Class discussion for "we found love" by Rihanna

As a class we discussed how different techniques are used to keep the audience interested in the video for "we found love" by Rihanna.

This is a narrative video which shows a young couple who are in love, it shows how a relationship evolves into something that they no longer want. Step by step the relationship becomes worse as faults in the persons personality become clearer, the lust clouded eyes seem to open and they realise the truths about each other, that love is no longer enough and that it is suffocating them as it is hurting them both. Although if they are apart they will be upset but being apart will save them from each other. It shows a sense of loneliness in Rihanna and that although they are together she is still somehow on her own. There is a scene when they look at each other in the bath, they both look like they hate each other as if they have gone to war with one another, this creates a sense of tension and conflict inside them both and that at some point something will cause an argument between them.

It starts of showing a block of flats in and establishing shot, this sets the scene and gives a sense of being trapped but although this place seems like a prison or a place of misery even love can prevail, as the chorus lyrics suggest 'we found love in a hopeless place', found being in the past tense which could suggest that it is no longer there anymore, this begins to hint at the possible ways that the relationship could have spiralled into to make end.

The scenes switch from a slow one, to one filled with a lot of energy like the one where there is a
crowd around them and they are dancing in mud. To me this shows that even though they are not in particularly nice place they are 'high' on the presence of each other, so that 'love' is their drug.
This video is clearly telling certain aspects of her very public relationship with Chris Brown, as even the main male character looks like him, although some key details were left out, such as when she was physically abused, they do show an inseperable bond and tolerance of his behaviour by her.
The clothes she wears shows a different side of her character as normally she is seen in highly fashionable clothing that is expensive to keep her image 'fresh', but in this video we get to see a more relaxed and natural side of Rihanna. This could be her going back to her 'roots' or simply that she didn't have to pretend to be anyone else when around him, and that her true beauty could show and she could truly be herself.

As a group we noticed that each clip within the music video was no longer than 2-3 seconds long, each cut was in time with the music, this is the most common type of editing as it keeps the audience interested as the younger generation have shorter attention spans, and don't usually watch with their full focus.

Some scenes have been tried to be partially merged so that not every clip is shown with discontinuity, such as the clips where there is lightning then Rihanna is stood in front of a projector where the same lighning clip is being projected onto her. Although there is discontinuity all the way through it gives the effect of seeing a before and after of the life of Rihanna as it shows her on her own, singing, and then shows clips of her and the lead male character, as the song progresses and reaches the end the clip shows Rihanna walking away as if leaving the past behind her, and she is moving on to forget about it. This also suggests that she is telling the audience to forget about it as she is critisized for forgiving Chris Brown, and he is still shown in a bad light for his mistake eventhough he has appologised.

Timeline of the main sections of the whole song.

0:00 - Introduction
0:11 - 1st verse
0:36 - 1st Chorus
0:57 - 2nd verse
1:20 - Pre Chorus
1:26 - 2nd Chorus (x2)
1:50 - Bridge (x2)
2:10 - Pre - Chorus (x2)
2:39 - 3rd Chorus
2:50 - Outro 
3:06 - End

presentation reveiw

Group 2 Haris and the dudes:
beautiful lasers - lupe fiasco
theater and the roof
how will the colours create a modern image?
good use of clear steps as to what you are going to do.
How will you tell the narrative?
Munashe is dancing wow!
creative ideas very clear to all members of the group.

Group 3 - Marian and THEE dudes
good song ideas, made by shuab
clear ideas, clear to all members of the group
good presentation, clear, confident

Group 4 - Neepa, Josh, Zak
concept - vain
performance, narrative
theatre, lighting
what effects do you need the green screen for?
clear on how they are going to get people for their video.
why this song? considering the lyrics.

Group 5 - the girls
good idea of doing different songs, but not sure how well it will fit together as the songs have different tempo's and the lyrics don't really sound like the go with the lyrics of the other songs.
Good ideas for settings as they are different and haven't been done that much before.
I like the idea of using different songs so that everyone has a part that they like and can have an individual part.

Mood Board

http://prezi.com/5f25mosdkbgd/mood-board/

music video composition planning 3-10-11 tanya

We watched a few clips on YouTube by Tyler Ward such as a cover of LMFAO's party rock anthem and a cover of Lil Wayne's How to love , which has influenced the type of video that we will make. We decided to make a video that looks like a homemade video without making it look amateur such as the video for Ed Sheeran's video for The A Team. The video will be performance based as we will be filming an artist whilst they play various instruments.


10/10/11
In today's lesson me and Tanya have begun putting together a mood board of the the types of shots that we would like to use in our video which were taken from clips on youtube. We have talked about locations and different shots and thought about filming some of the video in a car park, so that we can capture a certain amount of light from the headlights and get a better angle for the camera to create a more in depth background. This could also be in monochromatic tones to create a vintage feel to the video.

Weapon of choice - Fatboy Slim

I don't feel their is a set storyline, to me the video shows an adult man who when alone can revert back to when he was younger, and just dance without having to worry about what other people might say. It's about being able to let go of stress, and just let go of commitments and have fun but knowing at some point you have to back to reality, but for now make the most of your time.
The dance is a mix of styles including jazz, tap and contemporary which fit with the rhythm and beats of the music, so although it doesn't look like it's choreographed well, after a while of understanding the timing it does fit together. Also the movement isn't fluid so it's easier to relate to, as not many ordinary people can dance professionally, so the video almost looks like it's made by an amateur. This gives a homely feel as Christopher Walken is a famous actor and people often see him as a serious person, but by him dancing in this way people feel it is more acceptable to do this in their own time without judging others, the overall message is to teach people not to take themselves too seriously. One of the lyrics is 'walk without rhythm' and in some areas he is dancing out of sync with the music.

He wears a smart suit to help emphasise that everyone at some point needs to relax and just let go of everything even if it's just for a few minutes. One thing I think is important is the location as it's in a huge empty hotel, which suggests that when your on your own you can act like yourself without having to pretend or act like someone else.
The camera pans in and out on Christopher's face to exaggerate on how 'normal' he actually is as he is making faces while dancing, also the camera moves with him to show how much he is using the space available as he is able to move around freely.

This video shows how certain people/cultures act as the lyric 'walk without rhythm' indicates how some people walk with a limp sometimes to show their authority in areas where they live.

florence and the machine - rabbit heart

Lighting and colour:When the video first starts it opens with dim lighting as Florence lifts her mask/veil away to reveal her face, the light intensity increases until her whole face is showing. To me this shows her being born into a brighter world, one of indulgence. The light stays bright throughout and seems to reflect off of everything even the sky, back to where she is positioned which makes her stand out more clearly. All the colours are bright and warm which could show innocence or being at peace with themselves.
Clothes, hair and makeup:
The backing dancers wear minimal makeup to emphasise the on the tinted makeup that Florence wears on her cheeks and the bright pink/red lipstick. The pink could show innocence of a female or indicate flirtation, as her lips are bright pink and therefore it could seem sultry. The rest of the makeup is made up of natural tones to compliment the outfits and tie in with the natural setting in a forest. All of the clothes worn by women are used to exaggerate the natural element of wind and so they are light and are able to float with the slightest movement. The clothes worn by men should be fitted but are worn loosely to coincide with the vintage and 'airy' look of the other dresses. The styles of hair differ as some have very loose hair that looks natural, whereas some have slightly styled hair as Florence has loosely curled hair. Her hair is bright ginger which contrasts against the natural tones of blond and brunette in all the other people, it makes her the centre of attention and contradicts with everything else as the colour isn't natural. It could symbolise the fire and passion that we have within, also the need to express ourselves in a way that makes us different, and an individual.

Facial expression/ body language:
A lot of the time the dancers are looking towards Florence but she looks mainly towards the sky and almost embraces the sun. She tends to keep a straight face and looks directly to the camera as if she was looking at the viewer. Mostly Florence faces her whole body to the front to show further interaction with the audience. Her body language seems quite formal and uneasy, unlike the fluidity of the rest of the dancers. Overall this makes her appear further forward, and the dancers further back.

Props:
One of the props that stands out is the table full of bright coloured fruit which could be seen on the table at 'the last supper' which shows cultural and religious views as well as showing a different aspect of nature. Later on in the video the table becomes a box that she is laid in, at first I thought it was a coffin but there was no lid and it was left to drift away on a river almost like in the bible where Moses drifted down a river in a basket. Although the box is carried like a coffin in a funeral the dancers are throwing confetti as if it were a wedding, so clearly it is meant to be a celebration of life and death and being at peace with yourself, nature and others around you.

Location:
The location of this video is set in a forest, it has large areas to move around as there are quite a few dancers that need room to move around freely. Also the sunlight is able to shine on everyone because there are no trees in the areas in which they position themselves. The location is paramount as it sets the video with a natural feel. It looks as if everything has been designed around the location, as camera shots are always clear without any trees getting in the way.