LAUAN501 - Study Task 9

Evaluation

For my project I intended to create a video essay that would illustrate my points, findings and research. My first Idea was to create video essay in the style of a music video, where I would include a short animation accompanied by music to visually compare how animation can improve a musical piece. However, I discovered that it might take too long to combine a short ‘music’ video along with a video essay in the style of a music video. Instead, I have approached it in a different way, after researching the 1980's era of MTV and how they advertised and how creatively they used animation for their title cards.

I began by researching and looking at many different music videos, both animated and live action, and gathered clips of them for my eventual video. After this I began researching on various different articles and some interviews to give some context and to show how animation has been used in music videos.

After enough secondary research, I created a survey as primary research that would help me gather results and information that might help me to show that animation can indeed improve music, and do it better than live action music videos.

I found that this survey helped quite a lot in my research, as it implied heavily that animation did improve and / or change music.

From this, I began to write my essay that I would use to construct my video essay. After writing my essay completely, I recorded myself reading them and then edited the voice lines to suit an essay video. After this, I began sketching my title sequence for my practical.

After some planning, I began animating a logo sequence similar to that of MTV, linking my topic area, research and practical together. I created a sketchy version, originally intended as a transition sequence, but I instead used it as a concept for my final title sequence.

I used this sketch to create a title sequence similar to an MTV title sequence, which further emphasises what my topic is.

Research

In my research, I looked at several articles that might help to prove that animation can help, improve and change a piece of music. For example, on one blog on Dozmia, it stated "One of the biggest reasons why music videos are so useful to artists is their ability to provoke or further provoke the emotions that the song is meant to portray. Using animation can further demonstrate this emotional element of the music.”. This quote in particular backs up my point that animation can be used to improve music more than live action, as it highlights how emotion can be used visually to give a greater impact.

Conclusion.

Overall, I think I did rather well considering the time I had to create my practical and theoretical response. While I feel that I needed more contradicting evidence to challenge my own beliefs and the research I found, I think that my survey portrayed my points rather well. My practical response was an almost monumental task to complete, but I managed to complete as much as I possibly could. I believe it is a fairly entertaining and informational response overall.

LAUAN501 - Practical Response

My final practical response essay video:

Below is a list of sources used to create this video:

LAUAN501 - Final Written Essay - Study Task 8

Since last time I have updated my essay and added a bibliography, reference list and overall finished writing.

This is my final written outcome for this module, and it has been used as a basis for my practical.

What went well?

Very well structured essay.
Clear points backed up by research.

How can I improve?

Focus on the question more.
Find conflicting evidence that might challenge my ideas.

LAUAN501 - Script

For my written outcome, I have written a script essay for my practical - an analytical video into music videos. I have structured it specifically so it will be easy to read and replicate into speech, and numbered the different paragraphs so I know what dialogue lines to put in certain parts.

Now that I've completed the written section, I will now focus on creating a video for my practical outcome.

- What Went Well?

- A lot of research and findings displayed.

- Structured Well

- Easily identifiable quotes and research.

- What to improve?

- Less waffling.

- More precise information.

LAUAN501 - Study Task 7

Rationale

Essay: For my essay I will be creating a script that will be used as a basis for my voice lines for my practical response - a video essay showing how animation can improve / change music. 

Research: For my specific research, I will conduct a survey and get as many people as I can to answer through it in order to gather data for my research. For my exploratory research, I will also be looking at many different music videos, as well as articles and interviews to use in response to my essay. So far I have found many articles and created my survey for people to respond to.

Practical Outcome: For my practical outcome I will be creating a short title sequence that bears a resemblance to 1980's MTV title card and logo animations. I will also be creating a video essay with different clips playing in the background, as well as different visual effects to create a VHS 1980's MTV aesthetic.

I have not done much for my practical, but I have created some sketches that will aid in my practical, specifically the title sequence.

Essay Structure

For the written segment of my blog, I have created a structured body of text to help me write my essay more efficiently. Some of these things may not appear in the actual essay due to to much words and information, and some new things may appear. This is a general outline of what I will be writing about.

Study Task 6

Practical Responses

For my practical response, I plan to create an analytical video that will be used to voice my reasoning, opinions and research that relates to my topic. Because of this, the written segment of my topic will be a video script that I will use to read off. The video will include some after effects animations to make it more visually interesting, which also related to my topic question - how visuals and audio synergise. 

I will also create a short and simple animation that will be shown within the video. This animation will include visuals that will respond to a certain emotional sounding music piece which will illustrate how visuals can improve the experience of music.

A few sources that I've found which will help with these topics include videos and articles that will assist me in script writing and video editing. It will also help create my animation.

How to write scripts

Tips for creating analysis videos

https://support.techsmith.com/hc/en-us/articles/214788157-Tips-for-Creating-Your-Analysis-Video

'How to Create a Killer Animated Music Video'

https://blog.dozmia.com/how-to-create-an-animated-music-video/

How to Make a Youtube Video

How to Animate Music and Sound

MTV Animation Adverts

Study Task 5

In this study task, we were required to write an introduction for our written part of our research topic.




I approached this by asking myself various questions:

What am I looking at?

• Animated music videos, and how audio and visuals syngergise for maximum impact.

• "What do I mean by 'maximum impact'?" - How accompanied animation can enhance a music experience by creating interesting and compelling visuals to evoke more emotion from a piece of music, and thus make it more enjoyable than simply listening to the song

• "Why animation? Why not live action? Is there a difference?" - I will be exploring the differences in appeal between live action and animated music videos. I propose that animation is more effective because there is more freedom of expression.

How and Where will I look?

• Social Media: I will be looking through Youtube, Twitter and other social media platforms to observe the different reactions to animated music videos. I will look at freelance artists who have been commissioned to create animated music videos and note down how they created their projects.

• Articles: I will read various articles in order to research the origins of animated music videos and how significant these early stages of animated music videos are. I will note their effect on animation on music videos as a whole. I will also triangulate these articles in order to make my own conclusions on how animated music videos become iconic.

• Interviews & Podcasts: I will listen to podcasts and interviews of different music groups in hopes to understand their reasoning behind using animation to accompany their songs.

What am I aiming to find?

• I aim to find whether animation is significantly more effective at synergising with music for maximum impact than using live action or no video at all. I also aim to find how animated music videos become so popular and why more bands and music groups are using the format.

What have I found so far?

• Origins of animated music videos: I have discovered what many consider to be the first animated music video; Elvis Costello & The Attractions - Accidents will happen. I have read a source that explains what the song is about and how the animation accompanies it.

• Commissions: Many music groups commission animators to animate many music videos for their songs. Many examples of this include Caravan Palace and SIAMÉS.

• Narrative: Music groups like Gorillaz use animations in their songs to tell a narrative of the virtual band. I have read sources of the origins of their expanding universe and how it's had a tremendous effect on the music genre as a whole.

• Sending a message: Some bands such as Linkin Park, Pearl Jam and Freak Kitchen use animations to further emphasise the message their songs send. Notable examples include Freak of the Week, Breaking the Habit and Do the Evolution.

My Predictions:

• Using a questionnaire and generally studying the reactions to different comparisons of animated music videos and live action / no music videos, I predict that people will find animated music videos more appealing and interesting than just listening to music or watching live action music videos. 

Practical Outcome?

• An analysis video to voice my findings and opinions.

• A short animation to illustrate my points.

Study Task 4

For this study task, we were required to create a triangulation poster based on our previous study of a source evaluation. For my Triangulation poster, I separated it into three parts and three topic areas that were covered in my initial research poster. 

In this poster I attempted to combine secondary images, as well as primary sources to connect and compare them to each other. My main goal was to connect everything together using triangulation to create a cohesive and visual representation of my thought processes. This poster will help me keep focused on the question, as there are many types of animations including music that I can explore.

Evaluation:

• Good balance of visual and theoretical information.
• Well structured poster.
• Visually pleasing.

• More focus required on my sources (Further depth)
• More primary images + sources.

Study Task 3

For this study task we are required to find a source of text and read through it. Afterwards, I had to write a summary of my thoughts relating to the text.

Source Text:



I highlighted certain lines or quotes that I thought held important information. After reading thoroughly through the text, here are my thoughts:

• The writing style is very odd, consisting of various grammatical errors. However despite this, the points seem to be clear enough to read and understand.

• The writer's points don't seem to be very developed at some points. For example, when they say 'This video is an excellent example of how a well produced music video could push an unknown pop group (from Norway!) to the top of the hit lists all over the world'. This point does not immediately explain itself, and instead digresses into a whole story instead of keeping to the point.

Study Task 2

For this study, we were instructed to create a prototype question for our research topic.

For my initial question, I wanted to consider what areas I would be looking at, which would be Culture, Technology and Aesthetics, as I would possibly be looking at how animations look and feel, how they're created and how it differs from culture to culture.

The question I wrote was: 'Animated Music Videos: How does music help to create a more interesting animation, and how does animation synergize with music'.

After a review of the question, it was later updated and refined to: 'Animated Music Videos: How do Audio and Visual Synergize for maximum impact.'

I feel that the update to this question gives me a more specific are to look at, while keeping the question short and easy to understand.

501 Study Task 1

For this study task we were asked to create a diagram related to a research question to kick start our research for our chosen topic.

I chose to create a table with three different sub-topics and wrote down words relating to each.

I feel that these different areas will contribute most to my proto question, as it will explore aesthetics and the advancement of technology concerning animated music videos. It also will explore how different cultures may react to these music videos and how certain emotions may be evoked from them.

LAUAN501 - Anima Animation

For this task, we needed to create an inanimate object or animal and create a sense of sentience within them, making them emote and such.

I created a bomb who seems quite excited to get blown up.

I have used squash and stretch, as well as timing to make the bomb feel fluid and alive.