The Final Treatment

Artist:

Image of the actual artist

The Artist I am working for is Bugzy Malone, a British Grime MC from Manchester, England. I am using his song 'San Andreas Mentality' a song from his mix tape 'The journal of an evil genius'. I contacted the artist via Twitter, however I have not received actual confirmation. Looking at Bugzy Malone as an artist, he is typically represented as a deviant character, as a lot of his songs emphasize this criminal type behavior, as he describes in his songs various instances where he participated in several criminal activities. This can be seen as a stereotype, especially for male black grime artists in the UK, who are typically viewed this way, as the majority of the time they discuss certain topics in their music which would convey this idea. Also this representation, makes this artist relatable to their audience, as Bugzy Malone in numerous occasions, paints pictures with words in his songs, creating emotional stories of his childhood, and the hardships he faced, in essence this makes it relatable for his audience, especially for working class black male teenagers. Also the style of dress code the artist has, such as dressing in tracksuits and sports jackets, etc. can be commonly relatable for this same audience, as they share this similar 'hood' 'urban' way of dressing. As Bugzy malone often uses this narrative style of music, Todorov's theory on the 5 stages of equilibrium can be applied, as the style of the music video would be able to incorporate these stages.

Audience:

Example of an audience type person

My target audience would be ranging from the ages of 13-24 also being mainly targeted at males and especially those of the working class. This is typical as stated before this is the profile that fits this genre of music, as conventionally these people would listen to these songs on you tube and soundcloud, listening to free mix tapes as generally they can not afford paying for expensive albums. Although the content displayed in this artists music can come across as explicit, young teenagers of this common era in the UK especially those of the working class, find a way to relate to this music, or simply enjoy this genre of music. Importantly, is this idea that grime music is becoming a  large movement in the UK, it also makes it significantly applicable to everybody who lives in the UK, as the genre originated from East London, therefore many people originally from the UK take pride in this. In reference to my Vox Pop the majority of people i asked questions to were demographically from ethnic minorities and also most probably working class, as being from East London this is very common. Also when asking these questions in the Vox Pop and sharing my idea, a lot people were fond of the brief description and how it makes it relatable to people of our age and background. This is extremely important as it gives me an insight as to what i can do to make it more applicable to this audience. When asking the question; 'what do grime artists typically wear?' most people generally stated that these types of artists wear; tracksuits, big jackets, trainers, beanies and etc. This use of Mise en scene and costume, again makes it more and more relatable for my audience, and also in a sense fashionable, as these are the contemporary trends for these teenagers.

My Vision

My Music Video: 

In terms of the style of my music video, it will be a narrative and performance, as both elements will be incorporated as they match the lyrics. This is not conventional for the Grime genre, as most grime music videos only use the performance style rather than narrative, this is because grime is usually not a genre to have a story line as the lyrics and flow are quite unstructured, contrary to my music video  which is significantly structured and in order. The narrative device my music video will include is, the flashback narrative, as the artist 'Bugzy Malone' takes a journey into his past and rediscovers his haunting memories of his teenage life.The costumes that will be used in my music video are somewhat conventional, as they conform to the conventional/stereotypical look of UK rap and grime artists, this includes; sports wear, jackets,hats and sports trainers, also including accessories such as rings, watches and chains to add to this stereotypical look as I want my audience to identify the artist as quick as possible. The shots for my music video vary from when the artist is performing and lip syncing, most of the shots will be located in a lonely pathway in a park to connote the artist being lonely and isolated while expressing his feelings and emotions. When the flashback narrative appears, most of the shots will be taken down memory lane such as for example when the artist comes out of prison as a teenager,  I will reconstruct this moment, by filming the artist coming out a set of doors, looking as if he has literally just come out of prison. Also a lot of the time the shots will be set around council estate flats and houses to reinforce this idea of working class representations. There will be a variety of locations that will be used in my music video, to keep it interesting and exciting to watch.

Ancillary Products: Digipak & Magazine advert:

For both my Digipak and Magazine advert I will implement the use of synergy through the colour scheme and titles, as in both ancillary products they will have similar themes, this is to reinforce the themes and emotions and keep it consistent all throughout the ancillary products. The theme is this 'San Andreas' Grand theft auto ghetto look. The text used will be that of the San Andreas game to interlink with the name of the title being ' San Andreas Mentality' which means that the artist has this violent, gangster mentality. I feel like it would be a good idea to synergize the name of the title in both the Digipak and magazine advert, for both entertainment and business purposes, as the audience will instantly be able to identify the artist and the genre.



Key Concepts:

My music video will conform to he Hypodermic Needle theory as the lyrics and imagery of the music video metaphorically inject this message of the artists past life, therefore the passive audience perceive this and accept the media text given to them. For my music video i believe there is a heavy use of subversion, especially when referring back to my Vox Pop research many people stated that my idea isn't conventional and that it is very unique, as my idea explores the artists emotions and memories, rather than just showing the artist as an individual and showing his exterior. This challenges the conventional style of music videos of the grime and UK rap genre. 

Technology:

Panasonic HDC - HS300

In terms of technology I will be using my schools Panasonic HDC - HS300 for production. Some of the shots taken with this digital video camera i may also use in my Digipak and Magazine advert to yet again synergize the three media products to consistently represent the artist and connote the themes. This piece of equipment is not to complex to use, as i have a basic understanding of how to use it, and also it is very flexible and efficient as it is easy to use when travelling and looking for places to film compared to the video camera used in year 12 this is of much better quality and and resolution, which overall benefits the production of my work. Also another piece of equipment that I will use alongside the video camera will be a tripod to keep focus on some of the shots in certain parts of the music video, however I will dominantly be using the hand held camera technique to ensure there is a feeling of realism and grittiness as my genre conforms to these feelings.

Final Cut pro X

During Post Production I will be using the Apple mac's to edit for my music video, using the software 'final cut pro X'. This is the same software I used for my Year 12 coursework, however this time we are using a more updated version which is much better. For my ancillary products i will be using Photoshop as I have no experience, my teachers will be able to assist and help me. 



Logistics:

In reference to logistics, I am intending on having my music video based around the typical UK underground scene. As my music video consists of two different style elements, such as performance and Narrative, my logistics will vary from each scene. For example when my artist is performing in front of the video camera lip syncing he will be walking through a lonely pathway in a park to connote this idea of the artist solely focusing on the lyrics and story and not the distracting visuals around him. However when the visuals focus on the narrative, it will be based around the areas of which the artist is rapping about, for example when the rapper says 'playing San Andreas had me feeling like I could rob a bank' that scene will be set in the protagonists bedroom, furthermore this creates a feeling of nostalgia not just for the artist but also the audience. Also when the artist is rapping about coming out of jail, this will be set in an area which looks as if 'replicated' that the protagonist has come out of jail. Also another example of this is when the artist says 'i started going gym and i was hitting those bags' it will then fade into a scene of the protagonist in the gym sparring with a boxing bag. All of these areas are convenient as they are not difficult to get permission to film for and also is very conventional for a UK rap song, as they reflect that urban underground gang culture. in terms of casting, I had to think very hard on this, although I haven't got everybody's availability, i will have to think in terms of who would be suitable for the chosen roles. For the protagonist, I will be playing this role as i believe i have the suitable look for this character, as i have a serious but calm look. Also I believe as i play the protagonist it allows me to come up with my own ideas and innovate my initial thoughts, as i can elaborate more on what i want in my music video. There are two characters called 'Fidz' and 'Darky' for these two characters I will get my close friends to play them, as i believe it will allow more of a connection to be made among the characters and will seem more real and believable. 

Meet My Audience

Research Plan

Vox Pop videos and analysis

Feedback from Vox Pop

What did you aim to find out with your research?

From my research I aimed to find out ways in which i could improve my initial idea and make it a more unique and relatable idea to my audience. Also to gain feedback on where my music video idea prospers and also the downsides to my idea and how i can be possibly constrained.

How did you undertake it - methods - kinds of questions activities

For my research i used a Vox Pop and a questionnaire. The types of questions i asked where mainly in relation to my idea for my music video, however i did ask some general questions, for example a direct question i had was; is there any specific things you would like me to include in my video? which is direct feedback to innovate my idea. An example of an indirect question is; What do grime artists typically look like? which is the audiences general understanding of the conventions in this genre, which also would help me to think what my artist will wear in my music video.

What does this result suggest?

From my Vox Pop, what was outstanding for me was that most people said that my idea was creative and unique and that not many UK Grime artists conform to this style of narrative or music video. Nearly everybody said that they liked the idea of addressing sensitive issues and emotional hardships, as it shows the artists journey and also makes it relatable for the audience. However some people did say that they would like a sense of equilibrium and happiness to be included in the video, I may possibly include this but only at certain points of the music video where it is suitable. In terms of costume and mise en scene, everyone had a basic understanding of what these artists typically wear, for example; tracksuits, hoodies, trainers and etc. me myself already having an understanding of this kinds of artists, helped me gain an insight as to whether people of the target audience would have an acknowledgement.  

Are any of your results surprising or conflicting? Why could this be?

I do not believe my results are either surprising or conflicting, simply because the majority of the people surveyed and interview, accepted and enjoyed my idea for my music video and where extremely fond with it. I believe these results simply gave me a clarification on the direction that my idea was going and whether my audience theory is correct and etc.

Is there any reason that this answer could be bias/inaccurate?

There is a possibility of bias existing in my research, as the range of people questioned where typically what i would expect my audience to be like, however there were a few outliers who stated they do not listen to that genre of music, however they still had a form of understanding. 

How does this affect what I will do with my music video?

This well help me finalize how i am going to carry out my idea in terms of aspects i want my audience to be exposed to, such as costume, narrative and themes. I believe i gained a decent variation of results to be able to conclude how i will change my idea, for example I will include a sense of equilibrium in the music video at different stages, this will be distinctive as the scenes will be very emotional and recognizable.

Magazine Advert analysis

Magazine Advert analysis Drake Take Care





Magazine Advert analysis Mumford and sons



Magazine Advert analysis Beyonce, Adele, Lana Del Ray

Music Video Analysis

 

Digipak analysis

Digipak Analysis - Drake Take Care

 

Digipak Analysis - Rihanna Loud

SWOT Analysis

Strengths

• Song has a good beat to cut too.
• Developed character.
• Thought about good Narrative Devices; Flashback and Forward.
• Conventional.
• Media techniques; Editing, Mise en Scene, camera shots and techniques.
• Good representations on characters to be shown in the Music video
• Bugzy Malone Idea = Less swearing, less sexual references, more of an actual story line and idea worth making.

Weaknesses

• Use more technology; Include editing software that would be used, etc.
• Use various props.
• Who exactly is going to be in my music video, when using the flash back narrative device because of the age difference; need somebody who looks similar to main artist.

Opportunities

• Using the Artists identity and altering it, to make more representations.
• Good opportunity for music video, through lyrical context.
• The genre of music, is a niche market and allows a set target audience for the music video

Threats

• Availability of actors for music video flashback
• use of props and technology

Rationale

From my feedback i can take back lots of strengths as to where my project is doing well in as well as the lacking weaknesses that may bring down my idea to a not so good standard. This allows me to make changes in various ways, especially when looking at the opportunities and threats, which gives future information on what could be done and also what could be prevented to make the most out of the music video. the reason why i chose to change the idea for my music video, is due to the fact that the lyrical content for 'Bugzy Malones' song San Andreas Mentality, allows a more intellectual piece of work to be created with more depth and examples of narrative and genre devices and styles. i have included a much more versatile style of music, with an interpretive use of lyrics and also a more relevant story line to the lyrics being rapped, also a sense of performance when the lyrics in some cases wont be able to match a particular narrative. Also additional feedback was that my initial choice for a music video contained to much unnecessary swearing which did not help my content.