Research: Song Choice & Permission

 This blog contains the song choice and permission that was done for the Music Video component 3 project. This was done Tisha

Song Choice

As a team, we have decided on the song pov by Ariana Grande. I have created a blog explaining how we decided on the song pov by Ariana Grande. I will re-explained why we choose the song here again. 

As Ariana Grande is very famous in the Pop genre culture, we believe that it will be easier to create music video which follows the song genre conventions being the song has a mix of Pop and R&B genre conventions. 

Below it shows the song that we are choosing

To choose the right song that we want to do, my team and I listed out some pros and cons that help in choosing the song. 

Pros	Cons
The song was released in 2021, meeting the under-5-year requirement.	The song doesn’t have a music video, which is hard to visualize inspiration that would fit the song.
Without a music video, we have more creative freedom instead of following existing conventions.	With the video being only a lyric/performance video, it limits us to understand what narrative fits in this song.
The song fits within the R&B genre but it also has pop conventions, this gives a more flexible style.	As the song has two genres (R&B and pop) it means we need to combine them both which can be challenging.
We are more familiar with pop conventions, so creating ideas will be easier to do.	The song is more in the subtle tone which makes it more challenging to create visually engaging content without repetition.
As the song contains emotional lyrics, this helps in creating a strong narrative. Allowing us to create a deeper audience engagement.

After understanding the pros and cons, we started planning on the music video. As our music video will be published on Youtube and Instagram, we need to follow their regulation which includes copyright. 

What is Copyright?
Copyright  that is explained in oxford learners dictionaries means that it is being not allowed to be copied without permission. This would mean that, in order to use the song by Ariana Grande we will need to gain permission. 

Due to needing permission, I decided to find out who owns the song Ariana Grande and if we were to ask permission how would the process be. After researching, the song is owned by Republic Records which is a division of Universal Music. 

Universal Music 

Universal Music Group is a global music company that owns and manage several songs from artists and providing permission in using the song in media. As it is a large company, in order for people to ask for permission they have made it much more easier which is by using a licensing form system. 

Universal Music Group has 2 different form system they use, which include publishing rights and masters rights. This was a new term for me, which I decided to search what it means from this website: 

https://soundcharts.com/en/blog/master-rights-vs-publishing-rights

• Publishing Rights ━ it refers to how a permission is needed to use the songs lyric's and melody. 

• Masters Rights ━ it refers to gaining a permission in using the original recording of the song. 

As this project component 3 being a music video, my music video consist lip syncing of the lyric with still using the original recording of the song. This means that in order to use it for this project, I will need to gain both of the rights. The website interface of both the Masters Rights and Publishing rights are shown below. Which both include almost similar things to add, includes; company name, project / media type, duration of the license, and many more. 

Masters Rights Form & Publishing Rights form

This project is a non-commercial school production, so we decided not to complete the official licensing forms to request permission for using pov by Ariana Grande. However, we understand that permission would normally be obtained through Universal Music Group, demonstrating our awareness of copyright regulations and potential platform restrictions, such as those on YouTube.

Reflection: Even though I didn't create this blog post, it helped me understand the importance of choosing a suitable song for our music video. I learned that considering factors such as genre can affect how we develop our ideas. The discussion of pros and cons also showed how important it is to think carefully before making decisions as a group. In addition, the research on copyright helped me become more aware of legal considerations when using music, even for a school project.

Typography Research

 This blog is the typography research blog for component 3. This blog is done by Cassie.

˙✧˖° Typography Research ༘ ⋆｡˚

Cassie’s Media Dictionary 📖 𓂃🪶

Definition by Oxford Languages

TYPOGRAPHY

/taɪˈpɒɡrəfi/

noun | TRADEMARK

the art or work of preparing books, etc. for printing, especially of designing how text will appear when it is printed

What is a TYPEFACE?

A typeface is the design of letters, numbers, and symbols that create a specific visual style for text. It helps shape the way words look, making them feel formal, casual, modern, etc, giving them meaning. For our project, choosing the right typeface for the digipak is important because it helps set the tone for the album and music promotional package. Additionally, a signature font or logos are a type of typeface that can solidify our artist’s branding. By carefully selecting a typeface, we can make sure our project matches the emotions we want to create and align with our genre.

A TYPOGRAPHY strategy can:

❀ Redirect attention

❀ Create branding

❀ Influence people by emotion

This means the typeface used in my project is crucial to grab attention and differentiate it from other RNB albums. I also need it to create memorable branding for my artist’s so consumers easily recognize her. Additionally we can use typeface to support and amplify the dominant reading of our project, specifically our digipak.

I think doing a typography research blog is beneficial as the knowledge I gain can be applied beyond the digipak, and can be used in the music video and social media too, which is why I decided to make it in an entirely separate blog post.

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TYPEFACES TYPES

Made with

SOURCES:

❀ designmodo

HOW TO CHOOSE TYPEFACE

According to realfakeart, choosing the right typeface in music marketing is highly important as it creates a mood, reinforces an identity and makes information readable. Below, I have summarized this article and I will apply this knowledge in our final products.

1. Choose Fonts That Match Your Sound

Your typography should reflect the mood and genre of your music. Avoid switching fonts every release and develop a

consistent style to strengthen visual identity through logo and imagery. 

2. Prioritize Readability
A font must be readable no matter how appealing it is. It must be a clear at a glance to promote a brand. 

3. Limit the Number of Fonts
Using too many fonts can make your design look messy and unprofessional. Stick to one or two fonts to keep your design clean and cohesive.

4. Use Contrast for Impact
Ensure there is enough contrast in font size, colour, and weight so that your text stands out and remains easy to read.

5. Consider Printing and Merch Use
Not all fonts work well across different formats. Think about how your design will look when printed on merchandise such as clothing, embroidery, or vinyl to ensure it remains effective.

TYPEFACE PRINCIPLES

Below is the video I’ve watched that has helped me understand the key principles of typography. This video helped me understand the connotations of different typefaces and how they create different emotional and psychological responses from audiences based on how they perceive it. This is why typography plays such an important role in media and branding.

Reflection: Overall, even though I did not create this typography blog post, it helped me have a better understand of how important typography is in media production and branding. I learned that typefaces are not just for design, but also help create meaning and influence how the audience perceives the artist. This will be useful for my project, especially when designing the digipak and social media, as choosing the right font can make our artist more recognisable and ensure a consistent visual style.

Styling Plan + Analysis

 This is the styling plan and analysis for component 3. This blog was done by me (Cassie).

𐔌 . ⋮ Styling Plan + Analysis .ᐟ ֹ ₊ ꒱

Cassie’s Media Dictionary 📖 𓂃🪶

Definition by Oxford Languages

STYLING

/ˈstaɪlɪŋ/

noun | TRADEMARK

the way in which something is designed.

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What does STYLING mean in a media context?

Styling can refer to the way something is carefully designed to communicate certain identities, emotions or connotations through visuals. Styling is basically mis-en-scene, but more focused on clothing, make-up, hairdos, and fashion in general. Styling can support branding by reinforcing a specific image or persona, while creating meaning in music videos (e.g. comfortable clothes + dripping mascara can imply

crying and show sadness). This mis-en-scene can then be used to attract the target audience. 

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STYLING PLAN

We already have certain scenes prepared in our filming schedule, which meant we had to find outfits and style Kellie properly in order to create the connotations we wanted to support our dominant reading and attract our target audience. To gain more ideas, I mostly looked on Pinterest for inspiration. I then decided to create a pinterest board where any of my members or myself could add pins and organize them into certain

sections to create a sort of mood board and also to generate ideas. This makes it easy for us to easily refer back to our Pinterest board if we were confused on the mis-en-scene of a certain scene. Below, is

our Pinterest board, where I’ve created two sections for our main star’s styling and fashion, along with her love interest’s as well.

THE LINK: https://pin.it/7DpjkqZRh

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STYLING ANALYSIS

REFLECTION: Although I didn't create this blog post, it helped me understand how important styling is in creating meaning and shaping the artist’s image. I learned that elements like clothing, makeup, and overall appearance are not just for visuals, but also to show personality to the audience. This will be useful for my project, as styling can help reinforce our chosen persona and make our music video more engaging.

Classwork: Clapperboard

This blog contains a short understanding of what Clapperboard is and how we use it in our music video project. This blog was created by Tisha

Clapperboard

In class, my teacher has given a suggestion on buying a clapperboard in order to help with editing much more easier. As before I had to look through each video to find the right video and it took a lot of time. At first, I thought it was an item that is just for visuals only but it turns out it was useful. 

I decided, to research myself about what a clapperboard is, how it is use, and what is the purpose of having a clapperboard in creating a video project. I decided to research by watching a youtube video. 

The video explains a brief explanation of what clapperboard is and how films use them.

To show my understanding of the video, I created a summary below about clapperboards. 

What is a clapperboard? 

Clapperboard is a flat board that contains information about a scene which includes scene number, roll, take, shot, and date. At the top it includes a hinged that when it is close it makes a clap sound. 

How to use a clapperboard? 

In order to use a clapperboard, the clapperboard needs to fill in the full frame being needed to hold in front of the camera. The details on the clapperboard is mainly important which includes details about the:

• Production title

• Scene number

• Shot number

• Take number

Even with the details already on the clapperboard, the scene number and take number will be called out by the person who is holding the clapperboard while closing the board shut to make the clap sound. Then the clapperboard is removed from the camera in order for the shoot to start / continue. 

What is the purpose of a clapperboard? 

The purpose of a clapperboard in general is to help organize footage that makes it helpful during editing. As the clapperboard is shown in front of the camera and filling the whole frame, when the footage are placed in storage application such as Google Drive, the thumbnail of the raw footage will have the clapperboard. With this, it makes it easier to identify what footage it is. 

Another purpose of having a clapperboard is the hinged top. The hinged top creates a clap sound, because of this sound it will create a spike waveform. With this spike it will be much more easier for editor to match the sound if it was recorded on a separate device such as a boom mics. 

Applying my knowledge in using clapperboards 

With my understanding about clapperboard through my research, I wanted to apply them into my project. Below will be a presentation that I created about my process in using a clapperboard.

Applying my knowledge of clapperboards by Jyotisha

Reflection: Even though I didn't create this blog post, it helped me understand how important organisation is when managing footage, especially during editing. I realised that using tools like a clapperboard can make the process faster and more efficient by labelling each take. This reduces the need to go through every clip, which can be very time-consuming. Overall, this helped me see how good organisation can improve the workflow and make the whole production process more efficient.

Classwork: Summary of First Project

This blog post contains an explanation of my first project that I did in class, what I learned from it and how I'm going to apply my experience to my music video project (Component 3)

Reflection: Overall, from my experience in the production of the documentary opening project, I learned that effective planning and communication is essential to a successful final product. In the documentary project, I faced a lot of challenges due to inefficient planning and communication which lead to many last minute work and filming. For my music video project, I will try my best to avoid these conflicts such as by creating more detailed plans to keep everything organised and make sure to communicate clearly to avoid any misunderstandings which can later affect the flow of the production process. 

Classwork: Shooting + Performance Practice

 This is the shooting and performance practice blog for component 3 discussing our process and how this helped us. Cassie performed and edited, Tisha and I (Kimora) filmed. This blog was written by Cassie.

*:･ Shooting + Performance Practice ⋆.ೃ࿔

Cassie’s Media Dictionary 📖 𓂃🪶

Definition by Oxford Languages

SHOOTING

/ˈʃuːtɪŋ/

noun | TRADEMARK

the process of filming a film

PERFORMANCE

/pərˈfɔːrməns/

noun | TRADEMARK

the act of performing a play, concert or some other form of entertainment

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My group and I decided to practice our shooting and filming, specifically during performances since we had practiced how to film narrative scenes before in our first project (find out more on our *summary of first project blog* (put ur blog link)). Through our research on RNB songs such as Folded by Kehlani and Good Days by SZA, we found out that a large portion of RNB music uses performances in the majority of their music videos, whether that is lip-syncing or dancing. In order to create a music video that is dynamic and balances how much it conforms and subverts from RNB conventions, we felt as if practicing how to shoot and perform a music video or performance video would be beneficial. Music videos must hook the audience and keep them engaged throughout the whole song, and by doing this practice, we can learn how to create engaging shots to make our final video more interesting. Additionally, this can help us become more comfortable with filming and performing/acting throughout our process.

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THE PROJECT

Cassie and some friends have been preparing a dance performance for a school event. I thought it would be a good opportunity to learn how to shoot this kind of dancing performance just in case we decided to have a performance-heavy video, especially in dancing since we had already memorized the choreography and blocking.

Cassie and my friends performed to Boy With Luv by BTS. Even though it is a K-Pop song and not RNB, I thought that the dance and performance styles are not drastically different (from a dancer's view). From a media view, I had to make sure that filming techniques between the two genres aren't too different. So, I decided to briefly research and compare the two, by watching the Boy With Luv music video, Boy With Luv performance video, and also the Folded Music Video. These videos are linked below:

The Boy With Luv performance video shows an actual performance by BTS to a crowd, meaning they focused more on the choreography and vocals of the performance. It's often shot in one take (or with minimal cuts), using different camera movements and angles to make it more dynamic. This is similar to one take style music videos like Justin Bieber's "Beauty and a Beat" or Ravyn Lenae's "Love Me Not". 

Lastly, the Folded music video had little narrative and showed more of the dance, using multiple angles and a mix of lip-syncing to make the video more engaging. I ultimately determined the differences were not too significant and decided to continue with this shooting practice.

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OUR PROCESS

Personally, I (Cassie) have experience in dancing as a dancer, along with facial expressions usually used in dancing. Kellie usually posts lip-syncing videos onto her TikTok, so she had some experience in that sense. Tisha and Kimora are more familiar with filming itself, since they often shot scenes for past projects. So, we decided to split our roles.

❀ Cassie - Dancer/Performer along with her friends

❀  Tisha/Kim - Cameramen 

❀  Kellie - Unfortunately she was unable to join due to conflicting schedules

First, we all watched the 3 videos together to get an idea of what to expect and how to film performances. I also took note on how the dancers lip-synced and made facial expressions to enhance their performance. Then, my friends and I decided to practice the choreography a few times, so we can make sure we remember it and so Tisha and Kimora can familiarize themselves with our dance and positions. Finally, we decided to film it.

Here is the link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Fmp-a6e69vc8ERCU476xOGe8scL9_uQv/view?usp=drivesdk

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ADVANTAGES & DISADVANTAGES

Benefits	Limitations
Allowed us to practice filming performance scenes with many different camera movements/angles which can help improve performance filming in our music video if there is any	We did not have access to multiple cameras as we only had one phone with sufficient storage for filming, meaning we did not take videos from multiple angles to make a more dynamic video, and could only do a one-take continuous video as it’s hard to dance with many cuts
Helps us become more comfortable performing, and allows us to gain more knowledge on how to do a dance performance to create specific meaning if needed in our music video	If we decide to not have many performance scenes, especially dancing, our practice will not be as useful as anticipated
Allows us to create a good RNB style dance scene if needed, which can help us conform to conventions and make our video more recognizably RNB	Minimal editing was used for this one-take video, meaning we didn’t get to practice too many editing techniques

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REFLECTION: Even though I did not write this blog post, I was still involved in the filming process, which helped me understand how important shooting and performance are in a music video. By filming the dance performance, I was able to practice using different camera movements to make the visuals more engaging. It also helped me see how performance, such as lip-syncing and body language, can create meaning and connect with the audience. This experience made me more confident in filming performance scenes and will help me apply these techniques to make our final music video more engaging.