Front cover ideas

For our front cover/inside our digipak we are going to include an image of someone with a teddy bear head on, adhering to the bear iconography associated with Kanye West.. here is our first attempt of this...

Fragmented Shots

We planned to use shots of glitter on a drum for our video, and these images show that the glitter effect worked,moving to the beating of the drum, we will use a section of this footage in our video.

naomi

We have cast Naomi to be one of the models in our video, myself, Kim and Mel will be the other models needed.

Thursday 13th October- Black Swan

Black Swan is mainly about RIVALRY PASSION and dance.
This has several similarities in our ideas and we get inspiration and influence from the film, the difference is ours is about modelling- not dance. 




Black Swan movie 
- Schizophrenic dancer monologue 

The film black swan is about an Innocent and naive girl ,obsessed with ballet who turns possessed and craves to be the swan queen in her ballet groups opening performance of a different version of Swan Lake. In the film we see the Innocent elegant ballet girl (perfect white swan candidate) battle with becoming her alter ego and the black swan who is poisonous, vivid and seductive.

Similarly in our movie we shall have a contrast between two of our models, one will be the old model , who is pushing thirty-five - near retiring and develops a drug/alcohol problem and is struggling to keep fresh and new and up with the new models... and her former self and latest rival; the new fresh faced model.

digipak drafts

Here is our first attempt of our digipak, we asked for feedback from people in our class and they said that the italics in the left hand corner were difficult to read.. to try and solve this problem we used a grey faded background underneath the writing. However, we don't think that it suits our digipak so it will need more playing around with..

door sign

Me showing our design of the door sign for our filming prop.

NEW STORYLINE

Scene one - models getting ready for casting backstage
shots - hair, makeup, getting dressed, heels, clothes (fragmented shots)

Scene two - Director walks and places casting list called 'masterplan' on the wall.

Scene three - Models rush in their heels to see cast list names. excitement/disappointment in the air, new model is congratulated, old model stands and stares blankly at her - turns her back and walks away, can hear tick tock of her heels against the corridor floor.

Shot one - one model girl wearing read lipstick shouts through megaphone "all the models to the floor right now" and drum with glitter vibrating on surface. - fast shutter effect. 

clips - Kanye Performance

scene four - models walking down catwalk, catwalk shots from different angles.


clips - Kanye Performance
scene five - flash forward to new model dressed in white owning the catwalk.retrospective photography; flash backs of old model being head of her game, dressed in black and owning the show. 

Scene six - old model smiling and laughing in her hayday wearing red lipstickwith pearls wrapped around her fingers which morphs (Edit technique - crosscut) into a hand full of pills and the present scenraio.


Scene seven - MODEL BEHAVIOUR SHOTS - model reading elle/vogue backstage.

Scene eight - Levan streetdance performance

Middle:

Scene nine - MODEL BEHAVIOUR SHOTS - Model walking eating hamburger and walking down catwalk. Cheeky.


Scene ten - Model crying in a mirror (present day old model) walks out of casting onto street to off licence to buy bottle of whisky. Hood up, going to drown sorrows in a bottle.

MAJOR ENDING:

Scene eleven - stands on street corner. flashforward to new model laughing and joking with models backstage.


scene twelve - walks down catwalk drunk and tears streamingg down face, dirty and muddy, collapses at end of stage.

Fast Shutter Effect

When looking at various Kanye West videos we have gained inspiration for our fractioned shots. This is from Kanye West's fast shutter effect in the video Golddigger

0.19-0.23 seconds

Fractioned Shots Video

This video is a compilation of some of the practised fractioned video clips, we have added them with the track background just for effect.

Target Audience

Before carrying out any research on the target audience of R&B and Kanye West in particular, i already have ideas about what it may be. Due to the street/urban vibe of R&B music, i think that the main consumers will be between the ages of 15-25, but of course because the genre is so expanded and now crosses over into other genres the target age will consequently expand too. The target audience is likely to be mainly males as well, as the videos especially use alot of voyeurism and focus on women, promoting the men to be more important, enhancing the ego of male viewers. Both the male and female R&B artists seem to adhere for male wants. I think that Kanye Werst may have a slightly different audience, as his music both promotes the males but also is sincere in some tracks and show men to be sensitive, which may attract more female listeners. The target audience may be slightly older reaching into people in their 30's.

To test the target audeince for both we will carry out a questionnaire on ten members of the class...
The questions we have included are:
-Age 
one 21-25 year old
three 18-20 year olds
six 15-17 year olds
-Gender
8 female
2 male
-Do you like R&B music?
5 yes
5 no
-Do you think R&B music is aimed at men or women?
4 men
3 both
3 women
-Do you like Kanye West
7 no
3 yes
-What is your favourite Kanye West music video?
2 x stronger
1x touch the sky
-Would you expect to see him in his videos?
10 yes
-What do you think is Kanye West's strongest icon?
1 x coats
5 x glasses
1 x teeth

Kanye West's Digpaks

Kanye West has released many albums, including:
- The College Dropout
- Graduation
- 808s & heartbreak
- My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
- Watch The Throne

This is the digipak for 808s & heartbreak, the cover is simplistic and has an off white background, focusing on the red heart in the middle, which looks like a crumpled heart, reflecting the title 'heartbreak', because it looks as if the paper has been scruched up ready to throw away. Kanye West doesn't feature himself on this digipak, showing that the promotion is for his music, not him. There is a strip of blocked colour down the side, addign to the effect that it looks like a peice of paper, like a newspaper, and the font used at the top supports this too in a block typo font. The back of the album is even more basic, continuing the white paper effect background, and the font is smaller and slightly faded with the track titles. There are no images on the back, making it a straighforward promotion for the songs being advertised.

 The digipak for his other album 'Graduation' is completely different. It contains the iconic teddy that Kanye West uses in many of his promotions and videos. There is mass colour in the style of a cartoon in which the bear is being shot into space, this may signify that Kanye thinks this is his best slbum and is 'out of this world'. The back of the album centres mainly around this image from a back angle, and has a simple brown strip on the side saying the track names and all the important information. This makes is seem as if Kanye is promoting his creativity and that the album will be much more upbeat and fun, especially compared to 808's & heartbreak.

Fragmented Shots and Photos for our digipak

These are possible shots for our digipak.. we have used heels to support our genre.

These are possible fragmented shots for our video, showing the models getting ready, we have some video footage for the fragmented shots too..

How HipHop changed the world

Recently there has been a documentary on channel 4 about 'How Hip Hop changed the world', it discusses the defining and most important moments in street music and culture over the past 35 years. Many artists on the programme talked about how they felt music has changed and what it essentially meant to them, including Jessie J and Snoop Dog.

The Guardian review stated that:
'But then these shows are about disagreement, and starting a debate. And it wasn't just about music, and musical influence; it was about a bigger picture – how rap entered the mainstream, commercialism and language, and even politics. It was about how hip-hop changed the world. And it was fabulous.'

Black History Month

BLACK HISTORY MONTH
Black history month is an important month in history, especially for the genres, such as R&B which we are working in. It is a Caribbean and African heritage recognition.

Beginning of Digipak

We have started playing around with ideas for our Digipak, we have decided to make our product as an album, as opposed to a single, because we believe it will allow us to be more creative. So far this is what we've got..

We still need to design and add background images for the covers, include professional conventions such as barcode etc. Also we need to begin designing images and ideas for the other pages within our digipak.

Original Storyboard

Theorists

Our music video will use many theorists as it incorporates many ideas. Voyeurism is when it seems to be filmed through a 'male gaze' objectifying women and satisfying sexual wants. Our video uses voyeurism because we are used fragmented body parts like the mouth and legs. The use of high heels has sexual connotations and is therefore part of the voyeurist idea. Our video uses voyeurism in scenes when the female models are walking up and down the catwalk wearing heels, focusing on certain parts of their body. Also, when models are getting ready/old model is crying it is into a mirror, which is a typical convention of voyeurism. Voyeurism is appropriate for our genre, as through our research we discovered that sexually objectifying women is a key convention of the R&B genre.

The video is also narrative and performance, the non linear narrative aspect encourages multiple viewings because it interests the audience and makes them want to watch it again to realise what it is really about, by using the correct mis-en-scene we will create authencity of storyline making it believable and appropriate to the song. The performance aspect of the video makes the artist look credible and like they have genuine talent. Our video used slight intertextuality as the narrative is inspired by the film Black Swan, but there is no straight links to other media texts.

Production Schedule

In order for our group to get all tasks completed to the deadlines and to the best of our ability, we have decided to create a production schedule.


29th September- film with Levan to see how much choreography we have, and agreeing a    new target amount. (1 minute)


03rd October- Practise lip-syncing section and practise projection effects and shots


06th October- Work on blog and create action plan. Aim to recruit models by next week


11th October-Practise filming with our props- drum, glitter, heels and also experiment with fragmented shots


13th October- Film Levan dancing in outside location (evening)


18th October- 


20th September- BREAK UP FOR HALF TERM. BLOG RESEARCH TO BE COMPLETED

[John Legend - Chorus]
I got the World in my hands, the master plan
But I don’t know why I keep calling
Why I keep all of these girls at my shows
They loving me but I don’t know why
I keep calling
Why I keep calling you

All the models to the floor right now
All the models to the floor right now
All the models to the floor right now
All the models to the floor right now

[Kanye West]
I’m in my Christian Dior with a Veronica Webb
Noemie Lenoir, Chanel, Sessilee Lopez
Arlenis Sosa, Selita Ebanks
If you work with my people, speak that Jourdan Dunn language
Make a phone call, out to Joan Smalls
I wonder how it feel to lower (Lara) Stone’s walls
Jessica Gomes, yall, I would damage her
And see if Jessica Stam got the stamina
I’m in the car with Leo and the Benz swerve
I heard Bar was friends with Esti Ginzburg
Coco Rocha, Kate Mimosa
Alessandra Ambrosia, Anja Rubik,
Get Olga Kurylenko, tell her I’m very single
Abbey Lee, too I’m a freak boo
I’m wylin I’m on a thousand
I wanna see Irina Shayk next to Doutzen.

[Chorus]
I got the World in my hands, the master plan
But I don’t know why I keep calling
Why I keep all of these girls at my shows
They loving me but I don’t know why
I keep calling
Why I keep calling you

[Kanye West]
Christian Dior denim flow
I told her I’m tryna eat out so what we going for dinner for

[Pusha T]
Miami nights on the search for some T and A
Tryna hide what’s obvious to see in me
We conversate a bit about your DNA
And my salmon coloured suits from the VMA’s
Oh you was watching, who the f-ck wasn’t
Me skip across that stage in 5 dozen
Yeah 60 grand for a minutes time
Italian vogue styled a n-gga for a minute rhyme
Lets be clear and lets be fair
The best things in music’s being offered here
Its a round table full of bosses here
Still giving you it all like the coffins near

[Chorus]
I got the World in my hands, the master plan
But I don’t know why I keep calling
Why I keep all of these girls at my shows
They loving me but I don’t know why
I keep calling
Why I keep calling you

I got the World in my hands, the master plan
But I don’t know why I keep calling
Why I keep all of these girls at my shows
They loving me but I don’t know why
I keep calling
Why I keep calling you

[Ryan Leslie]
It’s time for a lesson in model behaviour
Damn, look at all the bad b-tches I gave you
Man I can see the flaws to your flavour
Look like wonder woman and still need a saviour
Maybe its a billionaire maybe its that cocaine
I done seen drugs and money run the whole game
A good girl lost in the city life
Agent Provocateur holding titties right
I’m haute couture of hoes galore
Give my girl a newport ’cause she’s smoking yours
I’m the authority of model seniority
They call me Les but they all need more of me.
[Lloyd Banks]
He ain’t Kraft material, champagne for cereal
Shorty stole my heart, criminal, my lucky charm
Fly clothes and Lear shows, type kind of stuff we on
Stuff all my problems in that bong and I’m puffin’ strong
I been locked in my way of thinking, now my cuffs are gone
Must’ve been the liquor talkin’, I’m beggin’ the cups, “C’mon”
Might come off as irregular, I come in custom form
T-G-I-F, GT breeze, my hustler’s poem
My sound’s full-grown, reminds me of my favorite chronic (Kush)
Ball like a SuperSonic, make the haters vomit (Uh)
N-gga, make some money ‘fore you make a comment
I meant to snap a while ago, but who knows where the time went?
Probably dime chicks, whips with a Diddy
Now I’m back like a nine milli, runnin’ New York City
See me clearly through the storm
The world’s mine, sits pretty in my palm
Sean Don (Chandon?) as we continue on
[Chorus]
I got the World in my hands, the master plan
But I don’t know why I keep calling
Why I keep all of these girls at my shows
They loving me but I don’t know why
I keep calling
Why I keep calling you

[Kid Cudi]
N-ggas think they know I’m the guy with the story
They dont really know what’s in my head, f-ckin’ with me
How can I be better?
I could start with just the basics
Dior, Dior, galore, I love the cut
I seem to have forgotten that I’m off the nini
To the people who dont know Cud’, know what?
Rose gold presidential on my boney wrist
Took my ma to Chanel, had her LC the stunner
She got haters, some in the fam made us
But they don’t really matter, we escaping with our paper
“Hey ya”, I’m on my Andre 3000
I’m all good now, a n-gga don’t need no counseling
Woke up in the room and my mojo was active
Looks from the hoes that were more than likely passive
Back when let me not reflect on the old sh-t
I’m on to the new act, on to my new script
B-tches better have they thoughts before approaching
I done heard it all, baby, save it for them other n-ggas
Do things all before living, haters, copy, I’m the image
Haters, copy, I’m the image


To add to the effectiveness of our video and to ensure we dont make it too long, we have decided to cut out sections of the song as we don't think that they will be as suitable for our storyline. The sections we have decided to edit out is the Lloyd Banks section, . The lyrics to this song are appropriate for our music video ideas because it is about denim and fashion and women, which is what we have centered our video around.

Practise Shots

These are some practise shots and footage for ideas for our music video. We have included a short video of Levan performing some of the movements he is going to use for the section of dance within the video. We have chosen street dance because it is typical of the R&B genre, and helps us portray the urban background of our chosen genre. It also gives an aspect of performance and shows raw talent, making the video about the music and talent not the image of the artist.

Plan List

CAST
Alice- Contempory Dancer
Levan- Street dancer
Dom- Kayne West Look-a-like


NEED TO RECRUIT 6 MODELS and 2 MAIN MODELS
we have decided to include dance in our video, to portray talent and enthusiasm. The use of a male and female dancer makes it equal and typical to a Kanye West video as his videos never tend to be sexist either for or against women. Levan is a talented street dance performer who has entered many competitions and lives and breathes dance. The Street dance technique was used to emphasize the urban theme of R&B. Alice was chosen to perform Contemporary dance, to show the individual artist differences in style of dancing (Kanye West used ballet dancers in his 'Runaway" video). Alice was specifically chosen because she is an enthusiastic dancer who participates in various dance productions for different companies. We decided to recruit models, which are still to be selected, as it would create a more realistic vibe to the video, as there would be more people that haven't been viewed in our work before. If necessary myself, Mel and Kim will act as models in the video as well to make it look more effective.  


PROPS
Glitter
Drums
Mega Phone
The glitter is going to be used to draw attention to the beat of the music by being used on a drum and on the floor whilst the models are walking, causing it to move around and bounce. It also creates a glamourous connotation, fitting in with the story of our video (catwalk/fashion show). The mega phone also adds to this effect, being used to call the models. The person holding the megaphone will be our actor for Kanye West, making him the centre of attention and making him seem important, subtly promoting him as an artist.


COSTUME
Denim Jeans/Shorts/Shirts
Heels
White Tops
Bold Eye Makeup- Fake Eyelashes
Volumised Hair
The bold eye makeup and volumised hair is typical to the R&B genre, and through our previous research we concluded that it is used in most videos, as a way of objectifying women. The heels also add to this sex appeal, yet support our video theme as they are seen as a fashionable accessory. The denim items have been chosen as costume to match the song 'Christian Dior DENIM flow' and they are also generally seen as a wardrobe fashion essential. The white top was selected for simplicity and to emphasize everything else in the video without distraction.


LOCATION
Dance Studio
Theatre
Outside for Dancing
The locations that we has chosen are suitable for the plan of the video and suit the genre, as the theatre and dance studio are simplistic building without decoration so we can film the scenes effectively without unwanted details. We have decided to film the dancing outside to suit the genre and create the street feeling entirely.


LIGHTING
SETTING
Catwalk/Model Runway
SOUND
Non Diegetic- 'Christian Dior Denim Flow' song
Diegetic- Speech at the beginning

Our Video Plot

The basic ideas of our video have been inspired by the blockbuster 'Black Swan'. Before the introducing chorus of the song plays we will have a short narrative part of film. In this section of the video, it will be a run through of a fashion show/cat walk auditions. An older model named 'Elle' walks down the catwalk infront of the judges and stumbles slightly, the directors start bitching about her and saying that her walk is old fashioned and her age is becoming an issue, with no applause and obvious disappointment in the model. The next girl, the younger Abby Lee walks down the catwalk strongly and the directors give her a standing ovation. 


After the song starts the camera zooms in on one od the directors scribbling Elle's name off the list of models.

Kanye West Video Analysis

This Kanye West video is in cartoon, this draws the attention to his music and what he is saying, focusing on his talent, rather than his personal image. He makes sure that the audience knows that the cartoon man is supposed to be him by wearing his iconic sunglasses and by having his facial hair style. Also in the video there are some sections where bright colours are used and the cartoon character is performing with the same mannerisms that Kanye West has when he generally performs. Also in this video it remains in the conventions of a R&B video because the women are shapely and wearing short dresses and have obviously made an effort and are ready to go out, still pleasing the ideas of voyeurism, including the use of fragmented shots. However, in the video it is like Kanye West is apologising to the women and sees them as important (not sexually objectifying them), giving a connotation that it isn't always the men that are 'players' and sometimes the women are 'heartless'.

Kanye West Video Analysis

Kanye West's video to Golddigger responds straight to the lyrics and meaning of the song, objectifying women massively. It is a very sterotypical video in the way that it portrays women, using aspects of voyeurism throughout. There are fractioned shots of the women in lingerie and heels posing on magazine covers such as 'fantasy' and 'fresh'. The background on the video uses mainly red/pink colours creating a romantic and sexual feeling of the video. Their makeup is bold and the hair is volumised or neatly styled, typical to the R&B genre, as well as Kanye West's attire which is a white shirt/suit and a small simple chain. However, Kanye West adds his individuality by wearing his iconic sunglasses. In one of the scenes of the video Kanye West is in a dim/warm lit room full of sofas and girls, this is portraying him in the way he wants to be seen as irresistable. This video is more about promoting his image and trying to make the lifestyle he leads look fantastic.

Kanye West

Kanye Omari West was born on the 8th of June 1977, he has since became a famously successful American rapper/singer/music producer, vital within the R&B music scene. He has collaborated with many artists such as Alicia Keys Ludacris and Rhianna, enhancing his popularity. His career escalated after the release of his album 'The College Dropout' in 2004. He has continued to create 5 more albums, all of which have gone platinum. Kanye West runs his own music label GOOD music, which is home to artists such as Kid Cudi and John Legend, illustrating his importance in the music industry. Kanye West has a cartoon character of a teddy bear, which appears on many of his digipaks.

'During my high school years, its the music that i felt really saved me. It kept me out of the streets, it kept me from getting into trouble, it gave me something to do when i got kicked off the basketball team. You just get lost in the music. That's what i did.'

-Kanye West

This quote by Kanye West shows his sincerity for music, and that his enthusiasm for R&B isn't just superficial and a want for fame and money, but it stems deeper than that. Kanye West seems to mean what he sings and be emotionally involved with the music industry as he believes it was his saviour in early life and kept him on the straight and narrow.

Video Analysis- Drake Marvin's Room

Drakes song Marvin's Room uses dim lighting of red/orange tones making it difficult to see what is actually going on, creating a misterious setting. In the video he is wearing a simple black outfit, drawing attentiona way from himself, yet the video is essentially about him and his lifestyle, promoting himself. However, the video doesnt relate much to the lyrics of the song. He is drinking in a bar and then at a party with many people, yet throughout the video it creates a dazed effect, but putting light shots of him over full focusesd ones and the camera seems to spin and see the scenery fast, making it seem as if he is lost and confused. Probably due to the girl which the video constantly crosses shots too. The video once again (like most R&B videos) uses ideas of voyeurism, fragmented shots of body parts such as her legs and also by her wearing pants and a top, looking casual but also like a sexual fantasy to Drake. The video is based in a city and frequently shows strobe like shots going back to the buildings/roads/lights making it seem like his lifestyle and location should be envied. In the video he looks distressed, and the scene where he is looking into the mirror creates empathy towards him, maybe making himself more liked as a person as well as an artist, by making himself seem vunerable and not overly confident and unapproachable.

Print Product Analysis

N Dubz- Uncle B

The NDubz digipak for their album Uncle B, is more of a hiphop themed style than R&B. They are promoting themselves as much as the music, by having themselves on the cover in clothes which give them a certain look, differentiating themselves from other artists. The female artist has blonde hair which generally makes her appear as a sexual object, wearing heavy makeup with perfectly styled hair, making her look important and be idolised. The use of the black background going into a gold/yellow colour where they are standing may be a suggestion that they have come from difficult times and 'darkness' and now have found the light and feel like they are in their Golden moment and recahed success. Fazer and Dappy are both wearing hats which are now associated with the artists and their excessive jewelry is typical for the hiphop genre.

Print Product Analysis

Jayz- Blueprint

Jay Z's Digipak for his album 'The Blueprint' uses mainly blues and blacks creating a sincere appearance, promoting Jay Z as a serious artist who's music is real, expressing true emotions and thoughts that he has. The digipak picture is centred mainly around him, showing his lifestyle, smoking in a room, it appears like an old rhythm and blues scene, possibly to attract older audiences. 

Print Product Analysis

 Rhianna's digipak is predominantly about her as a brand and a well known image, to such an extent that her name isn't even printed on the front of the CD cover. It is promoting her image as much as it is the music. The digipak has a strong use of the colour red, symbolising sex and love. Her red hair and red lipstick shows her as a sex symbol, and the slight opening of her mouth is provocative. The image used is strong and makes her appear as a powerful woman. The name of the album 'LOUD' is subtle at the bottom of the page in white, again showing that her image is essentially more important than the music its selling. the back of the CD cover is in paler pinks and reds, showing a sensitive emotional feminine side to the artist. Her name is still not printed boldly and just appears at the side of the page, suggesting that she is extremely widely known. The image on the back is of Rihanna looking vulnerable, in great contrast to the front image. However, she is still wearing a short dress and her red hair creates a sexual image. The digipak is promoting Rihanna as a well known individual within the music industry, known for her personality and individuality more than her actual music.

Key Conventions of R&B

http://prezi.com/m3da4sf0zhyc/genre-mind-map-media-a2/
This is my Prezi displaying the key concepts of R&B.

Video Analysis- Beyonce Single Ladies

Beyonce's video to Single Ladies is completely different in comparison to Kayne West's video to Runaway, Beyonce's is full of performance and not narrative. It is mainly Beyonce showing her dancing skills and promoting herself not only as a singer but as a full entertaining performer. The whole video is mainly filmed in longshots but there is occasional closeups of Beyonce, making her the centre of attention in the video, this is also done by having a pure white floor and background so that the emphasis of the video is purely on her and her 2 other dancers. The outfits of the 2 women are simple and black, again creating concentration of the movement and actual song without any creative distraction, the 2 backing dancers are in full leotards, yet Beyonce's is one armed, making her stand out and be different so that the attention is once again drawn to her, the outfits, typically to R&B are skimpy and provocative. They adhere to the stereotype of women in R&B and that they are mainly for sexual desire, as the all wear heels and have volumised hair, which is used in extravagante hairflips and they have vey bold eyemakeup. The dancing in the video is energetic and concetrates mainly on use of the hips, once again creating a sexually provoctive image of the women.

Video Analysis- Kanye West Runaway

Kanye West's video to his song Runaway is slightly different from other stereotypical R&B music videos, it doesnt include the usual atmosphere of clubbing and partying and is infact quite the opposite. His video has 2 main aspects, which is him and then also a group of female ballet dancers. The start of the video is Kanye West walking away from a table predominately of black people, this may signify the history of R&B and its beginning and how now it is becoming a more spread out genre, interlinking with others such as Pop music and creating many subgenres. The video looks as if it is some kind of celebration like a wedding as the table spread and chairs are white, creating a look of purity and cleanliness. Kanye West portarys himself as a smart important man in this video as he is the only character that you see making a speech and his clothing looks expensive, which is typical of R&B as they show off their material possesions.is suit is cream and black and he is wearing a bow tie, which shows that it is an important event that he is part of so he must be an influential figure, the black of his suit, and also the outfits of the dancers shows the sincerity of the song and that the lyrics are powerful. The setting of the video looks as if it is outside on an estate due to the garage like buildings behind him and the concrete pavement, this may suggest the origination of R&B as it came from the streets and is an urban genre, which lets the audience understand and associate with the situation in the video. He is playing the piano in this video, this suggests that he, as an artist, has natural talent and shows his ability. He portrays real emotion for what he is singing as he strokes his face in a frustrated way and throughtout the whole song holds a position and facial expression that seems in pain and frustrated/upset. This is also illustrated through the use of a downward camera angle showing his weakness about what he is talking about. The dancers in the video are all female, and their moves are subtle yet strong and powerful. The amount of female dancers overpowers Kanye West, maybe suggesting that the song is a speech for the women and of their actual strength, making Kanye West seem like a sympathetic influential figure, promoting his importance in the music industry.

20th September 2011

In this session myself, Mel and Kim have planned slightly further into more detail. We have realised that we have to have aspects of performance within our video. Therefore, we are in the process of trying to find somebody (preferably male) that is willing to perform for us. We have also decided to possibly use extreme close ups of the eyes and mouth in a square pattern of 4, such as in Examples video to 'Kickstarts'. Other ideas we have had is using a drum set with glitter on and hitting it to the beat of the track so that the glitter moves, creating a typical R&B party atmosphere.
We are planning to experiment with these ideas in the next lesson and seeing if they are as effective on camera.

13th September 2011

We started our first A2 Media session today and formed small groups, deciding whether to make a short film or a music video. My group which consists of myself, Mel and Kim, have chosen to make a music video, with a song from the R&B genre. We decided this as it would be more apropriate for us to make as we have a natural insight into how the video needs to ideally appeal to it's target audience, as the general target audience of R&B is our age and female. Kanye West is our chosen artist as he is fairly iconic and popular within this specific genre. Also the track we have chosen is 'Christian Dior Denim Flow' and our original video inspiration for a narrative style video is Kanye West's 'Runaway'.

History Of R&B

HISTORY OF R&B


Our chosen genre which is R&B, previously known as rhythm and blues, has been gradually developing since the 1950's. Afro-Americans were the founders of R&B, it then spread across Europe until it became a worldwide genre, plunging into the USA. As the genre has expanded over the years and also geographically, it has changed gradually, it now has elements of rap, soul and funk. 
In the 1980's synthesizers and drum machine beats were added, and Michael Jackson became the most popular and influential R&B artist of the time. It was originally a mainly pop music genre, with the likes of Tina Turner and Whitney Houston. During the 1990's hip hop and rap became further incorporated into the R&B genre, with artists like Mariah Carey and Missy Elliot blurring the boundaries between each. In the 2000's R&B concentrated more on solo artists than groups and it became even more hip hop related. Alicia Keys and Rihanna were popular during this decade. During the 2000's a more youthful creative R&B sound was created which used pop rock, dance and electro-pop sounds in the genre.
R&B has many key conventions, some of which are stylistic and specific to the individual artist. Artists such as Rihanna, Christiana Aguilera and Kanye West fall under this category, and they portray many typical R&B themes. This genre of music is usually lyrically sexually provocative and the background music uses heavy bass beats. New style R&B has major use of drums and electric guitar which are used in almost all tracks. Break/street dancing is also associated with this genre- yet in Kanye West's 'Runaway' video he uses ballet dancers instead, which shows culture and stylistic differences. Our genre typically uses urban ideas, to create a fresh and youthful identity, the songs are easy to empathise with as they are usually about love, relationships and money, which is easy for the audience (usually teens) to relate to.