Joy Division - Disorder THE BRIEF: A promotion package for the release of an album, to include a music promo video, together with two of the following options:
1. a cover for its release as part of a digipak (CD/DVD package); 2. a magazine advertisement for the digipak (CD/DVD package).
My idea for this video was a narrative about a taxi driver. The taxi driver picked up Gary Numan and his band as if to take them to their destination. When he releases who it is he has actually picked up, he tells them to play the song "Cars". When they politely decline, he locks the doors telling them they have to play the song. At first they play reluctantly before getting more into the performance. The taxi driver keeps interrupting Gary Numan's vocals, singing along himself. When Gary Numan continues to sing along, the rest of the band actually open the door and kick Gary out at the side of the highway. They continue to drive along with the taxi driver singing vocals, leaving Gary behind.
This idea puts a comedy twist on the iconic song. It plays with the line "I feel safest of all" as in fact they are not safe at all - least of all Gary. After later reflecting on my video idea, I noticed similarities with the Red Hot Chilli Pepper's video for "By The Way".
My idea for this music video was a man walking down a street centrally framed. He'd be wearing a suit and in his early thirties/late twenties. As he walked down the street, everyone he passed would be strange in appearance, and essentially mutilated. The twist of the video would be that the freaks would see him as the strange one, playing on the expectations of the audience through use of irony. Blue colour filters would be used to give it that twisted horror like feel, before the man eventually runs down an alley way trips and falls, lying face down in a puddle. We would then see a POV shot of silhouettes above him, pearing down at him offering help. As the lightning flashed, we would briefly see again they were mutilated and his face in horror. But continuing the earlier irony, it would be the freaks that ran away horrified by this "normal" man.
I had in mind the style of music video directors Michel Gondry and Spike Jonze when thinking of my idea. It is very much narrative based and links to the line "People are strange, when you're a stranger". As the man is different to the freaks and an outsider to their lives, to them he is the abnormal ones not them. Fine details from the lyrics such as "when you're alone" and the setting of the "rain" would also feature in the video.
Later when I researched further into the song, I found that the album it was taken from ("Strange Days") was considered psychadelic rock and very artistic. This would certainly fit with my idea for the song, as it is creative and plays with the audiences expectations. Obviously there are big links between this single and the album itself (it was the lead single and both mention being "strange"), and the album cover illustrates my idea perfectly.
The song we were given to pitch is "Encoder" by Australian drum 'n' bass/ electro rock band Pendulum. The song is taken from their third studio album "Immersion", released in 2010.
Our basic idea was a narrative music video which could possibly incorporate aspects of performance. The video followed the storyline of a man sent into space who falls in love with one of the aliens. The idea was influenced by James Cameron blockbuster hit Avatar. It is very common for music videos to "borrow" ideas from feature-length films, and with Avatar being such a major current hit, we felt that this would give our video a strong cultural relevance. SFX are very commonly used in Pendulum's music videos as well the setting of space, so again our video matched their conventions. As they are a very modern band who rely on electronics, their videos are often very technology driven and often include sci-fi elements. Again our video fits with this idea.
If you want to look at one of Pendulum's existing video's below is the video for their song "Watercolour".
The song I have decided to pitch is "Last Night In Brooklyn" by InnerPartySystem.
About The Band
Innerpartysystem is an American electro-rock band formed in 2006. The name originates from the classic George Orwell novel "1984". They have so far has a series of EP's "The Download EP", "Don't Stop EP", "Heart of Fire", "American Trash" and one self-titled studio album.
The band currently consists of three members; Patrick Nissley, Jared Piccone, Kris Barman. The band experiments with all modern mediums, and actually promote illegal downloading of their songs.
They currently touring the US, whilst playing new songs from the as yet untitled second album.
The song picked is an album track from the self titled debut.
Genre/Video Conventions
The band's style takes influence from the 80's electro sound such as Depeche Mode, New Order, and early Nine Inch Nails. As often the songs feature polictical statements they often have concept videos, which feature elements of performance, such as their video for Don't Stop. Another band to possibly consider are Pendulum but....
Clearly, like any real music video director, with our videos we have to be very aware of regulations that would see them banned. Though there are examples of how banning videos in fact has lead to more publicity for the band, we as media students cannot take that risk. So to help myself, I have tried to look at videos which indeed have been banned and their respective reasons, in order to have more knowledge on what content can and cannot be later included in my production. Like with any subject, the publics views on certain topics are developing, and it is very much the social context in which they are viewed that depicts the reaction to the video. So to gain further insight we will start back in the 1950's with the iconic Elvis Presley...
Elvis Presley - Hound Dog (On Ed Sullivan Show)
*"OBSCENE" DANCING
Michael Jackson - Black Or White
*MORE "OBSCENE" DANCING *RACISM CONTROVERSY
Frankie Goes To Hollywood - RELAX
*OVERTLY SEXUAL AND GAY CONTENT
Motley Crue - Girls, Girls, Girls
*NUDITY
Prodigy - Smack My B***ch Up
*DRUGS/ALCHOL ABUSE/SEXUAL CONTENT/VANDALISM/NUDITY ETC. ETC.
Marilyn Manson - Coma White
*COLUMBINE MASSACRE *REENACTMENT OF ASSASSINATION OF JFK
Target audience:
-Tweenagers & teenagers
-Young females but also boys. Male gaze.
- Appeals because of makeup and dressing up but also because of her crazy, eccentric, outrageous style. She's controversial and seen as a rebel of the industry.
- 15 to 34 years.
-Sex appeal
- Gays (the pink pound). Very camp style.
- She plays with her gender identity, and encourages rumours questioning hers.
Using body to sell records?
- Yes, as her costumes are revealing throughout. She also is sexually provocative towards one male in the video, lap dancing for him and whispering in his ear.
- But she is "forced" to do so in the storyline as she drinks some date-rape style substance. She's then stripped whilst she tries to cover up. This is possibly a criticism of the media and music industry.
- There are argument for both sides, and it can be seen that the music video plays with this idea. Perhaps depending on where you were feminist or post-feminist which change your view.
Intertextuality:
-Links to Madonna's "Vogue" video. The infamous connical bra is mimicked in this video.
- A Clockwork Orange style setup at beginning. It was a very controversial film, and Lady GaGa wishes to be seen this way.
Postmodernism and the destruction of identity.
My idea for this music video was a man walking down a street centrally framed. He'd be wearing a suit and in his early thirties/late twenties. As he walked down the street, everyone he passed would be strange in appearance, and essentially mutilated. The twist of the video would be that the freaks would see him as the strange one, playing on the expectations of the audience through use of irony. Blue colour filters would be used to give it that twisted horror like feel, before the man eventually runs down an alley way trips and falls, lying face down in a puddle. We would then see a POV shot of silhouettes above him, pearing down at him offering help. As the lightning flashed, we would briefly see again they were mutilated and his face in horror. But continuing the earlier irony, it would be the freaks that ran away horrified by this "normal" man.
Innerpartysystem is an American electro-rock band formed in 2006. The name originates from the classic George Orwell novel "1984". They have so far has a series of EP's "The Download EP", "Don't Stop EP", "Heart of Fire", "American Trash" and one self-titled studio album.
