of music that is coming about. By choosing out going costumes and colours that do not belong he has created a new type of video that has never been done it such a way before but it has also put a new look on the new wave genre that was coming about. Almost as if he put the image to the genre.

Lyrics and Visuals

Within the video the lyrics follow 'The shrieking of nothing is killing me' When this is sung we see David Bowie sat in a padded room all on his own with nothing but a chair to sit on, this to me shows the nothing that he sings of as there is nothing with him and the room is completely empty and silent.

Further on in the song we hear the lyrics, 'Hitting an all-time-low'. When we hear this we see that the two people at the end of the line are both at each time leaning down and touching the floor to shoe imagery of hitting and all-time-low.

Then the lyrics follow, 'I'll stay clean tonight'. The presumption we get from this is that he won't take any drugs and this is emphasized when we see him sitting in the corner of the padded room once again rocking from and to like an addict would if they were being starved from there habit. With these lyrics, actions and surrounding it gives us the assumption that he is going crazy and needs his addiction back. 

Music and visuals 

The music starts off very funky and we see that the colours on the video are also very funky and you cannot quite make out what you are seeing, as if it is distorted with colour, as the music is also hard to figure out as you first begin to listen to it as it doesn't sound like anything you have heard before.

In the first verse we hear Bowie singing but then his singing goes a little deeper as he finishes the verse but with this he stop lip singing and their is a freeze frame whilst another image comes up on a piece of card he is holding up, this created a type of suspense which makes us wonder why his voice has gone deeper and what the next image will be.

Just as the chorus arrives we hear a line sung with a chorus of people and at that point four characters dressed in strange outfits outline the frame and lip sing to the line, this is a visual to the music as it induces a sense of being watched as they are never direct with Bowie but only always seem to pop up every now and again when their line comes into focus.

Demands of the Record Label

This was done with RCA Records which is one of the flagship labels of Sony Entertainment. This certain RCA label deals with pop music, rock music and country music. Knowing this we can assume that they would want the video to be as pop like and rock like as possible. They may have asked that there was some kind of modernistic look towards the video as they have been running since 1901 and they want to keep up with the times and possibly put images of certain new genres forward. Not only that but because they were a flagship for Sony Entertainment this meant that they would have to keep up with the times and they would have had a good amount of money to spend on the video as it was produced by a big record label.

Intertextual Reference

When he is sitting in the chair as the scene is black and white it seems as if he is making a reference to a science fiction film especially as it is in black and white, to show the madness in the song perhaps.

Joan Jett

Joan Jett

The video, directed by David Mallet, is a re-enactment of 23 record labels rejecting Joan Jett’s first solo album and her subsequent rise to the top of the charts with ‘I Love Rock and Roll’. Kenny Laguna cofounder of Blackheart Records, makes a cameo as the Warner Brothers executive.

David Bowie

David Bowie

The video clip for Ashes to Ashes was one of the most iconic of the 1980’s. Costing £250,000, it was at the time the most expensive music video ever made. It incorporated scene both in solarized colour and in stark black and white, featuring Bowie in the gaudy Pierrot costume that became the dominant visual representation of his Scary Monster phase. Also appearing were Steve Strange and other members of the London Blitz scene, including Judith Franklin and Darla Jane Gilroy, forerunners of the New Romantic movement that was heavily influenced by Bowie’s music and image.  Bowie described the shot of himself and the Blitz Kids marching towards the camera in front of a bulldozer as symbolizing ‘oncoming violence’. Although it appears that two of the Blitz Kids bow at intervals, they were actually trying to pull their gowns away from the bulldozer in an effort to avoid them getting caught. Scenes of the singer in a space suit that suggested a hospital life-support system and others showing him locked in what appeared to be a padded room, made reference to both Major Tom and to Bowie’s new, rueful interpretation of him. Contrary to received opinion, the elderly woman lecturing Bowie at the end of the clip was not his real mother. 

Queen

QUEEN

David Mallet’s music video for the song features scenes from Fritz Lang’s 1927 science fiction movie Metropolis. Freddie Mercury’s solo song ‘Love Kills’ was used in Giorgio Moroders restored version of the film, and in exchange Queen were granted the rights to use footage from it in their ‘Radio Ga Ga’ video. However, Queen had to buy performance rights to the film from the communist East German government, which was the copyright holder at the time.

The video also features footage from earlier Queen promo videos such as Bohemian Rhapsody, We are the Champions, Don’t stop me now and Flash in a photo album. A different version of Bohemian Rhapsody is also shown 

Other Artist

        

      

      OTHER ARTIST HE HAS WORKED WITH

 Queen, Def Leppard, Billy Idol, Rush, Scorpions, Kool and the Gang, Freddie Mercury, Kiss, AC/DC, Eraser, Roger Taylor, Joan Jett.

Relevance to music and video

THE RELEVANCE TO THE LYRICS AND VIDEO?

When looking at the lyrics to Lets dance and them comparing it to the video the relevance of the video is all there. Within the song Bowie sings of dancing and being free where as in the beginning of the video we see two workers being put to their paces, you then see them being free and climbing the hill looking over the city as if they were free and dancing to the music. The red shoes are the main symbol in not only the song but the music video, when we think about the colour red we think of lust, anger and danger which is shown within the video. To add to the thought of their freedom they stamp and crush the red shoes at the end top symbolize a new beginning of freedom and life.

Why Mallet?

WHY DID I CHOOSE DAVID MALLET?

When I saw David Bowie’s music video I thought that it was really well made and that the video went perfectly for the lyrics in the song. Knowing this I wanted to look up the director of this music video and when I saw the other artists he worked with I was automatically sure that I wanted to look at the kind of things that he does.

David Mallet intro

DAVID MALLET

David Mallet directed David Bowies music video 

Lets Dance.

David Mallet is a British director particularly noted for his work on Music video's, including David Bowie's innovative 'Ashes to Ashes, Rush's "Distant and Early Warning, and Queen's "Radio Ga Ga" and "I want to break free" videos. He has also served as a producer on television programmes including 'The Kenny Everett Video Show". He is also known for directing some concert recordings of acclaimed British soprano Sarah Brightman and other major live music and spectacle events such as 46664 and Cirque De Soleil. He has also directed such prominent concerts as Pulse.

Jay-Z 99 Problems with Goodwin's Theories

Lyrics and Visuals

The song is about being a gangster/lifestyle plus video images illustrate this.

Synchronous relationship,throughout the song images reflect the lyrics sometimes generally and sometimes more specifically/literally - e.g. 'God' = image of crucifix, 'Bitch' = image of dog etc.

The story about getting pulled over by police is literally illustrated through the visual; very narrative style.

The visuals show some of the 99 Problems, the pinnacle being him getting shot.

'From the radio'  - Pulls down hood

Music and Visuals 

Camera movements are jerky and constant which matched the rise and fall of the beat.

Cuts are in sync with the bass, especially at the beginning.

Lots of cuts and many different images make it hard to see everything on the first viewing, similar to song which is also dense with themes/imagery/narratives.

Demands of the record label

Lots of worms eye and close up's of shots of Jay-Z makes him appear powerful.

Fewer shots of him than you might expect, seems like he is being modest OR that he is being top dog/elusive on the streets. Also reflects fact that he is well established artist and doesn't need his face all over the video. 

Reference to notion of looking Voyeuristic treatment

Looking at police in the wing mirror.

Various shots of which are very sexualized.

Looking through bars into the prison.

Video of Jay-Z outside subway station.

Looking through fingers a lot of the time.

X-ray vision shot through the boot of the car.


Intertextual Reference
Generic action film shown.
Rick Ruben appears in video.
Black and white reference to gangster films.

Goodwin Theories

Goodwin Theories

Genre Characteristics
Lyrics and Visuals
Music and Visuals
Demands of the record label
Reference to notion of looking voyeuristic treatment
Intertextual Reference