Classwork

This blogpost will include relevant classwork surrounding theories, technical skills and others that are related to this Component 3, music video project.

Clapper Board:

During media class, we learned about the clapper board. Although I knew what it was beforehand as it is quite iconic, I never thought that there would be a practical use for it. I learned that the clapper board is used to signify the start and ending of a scene and the scene number or attempt. For editors, they are able to see the wavelength of the audios recorded for scenes. Now, the use for the clapper board is to create a loud noise at the start and the end of the scene so that the editor saves time from searching through each recording for the parts that they will need to use. The loud noise created causes the wavelength to become a straight line which is very visible compared to other audios from the scene. The editor can now choose to cut the recording from when the line appears in the audio to when it appears the next time on the same recording. Since we don't have a clapper board, my team and I decided that we will just use the sound of us clapping to create the same effect that the clapper board. I think that this will be very useful for this music video project as there will be many attempts for recording scenes and by using this method, it will cut down time scrolling through the audios, making it more efficient in the production process.

 does on a budget.

Here is the little drawing that our media teacher (Mr Nick) drew in order to demonstrate the capabilities of the clapper board. I personally think it was very effective and straightforward to understand!

Storyboard:

A storyboard can be described as a chain of illustrations with annotations which can help to portray drafts of scenes visually before recording and finalising them. I had learned how to do this during a class project in Media Studies prior to this component 3 project. Here is what I did:

Here is a simple and quick sketch I made for the draft of a storyboard which would be used for a scene in a video I was helping to produce. After briefly reading through a script, I tried to visualise the scene in order to communicate to the camera-man exactly what I had in mind. This would guide the camera-man as they would understand what and how to film the scenes.

After that, I (the mock-actor), tried to act out the scene that I had planned with this quick sketch and recorded it. After trying to record the scene, I realized that there were a couple flaws to the storyboard draft I made. Firstly, in the draft storyboard I drew the bag being thrown onto the couch immediately as the actor walks into the room. While trying to act out this scene, I actually found that it was impossible to place the bag down like this. Instead, I revised it and made it so that the actor would place the bag down with both hands slowly while sighing in order to give a more realistic effect of her being tired after coming home from school. Other than that, the scene with the opening of the laptop was also something we had to modify. My camera-man and I felt that if we decided to film it from a POV camera angle, it would seem to be disconnected. To make the scene feel more cohesive, we decided to just shoot from a medium close-up angle from behind, showing the actor entering the scene to open the laptop to make it seem like it didn't come from nowhere. I think that these changes were actually really good and it will make it much easier for the final actor to understand when the time comes for her to act out this scene.

Here is the link just in case the video doesn't play: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CukIcWw8vnM

After realising all of these problems and making adjustments accordingly, I revised my storyboard and made it more realistic, detailed and finalised it. Here is the end result of what I came up with:

Theory of Stardom:

I have learned about the Theory of Stardom in class, here is what I summarised from the lessons:

Theory of Stardom was theorised by Richard Dyer. This theory states that an artist and their “persona” (meaning their alter ego shown to their audience) are two different beings, each having their own personalities. Dyer claims that star personas are carefully and deliberately constructed in order to appeal to their target audiences. This is how he describes this:

REAL Persona:

This is the authentic personality of the star as an individual in their personal life when they are not in the public’s eyes. This can mostly be observed through interviews, documentaries and behind the scenes footage which don’t require a performance.

REEL Persona:

This is their constructed identity which has been made in order to fulfil the expectations of the public and audience. This can be seen during performances, music videos and in social media posts.

This will be useful because in this project, I’ll need to make a persona for my artist in the music video. 

Here is a classwork I did together with my teammates to support my understanding of this theory even further:

WEEK 4 - REEL AND REAL PERSONA (Stardom Theory) - Classwork

Names:	Jasmine, Rachelle, Beatrice
Celebrity:	Camila Cabello
REEL persona:	What image to they project through their work (films, music, social media) Camilla Cabello portrays herself as a seductive and iconic figure. She is always confident and is a feminist.
REAL persona:	Have there been any cracks in this image (examples) Camilla had a picture of her in a bikini taken by the paparazzi where she doesn’t look ‘ideal’, she then went on social media and expressed her upsetness to the public. Audiences then discussed how Camilla was being insecure and how she isn’t as seductive as she portrays herself to be.
Love:	Shawn Mendez, as she is infamous for being his muse. She kept on breaking up and getting back with him. She dated Shawn Mendez from 2019 - 2021, and eventually announced their breakup through instagram as “the best of friends”. Website link : Camila Cabello's love life
Ordinariness:	Camila Cabello posted on her instagram using her ‘daily outfit’ which resonates with a lot of the audience.  Moreover, she occasionally posted her working out on her social media. By her speaking openly about her body image, and the societal pressures she feels to look a certain way, it resonates with the audience who face similar difficulties, especially in a world influenced by beauty standards. Through her experiences, she has also been vocal about the unrealistic beauty standards often imposed on women, especially in the entertainment industry. Additionally, by showing the ‘imperfect’ side for her, it invites empathy and respect from the audience, which strengthen her image of an “ordinary” person rather than as someone with an achievable lifestyle. pinkvilla - ordinary
Success:	What is their success story? How is it told?  At first, Camilla Cabello was in a group called Fifth Harmony where she often got comments that said her voice is so different (unique) compared to her other group members that it overshadows everyone else. Due to this, Camilla Cabello quit the group to pursue a solo singing career. She began to release a few collaborative singles like "I Know What You Did Last Summer" with Shawn Mendes which peaked at number four on the US Billboard Hot 100. Her solo career has been peaking ever since.  Camila's success story
Consumption:	Luxurious lifestyles: She has been seen to consume products such as this ice-handbag which costs $22.5k. This proves that she has enough funds in order to support this kind of spending, allowing her to purchase products which are generally seen as a waste by the public. In addition, this handbag caused quite a backlash as people on platforms such as Tik-tok have been seen making posts about her, calling her out for the useless purchase of this handbag which will melt anyways, not being worth $22.5k.
Dream turned sour:	Has this celebrity had a downfall? How is it reported? Did they recover? An anonymous twitter account posted screenshots of Camilla Cabello’s old tumblr and twitter posts which consists of her re-shared gifs and memes that reinforce black and asian stereotypes. She later on apologized formally on her Instagram story and was later on reported to require going to therapy to stop being racist.  Sources: https://www.teenvogue.com/story/camila-cabello-weekly-racial-healing-sessions  https://www.cbsnews.com/news/camila-cabello-tumblr-language-in-posts-singer-apologizes-for-n-word-racial-stereotypes-2019-12-19/

Self-reflection for the Theory of Stardom topic:

Being completely honest, before learning about this theory in class, I already had a brief understanding of what a star persona was. This was probably because I had been in the art community in which many artists also have an “alter ego” of their own which they use to represent the qualities that they want on online platforms. I think that this theory was very interesting and fun to learn about because I’ve seen it applied many times in real life and have also found myself selectively constructing through social media posts in order to be seen in a certain way (cool and fun!). It’s really interesting to learn how artists apply this on a larger scale and take it much more seriously as they sometimes even have staff to manage their image. I think it’ll be really interesting to explore more on how a star’s image could influence their audience and consumption of their content. I think that I’ll research more about this later on. The only downside to this theory is how hard it’ll be to refer to REEL and REAL as they sound exactly the same when said verbally.

We also learned about camera angles and movements. I'll summarise all the camera angles and movements I’ve learned and it will most likely help in producing the music video.

Camera angles and movements:

Long shot:

• A long shot is a camera angle usually used to show the setting of the scene, showing how the character interacts with the environment that they are in. It can also help in setting the mood and overall vibe of the scene.

Extreme long shot:

• Extreme long shots focus more on the setting and environment in the scene, often being used to allow the audience to understand a new location in the story. They are also sometimes used as establishing shots. 

Medium shot:

• A medium shot captures the subject and actor from their waist-up. This allows the actor and the surrounding to have an equal amount of presence on the screen letting the audience to focus on both.

Cowboy shot:

• This camera angle captures the actor or subject up from the mid-thigh to the top of their head. This camera angle’s name was based on shots in Western films where the actor’s faces and guns around their waist are kept in the shot. This camera angle gives a “heroic” effect and makes the subject look strong.

Close up:

• A close up shot captures a subject from the shoulders to the top of their head. However, this camera angle can also be used for objects, shooting them at close range in order to display more precise details to the audience.

Extreme close up:

• Extreme close up shots are more oriented towards displaying a subject’s features such as eyes, mouth or body parts. This camera angle can create a sense of intimacy between the audience and the subject and can capture a great amount of detail which the producer may want to display intentionally.

POV:

• A POV shot (Point Of View) is when a camera angle is intended to make it seem like the audience is watching through a character’s eyes in first person. This camera angle can be used in order to create a more immersive experience for the audience, feeling as if they are experiencing the events occurring in the scene through their own eyes.

Over the shoulder:

• This camera angle is when the camera is situated above the back of the shoulder and head of a character or subject. This camera angle is most often used to show a connection between two characters who are conversing or interacting with one another, showing that they both are in the same environment as one another. 

High angle:

• A high angle shot is when the camera is angled down to look down on the subject or character. This camera angle is usually used in order to make the subject look weak, smaller and vulnerable. 

Low angle:

• A low angle shot is when a character or subject is filmed with the camera turned upwards. As the camera is looking up, this results in an effect which makes the subject seem stronger, intimidating and bigger. 

Dutch angle:

• A Dutch angle shot is shot in a way in which the camera is rotated and tilted. This camera angle is used in order to signify uneasiness, disorientation and unsettling situations. This effect occurs because the tilt results in a sense of imbalance, resulting in discomfort for the viewer subconsciously.

Establishing shot:

• Establishing shots are usually taken at an extreme long shot or displays buildings and landscapes from afar. This in turn allows the audience to understand the setting of the scene and provides context for the viewers before another scene occurs.

Camera Movement:

My teacher shared this video with us, it really helped me get a better understanding of some of the camera movements I was confused about earlier.

Fixed camera:

- The camera remains static which will create a sense of feeling normal, calm and peaceful during scenes.

Push-in: 

- The camera pushes in or moves slowly towards the subject. This allows the audience to have more intimacy with the scene, making them feel closer and more interactive towards the mood of the scene.

Pull-out:

- The camera pulls away or moves slowly away from the subject. This allows the audience to leave and detach from the character or subject as they are taken away from the action.

Pan:

- This is when the camera moves from side to side, fixed on an axis. This will reveal information in scenes and mimics the head movement of the audience.

Tilt:

- This is when the camera moves up and down from the same axis. This also reveals information just like a pan with a different direction.

Dolly:

- This is when the camera moves around freely. This becomes more immersive for the audience, allowing them to feel as if they are exploring the character's world and are being a part of the story.

Tracking;

- This is when the camera is moving around on tracks. As is uses tracks, the effect is similar to a dolly, except it is smoother as the movement is more controlled.

Crane:

- This uses a crane and can help to reveal large locations and landscapes.

Handheld:

- As it is called, this camera movement is natural and shaky, making it more realistic and immersive. It can also be used to convey a feeling of high and raw energy.

Zoom:

- This camera movements allows the audience to get closer to the subject and draws their attention to a certain subject.

Overall self-reflection for Classwork:

I think that in all the related media classwork I’ve done and shown on this blogpost, I had the most fun learning about the Theory of Stardom by Richard Dyer. I’ve mentioned earlier but being able to see this theory be applied in everyday life is actually very interesting and I loved being able to build upon my previous knowledge on this theory. I also think that storyboarding was also an interesting thing to learn because I really enjoyed having that trial and error process where I would try out to act out the scenes in real life to test the realism and then revise my final storyboard to reflect that. 

I don’t really think that there was anything in particular that was challenging, but I will say that doing that classwork on Camilla Cabello was a bit tedious and I think that I could have done better quality work, which I will do next time around. 

For the clapper board, learning it will definitely help as it will make the editing process much more efficient as it indicated when the scene starts so I won’t need to waste time scrolling through the audio of each video I’ll record for this project.

Learning how to storyboard will definitely be useful for this project as my group will need to make one in order to visualise how the scenes for the music video will look like so that when we attempt to record them, we won’t be completely lost on which camera angle and movement to use since it was already planned and prepared beforehand in the storyboard.

Learning the Theory of Stardom will help my group and I in the process of deciding what we would like our stars to represent in the music video. We will need to decide how to selectively construct and build our star’s image and learning this theory will give us the base knowledge on what we’ll need to do in order to do that.

Camera angles and movements will be good to understand especially when storyboarding and in the recording process. Learning what each movement and angle connotes will allow us to effectively send the message that we would like through the music video as using them intentionally will result in specific effects in the audience watching the music video. Without this basic knowledge, our music video will look unprofessional and rushed.