Stuart Halls Reception Theory

Green Screen Test Shots

In the earlier stages of planning my music video I was considering the use of a green screen to create some of my clips, however I had no experience using a green screen and wanted to have a practice before deciding to use it within my video. I did a few test shots where the subject was stood still and also some where she is moving so I could see the ways in which that may come into effect when adding a background.

After looking at some youtube tutorials I managed to learn how to use the "keying" effect in order to replace the green screen with a background of my choice, for this practice I simply used a series of different images I found online. I also experimented with effects such as using black and white and re-positioning the clips, this helped me become more familiar with the program Final Cut Pro.

Overall I am quite happy with these test shots as I have successfully learnt how do do the effect I wish to use. The test shots are far from perfect as there is some blurriness around the outline of my model, however I am aware that this can be fixed with a better arrangement of lighting as a way to reduce shadows. I am not 100% sure if I will use the green screen when creating my actual music video depending on what over locations I manage to get, although I am very happy with the experiments I have completed so that when I do decide on my final location I will be aware of what process I would need to complete if I choose to use it.

Narrative Form

Narrative
For music videos there are thought to be three different forms of narratives, the narrative itself is the way in which these three elements are brought together:

• Story, when there is a sequence of events happening within the video that normally relate to the lyrics of the song, this is also known as a plot.
• Performance, when you see the artist performing the song, whether this is through playing a musical instrument or lip-syncing.
• Abstract, this is the use of visual techniques to add to the mood and feel of the video, these may have no meaning but are often entertaining for the audience.

Sven Carlson (1999) suggests that music videos generally fall into two rough groups, which he named performance clips and conceptual clips. Performance clips are of the artist lip-syncing, dancing or performing to the song, whilst conceptual clips show something artistic or ambitious. In one type pf performance the performer is not a performer anymore, he or she is a materialization of a commercial exhibitionist, creating an image to promote themselves.

According to Pam Cook (1985) the standard Hollywood narrative structure should have:

• Linearity of cause to effect within an overall trajectory of enigma resolution
• A high degree of narrative closure
• A fictional world that contains verisimilitude especially governed by spatial and temporal coherence.

Todarov (1977) created a narrative structure to present the conventional five stages of a narrative, these stages are followed very often in film and television which further proves Todarov's theory that most plots follow the same or similar paths.

1. A state of equilibrium at the outset
2. A distribution of the equilibrium by some action
3. A recognition that there has been a disruption
4. An attempt to repair the disruption
5. A reinstatement of the equilibrium

Claude Lévi-Strauss was a structurallist which is someone who "searches for the underlying patterns of thought in all forms of human activities". In 1958 he stated that he believed all stories presnted certain clear binary opposites, for examples good vs evil and rich vs poor. He says that there is often a use of colours, props and locations to represent these opposites.

 

Audience Theory

Uses And Gratifications Theory

The Uses and gratification model looks at the motives of the people who use the media, asking why we watch certain programs.Researchers began to describe the effects of the media from the audiences point of view, as the audience themselves choose what they want to consume and are not forced into consumption. The theory argues that audiences have social and psychological needs which generate certain expectations about the mass media and what they are exposed to.

The idea behind the uses and gratification model is that people are motivated by a desire to fill or gratify certain needs, the model is broken down into four different needs:

Surveillance- This is based around the idea that people feel better having the feeling that they know whats happening in the world around them, giving us the sense of both knowledge of security, for example watching real life police programs may make them gain the feeling of security.

Personal Identity- This explains how we position ourselves within society. An example is that pop stars often become big role models that inspire young children, this is why there is such an outcry when one of them does something classed as unacceptable.

Personal Relationships- In media, many people use the T.V. as a a form of companionship, these can often be intimate experiences that make us feel close to characters, meaning we may grieve if they leave the show. People also use the media as conversation starters and therefore helps them to build relationships with real people.

Diversion- We as an audience often watch T.V. as a way to forget about our real life problems and think about something else, making it a form of distraction. This also allows the audience to relate to characters if they are experiencing a similar problem to them.

Tessa Perkins - Stereotypes

Stereotyping is the automatic assumption or opinion of a person, normally based of their social group.

Tessa Perking states that "Stereotyping is not a simple process and contains a number of assumptions that can be challenged" She also points out some of the following areas:

• Stereotypes are not always negative
• They are not always about minority groups or the less powerful, an examples of this is the stereotype of "upper class twits"
• Stereotypes can also be held by ones own group
• They are not rigid or unchanging
• They are not always false

"People assume that stereotypes are always negative, for example young troublesome youths however youth can also be seen as a positive."

"We assume that stereotypes are targeted towards the less powerful, but we can make assumptions and stereotypes about the upper class minorities in the same way they would make some towards them"

There are also stereotypes within groups, even famous people are stereotyped. Stereotypes are normally about groups with whom we have had little or no social contact with, meaning they can not always be reliable or believable. However, stereotypes need to have some truth in them or where else would we get this representation from? We may witness first or second hand the reasons these originate from, because of the correct assumptions it makes us continue to make the same assumptions and results in them being wrong or simply just negative behavior.

Summary:
Tessa Perkins stereotype theory is said to contain a number of assumptions that can be challenged. Stereotypes are almost always negative and are used constantly around us, going back to the stereotype of "troublesome youths" is an example of this.

The Eight Narrative Types

Treatment of My Music Video

The artist will lip-sync in performance shots, a mid 20th century theme with a street-life museum used as a location and also a green screen, feature a range of different vintage outfits, props include an old-fashioned tram and microphone, aged grainy effect or black and white may be used.