Representations and Analysis of Storyboard

AnimaticAndrew Goodwins Theory by Jacob Godsell , Robert

Wilson and Tom Crane

Representations in the music video animaticThere are lots of representations that the audience receive from our music video animatic When creating our animatic we aimed for the audience to be attracted to the video which encourages the audience to think about what is being portrayed and what our characters are feeling. The significance of emotions in our music video is heavily portrayed purposely to make the audience feel more involved with the video which will result in the audience becoming interested and encouraging repeatability.

We are representing our lead singer (Edan Pickering) as a broken and hurt individual that has been torn apart by her family due to her mum suffering with alcoholism which can be relatable for some of our audience members due to past experience and shared cultural awareness. We are presenting this by showing lots of past memories and photos of her and her family and we see her throw them away and distance her self from them due to the haunting memories of the past. We also see Edan go back to her family and leave as she cannot cope anymore and so this portrays Edan as a heartbroken and confused individual. We chose such a difficult topic to explore due to the corresponding lyrics that match our visuals. Our group also aims to promote the damage that alcoholism can do and how it breaks down families.

The reason to why we chose this subject is because alcoholism is a disease/ addiction which is found all over the world and can happen to anyone of us and we wanted to portray the effects that it has on others around the sufferer that may make them think about stopping or trying to get help if they can see what harm they are doing to there friends and family. Also it may be relatable to the people who are around the sufferers and they will feel as if they are not alone, these two primal factors are why we wanted to represent this through our music video and to convey a deeper meaning.

We are going to represent and convey this through lots of broken down buildings and structures to portray Edan, the broken down houses represent how her family is ruined and broken down, to reinforce this image the majority of the filming will be edited to black and white. However, so signify parts of the video where the mood and atmosphere changes from sombre and dreary to a more positive representation, we use brighter scenes to shoot which will present her as liberated through the introduction of colour.

We are going to represent these connotations and feelings by using a black and white effect over the video to show that she is in a negative and dull place, we are also going to have our singer where dark and dull clothing which will represent that she has little light within her life and that she has very little to escape to. We are also going to use several props that will be probs that will be related to her childhood such as family photos, a teddy bear and a wind up dancer to show she is still attached to her childhood and partly still attached to her family even though she is being haunted by the memories of her alcoholic mother that has caused much stress and discomfort in her life that has caused her to run away from home.

Andrew Goodwin: 7 Key theories to identify in music videos

1. Music videos demonstrate genre characteristics. (e.g. stage performance in metal videos, dance routine for boy/girl band, aspiration in Hip Hop).

2. There is a relationship between lyrics and visuals. The lyrics are represented with images. (either illustrative, amplifying, contradicting).

3. There is a relationship between music and visuals. The tone and atmosphere of the visual reflects that of the music. (either illustrative, amplifying, contradicting).

4. The demands of the record label will include the need for lots of close ups of the artist and the artist may develop motifs which recur across their work (a visual style).

5. There is frequently reference to notion of looking (screens within screens, mirrors, stages, etc) and particularly voyeuristic treatment of the female body.

6. The artist may develop motifs or iconography that recur across their work (a visual style)

7. There are often intertextual reference (to films, TV programmes, other music videos etc).

Music videos demonstrate genre characteristics. (e.g. stage performance in metal videos, dance routine for boy/girl band,

aspiration in Hip Hop). • The music video animatic demonstrates our genre characteristics throughout the video by using characteristics that are

linked with rock music. We have achieved this throughout the clip but in a variety of different ways for example we have used lots of eye make up and red lipstick for the mise en scene of our lead artist (Edan Pickering) and we have also presented her through the use of dull and dark clothing to show that she has little light in her life, and that she is hurting due to her past experience. Rock genre characteristics almost always use dark colour and tones to convey deeper meaning.

• We have used a variety of props that are linked with rock music genre that resemble a depressive theme such as old family photos, childhood toys and we have also used props and locations such as broken down buildings and rocks to present that she is broken down in side, which reinforces the fact that she is hurting and being haunted by past memories.

• The animatic music video is a more abstract component of the rock genre where the music is slow paced and sobre at first. The slow paced start in the music video presents the feeling of deep emotions to the audience and creates a dreary and an unknowing mood and atmosphere that creats a connection directly to Edan’s past. The audience receive this from the music video that displays feelings of sadness, being hurt and depression. This dreary tone is continued in the filming and editing style as the music video is dominantly in black and white in harsh and isolating locations to representing the feeling the protagonist in undergoing.

• However, towards the end of the music video the mood quickly changes to a feeling of freedom and liberation from the feeling of being haunted by the past of having an alcoholic mother that slowly destroyed Edans family through the introduction of the band and colour in the video. The editing becomes faster and more violent that rock genre music video’s use to match the beat of the music.

• This theory complies with our animatic as we have presented a variety of genre characteristics to relate with the audience.

There is a relationship between lyrics and visuals. The lyrics are represented with images. (either illustrative, amplifying,

contradicting). There is an amplifying relationship between the lyrics and the visuals in ‘My immortal’. The animatic creative music video is open to literal and metaphorical interpretation. The music video is both performance and narrative. However the music video is dominantly a narrative music video with minimal performance by the band. The music video is not complex and follows Edan Pickering on a journey of being haunted by past memories of her alcoholic mother that are still present and real to her. The narrative part of the video takes the viewer on a journey that displays Edan coming to terms with her past, the effect that these harsh and incontrollable circumstances has had on her and then finally, Edan accepting what has happened. By the music video being loose it encourages repeatability by the audience in order for them to understand the true meaning of the song and develop ideas for themselves about the feeling Edan is undergoing and experiencing in this difficult time. The loose meaning of the song also encourages musical synesthesia meaning the lyrical and musical performance of the song determines the mood and visual subject, this is how the relationship between the lyrics and the visuals shown through the narration, is determined. Musical synesthesia is used to connect the audience to the lyrics and visuals and to aid in their understanding. The audience of ‘My Immortal’ will understand the video due to shared cultural knowledge and intertexuality about the problems runaway kids are facing and the the effect that alcoholism can have on a family. The lyrics match the visuals in ‘My Immortal, due to the amplification of the music video.

The lyrics match the lyrics as Edan is walking away from her family home that is now destroyed with the lyrics – ‘I’m so tired of being here’ showing that she wants to escape the haunting memories of her alcoholic mother.

The lyrics match the visuals as Edan and her mother are holding hands and then slowly slipping away from eachother showing there relationship has been ruined and they are distant from one another- “I held your hand through all of these years’

There is a relationship between music and visuals. The tone and atmosphere of the visual reflects that of the music. (either

illustrative, amplifying, contradicting). There is a clear relationship between the music and the visuals in our music video animatic of the song ‘My Immortal’. The music starts of slow which is reinforced by slow editing cuts and soft movements by Edan alongside a slow and heartfelt dance to match the tone. This creates a sombre tone and atmosphere to the music video. Edans alcoholic mother also plays her part in setting the tone and atmosphere due to a short clip revealing that she is an alcoholic that drinks all day and doesn't’t play any part in her children's life's leaving Edan feeling alone in the world that leaves her with feeling of hurt and depression which leads her to running away. Pictures of Edan and her mother are also in the music video to show that there was once a time when Edan was happy that directly contradicts the feelings that Edan is now undergoing. The tone and atmosphere of the visuals reflects that of the music throughout. Towards the end of the music video the music heightens with electric guitars and drums that are abruptly introduced and the clips of the band performing together are introduced. The cuts of the editing then become faster paced and a wider use of shot angels and camera movements are then used to support this. This is also shown in Edans louder and new aggressive voice that is added to the music video that takes away the dreary tone and adds excitement and thrill that keeps the audience connected and interested and gives the sense that she has overcome the emotions of hurt and isolation she was experiencing but only for a short amount of time. The music video is cut to a music performance of the band in a studio. It is clear to the audience now that there is strong relationship between the music and visuals as we can now see the band performing alongside other clips of Edan dancing more aggressively in the narration. The performance component that has now been introduced towards the end of the song focuses on the degree of authenticity in the bands performance and the bands conventions.

The opening of the music video animatic shows a clear relationship between the music and visuals. A clip of Edan holding a music box is presented alongside a dreary and sombre tone and atmosphere showing feelings of hurt in her childhood experience.

When the music heightens, guitars and drumming is introduced in the music this is met alongside visuals of the band performing.

The demands of the record label will include the need for lots of close ups of the artist and the artist may develop motifs which

recur across their work (a visual style). The demand of the record label includes the needs for lots of close ups of the artists which is shown in ‘My Immortal’ as theorist Andrew Godwin states. The close ups used in the music video dominantly feature close ups of the lead singer and leading band member Edan Pickering from Dystopia. The close ups in the music video make it apparent to the audience of her emotions that are shown through her facial expressions and the movement of her eyes and lips to show she is in pain and is hurting revealed through extensive close up shots due to Edans experience of an alcoholic mother that has caused her to distance her self from the world and led her to run away from her family home that is metaphorically broken and crumbling. The close ups used in the music video animatic make both the narrative and performance more personal to the viewer to meet the demand of Dystopia’s record label. Edans eye contact to the camera also does this and it shows that she is aiming the lyrics to the viewer to encourage them to understand the meaning of the song and feel her immense emotions that some viewers may also be feeling or have felt in the past. The record label demands the use of close ups in music videos to show off the Dystopia’s band members and its brand. This helps to create a closer bond with existing audiences and create a new relationship with potential audiences. Edan is the main band member featured in the music video as she is the leading band member of the band Dystopia and is the only girl so is dominantly seen in the music video through the use of close ups and a variety of different shots. However other band members feature a minimal amount of times in the performance part of the music video animatic through close ups and other shots to meet the demand of the record label and to connect the audience to all band members.

Close ups of Edan in the music video animatic to meet the demand of the record label

There is frequently reference to notion of looking (screens within screens, mirrors, stages, etc) and particularly voyeuristic

treatment of the female body.The notion of looking in ‘My Immortal’ is due to the extensive use of close ups used in the music video animatic and the close attention of Edans eyes that the camera focuses on throughout the video such as when she is lying down in the grass and when she is performing. The close ups are used to highlight Edans eyes that are seen to be directly looking at the camera or slightly turned away. It is a vital part of any music video that the audience feel connected emotionally to the song and drawn in by the lyrics, the narration and the performance so they become driven by it to encourage repeatability of the music video which was our aim when producing our music video animatic. The notion of looking is also evident in our music video animatic as in some parts of the music video the viewers are looking through the eyes of Edan such as when she is looking at family photos. We see Edans tears dripping onto the pictures from her point of the view, which connects the audience to the feeling Edan is experiencing. The notion of looking engages the audience a vital part of any music video which contributes to the demand of the record label and the success of the video.

Clips from the animatic referring to the notion of looking

The voyeuristic treatment of the female body is evident in our animatic. The video presents Edan as delicate due to the pain she undergoing and feeling as she is being haunted by past memories of her alcoholic mother. Edans delicate performance in the narrative part of the music video through the camera following her on her journey of hurt and delicate and sombre dance allows the audience to become predatory and voyeuristic towards her body due to her being in a state of hurt and vulnerability and being all alone in isolating locations. The audience are watching the private activity of Edan undergoing and experiencing immense pain and suffering. The audience recognise that Amy’s state of mind and become predatory towards her because she in vulnerable. Edan further reinforces this critical interpretation of the music video through the clothing she is wearing which appeals to the male gaze that focuses on the sexulisation of the female body.

The artist may develop motifs or iconography that recur across their work (a visual style)

Dystopia’s motifs and iconography recurs across this music video animatic as Addrew Goodwin states that it should. Motifs and iconography are used to meet the demand of the bands record label. Iconography in Dystopia’s music video animatic make it very clear to the audience what is being viewed as importance my the music video as the camera attracts the attention of the person or object by solely focusing on it. Edan is dominantly focused on in the music video animatic showing she is the protagonist that is in a state of hurt as the focus of the camera is dominantly on her and props and locations that signify her experiences of hurt such as broken down building metaphorically linking to her broken family life. Throughout the music video the music video animatic correlates to rock genre characteristics in both performance and narrative parts of the music video. This is shown through the use of powerful guitar strings, the harsh beating of the drums, the backing of the bass and Edans powerful vocals that deliver the message of the song to their audience with pure passion and emotion. A more recogonisable feature of iconography that the occurs across the music video animatic is the mise en scene in reference to the style and costumes of the band. The band in the music video animatic wear classic rock costumes that are dominantly black . Rock stars wear black to represent the tone of the song and is recognised by the audience due to shared cultural awareness. The ambiguity and uncertainty of the mood and atmosphere also continues throughout the video clip as we see Edan in a state of hurt and then when she seems to be liberated from the feeling if the hurt but then the audience are reminded of the harsh reality that nothing has changed and Edan is still undergoing these feelings. Other motifs that occurs across the music video is the constant reminder of Edans past where she was happy and confortable in family life as shown through family photos that she reminisces on throughout the music video animatic that occurs multiple times. The family images act as a direct contrast to Edans current mood and the atmosphere of the animatic. The music animatic also reveals another motif that shows Edan lying down several times showing that she has given up and just want the memories to go away.

A recurring motif of Edan lying down in the music video animatic

There are often intertextual reference (to films, TV programmes, other music videos etc).

The music video animatic has intertexual references that link to three other music videos. The first is ‘My Immortal’ By Evanescence, the music video has references to this music video through the depressed and hurting female protagonist that both music videos share. Other intertexual references include the introduction of the band towards the end of the song when the music heightens and becomes more aggressive. Both Evanescence's music video and our music video animatic also have a narrative part and a performance part showing the amplifying relationship. Amy Lee and Edan Pickering in the music video also conform to the notion of looking and are often seen looking and singing in the camera connecting the audience to the music video. The second music video that our music video animatic has intertexual references to is ‘Ruanway Train’ by Soul Asylum as both music vidos have pictures of children that have ran away from home. In our music video Edan has ran away from home due to an alcoholic mother that has destroyed Edans family and her home life. Our music video animatic also refers to pictures of Edan with her family that is cut too and from several times throughout the music video which shows that she is no longer part of home life and will never have those happy times with her mum again. The final music video that our music video animatic has interexual references too is Where The Wild Roses Grow by Nick Cave and The Bad Seed/ Kylie Minogue. In this music video Kylie is seen dead surrounded by nature. In our music video Edan is presented to the audience is a state of hurt and deep depression almost looking dead surrounded by nature and having lilly's in her hair to act as a noticeable literal connation for the audience to recognise.