YouTube Strategies for Promotion

Nail the Thumbnail

Thumbnails are important for videos as they show a preview of what the video is going to be about, choosing a key frame in the video that attracts people for whatever use or gratification it's for may lead to more people watching your videos.

Promote on Social Media

If you want your video to get more views, don't be afraid to share the videos on social media. This is important because more people will know about the video through word of mouth, if one person watches your video and they like it they may tell their friends and family who might watch it after being told.

It's an easy way to promote your video, even if you just tell your friends.

The Content

People seek certain type of content on YouTube, wether it's for entertainment or just information such as news on all the latest gossip. It's important to nail the content that you make in order to meet a use for the audience, making content that people are interested in will attract them.

Tags

Putting the correct tags for your video will attract more people when it comes to the content you create,  it will narrow down viewers who have an interest in the type of content that you make.

Vlog Pitch Plan

Research into Media Studies Blogs

http://mediastudiescourseworkmattkitta2.blogspot.co.uk/


I found this blog from a group of Media Studies students from back in 2013, this will help us because it gives us an idea of what we need to do in order to make our music video, how we can improve the way in which we can meet our audience expectations.



http://a2mediamelissachambers.blogspot.co.uk/2016/09/feedback-from-audience.html 

work in progress - story boarding

This is a picture of our story board, our ideas are based around a narrative love story gone wrong between a girl and her ex boyfriend. It revolves around flashbacks to happy and bad times in the based using the binary opposite theory. The locations are going to be mainly outside for the present day time filming and in various locations for the flashbacks of the couple together in the past.

Shots (NC)

Most Creative Still

As a group, we believe our second picture is the most creative. This is because we utilised inverted shallow focus within this shot. The building works add an unexpected level of creativity.
There is a range of angles used within the concept pictures as well as the use of focus from the shallow focus which creates a sense of distance between the point of view of the camera and the person walking behind the tree.

Our Facebook page

This is our facebook page for the music video we will be creating, it will contain our ideas that we would like audience opinion on such as locations and costumes, it will also be where some of the first stages of advertising will take place in order to get the name of the song out their.

Survey monkey results - audience research

   

This is our feedback from the survey monkey that we collected, from this we will take the audience's opinions into account when making the decisions about the final music video and the story boarding of the video.  

Audience feedback from Facebook

This is feedback that we have had on our Facebook page regarding the song that we have chosen to create a music video for. From this we can see that people enjoy the lyrics of the song so it creates a good start for us to build a video. 

Music video genre analysis - narrative/concept

Interview with target audience

From the feedback given by a member of our target audience we will need to make sure the locations are based in a field or in a dark room possibly including fairy lights or something similar.
The target audience needs to be young females.
The costumes and makeup will need to be natural to fit the audiences expectations so it is not over the top and over powering.
To make sure the video is not boring we will need to make it interesting as the audience feels it could be repetitive.

Music Genre - Video Analysis

What went well - I have analysed music videos in our music genre and connected them conventions and codes that we have looked at, furthermore I have also put links as to what ideas are repeated in a music video in our music genre.

Even better if - I had incorporated the ideas of codes and conventions more than I did.

Flip chart ideas

These are some of our very first ideas for our music video, they helped us to come up with the video we now have and we have developed on a lot of these ideas to make them better. 

Peer Feedback & Questions (NC)

1. "Who will you use as your main actor and how will you make them fit the genre"

Currently, we haven't decided on a main actor to play the role of the lead singer. I will update this answer when we have further information.

2. "Will you use any props to support your M-E-S?

We will possibly be using a guitar and a flower crown in the video to support the M-E-S.

3. "What is your specific genre"

Our genre will be narrative.

4. "How do you plan to incorporate props?"

We plan to use props when the girl will be singing alone/possibly having her sat down while playing.

5. "What locations will you use?"

We will use a our doors location for when she is singing in present time and different locations when she is looking back on possible flash backs.

6. Will you use lots of makeup or will you use minimal amounts of makeup?"

We will be using natural makeup, noting over the top or too much.

We will most likely use a more natural look regarding makeup, this is because the song is more suited to this style.

7. "What types of shots will you utilise"

We will use close ups, long shots and use shots where it looks s if the camera is looking through something to add effect.

8. "Will there be multiple actors?"

There will most likely be at least two actors, however this isn't confirmed as of yet.

9. "What type of cinematography/editing will you use?"

We will use a variety of interesting shots, such as crab shots and panning shots. As for editing, we will most likely utilise effects such as colour correction/isolation and a plethora of other editing techniques.

10. "How will you include the pictures in the style of your music video?"


11. "How will you make it creative using this style?"

To make it creative using this style we will use different editing techniques and also use different types of shots and locations that will fit with the narrative genre.

12. "How will you cater towards your target audience?"
13. "What effects are you planning to use?"

14. "What is the narrative and how will it link to audience expectations?"

We are most likely to follow Todorov's narrative theory, because of this, we will need to have scenes of equilibrium, a disruption and finally, a resolution. As we need to incorporate these 3 things, we may use a couple who are happy together, they then break up and then get back together. However, this is a very generic narrative so we'd have to make it unique, engaging and interesting.

15. "What type of narrative theory will you use?"

We are most likely to follow Todorov's theory. This is because our particular song is much more suited to this narrative theory compared to Strauss' Binary Opposite theory. Strauss' theory isn't suitable for our song as there are no definite opposites in the lyrics which could be utilised to make our music video unique and interesting.

Vernallis unruly media theory using Todorov's three stage theory

Video showing Levi Strauss binary opposite theory and Todorov's three stage theory

Planning:

Levi Strauss - Binary opposite theory

Levi Strauss' Binary Opposites narrative theory is about how the world is made up of opposites which  creates conflict. This takes a deeper arrangement through the use of themes.
We used the idea of Levi Strauss' Binary Opposites to create a difference between the reality vs a fantasy world. This could be done through the use of editing, such as the use of desaturation and cooling or warming tones to create a warm or cool atmosphere. Furthermore the use of props that trigger memories such as a book or just sitting down on a bench, this could be used to represent the theme that we are trying to create, and it doesn't have to come in order of events, it could be a back and forth between a past and a present or the fantasy world where those places and things represent something happy for the girl.
If we were to do the task again of having to edit the pictures in order to create a narrative for binary opposites then we would try to create clips with the use of camera movements to create a transition with the camera movements rather than just doing straight cuts or a match on action.

Todorov's Three Stage Theory

Todorov's Three Stages Theory is made up of the Equilibrium, Disruption and Resolution stages, in the equilibrium stage everything is happy and normal, which is then disrupted by some form of problem/issue which is then resolved and it leads to a happy ever after in the resolution stage.
Our narrative for Todorov's Three Stage Theory was that there was a happy couple in the honeymoon stage which get into a fight which leads to a break up, but soon after they make up and get back together. We used Todorov's theory to tell a story in a chronological order with some clear flashbacks to when the couple was happy, these flashbacks are triggered through the use of locations, the girl is sitting alone on a bench and then a picture of her with the guy is shown on the same spot. Overall we used Todorov's theory in order to create a clear story line that is easy for the audience to follow, however this could be improved by using different types of editing such as layering which could emphasise the fact that in the disruption stage the relationship seems like a distant memory. Furthermore the use of cinematography such as camera movement if we had filmed clips could have helped us in order to create smooth transition from one scene to another.

Overall Levi Strauss' Binary Opposites is a better theory for us to use because it can be used to take a deeper arrangement for the music video through the use of themes which could help the audience to relate more to the video. Furthermore the theory is not about the order of things but the use of themes to show how the world being made of opposites and how this leads to conflict in the world. This is important because it means that as a group we have more creative freedom rather than having to follow a narrative which follows a specific timeline, whereas not having to follow a timeline in the order in which the events happened means that we can use a broader range of editing techniques in order to create a clear difference between the reality and the fantasy.

Analysis of Lyrics

From analysing the lyrics of our song we have discovered that key concepts such as time, dreams and the idea of a story is all present in  the lyrics, we need to keep this in mind when planning the music video as this will help us get the video on the right track and will allow us to fit our music videos with the key codes and conventions of a narrative/concept music video. It will also allow us to ensure that the lyrics fit with the actions taking place in the music video itself.

Possible song choice

Analysis of professional music video

Vlog Pitch

Narrative Theories

Todorov;


Equilibrium - a happy couple and everything is fine, they're in the honeymoon stage.
Disruption - they have an argument and break up
Resolution - they make up and get back together.


Levi Strauss;

Reality vs Fantasy, we want to show the opposite through the use of lighting, the fantasy would be represented through the use of vibrant colours and bright lighting whereas the reality would be represented through dark and gritty themes and the use of dark lighting.
Furthermore the use of saturation and warm and cold filters such as orange and blue could create a more sad and gloomy atmosphere or a happy and warm atmosphere to the video creating binary opposites between the happy fantasy and the dark reality.

Iconic Directors

David Fincher is an American director and producer born in Denver, Colorado in 1962. and although he is mainly known for his role as director and producer of films he has also directed music videos such as Justin Timberlake's Suit and Tie music video which won him the MTV Video Music Award for Best Direction.
A recurring theme for Fincher's music videos is that they last more than a normal music video, they seem to be using the idea of a narrative music video based on a theme or and idea.
This is creatively done in Madonna's music video for Bad Girl because it uses the props to emphasise the fact that some events took part in the past such as the cigarette throughout the music video which seems to have been a big part in how the relationship started.
On the other hand Justin Timberlake's Suit and Tie music video focuses more on the artists image as well as focusing on a theme which in this case is the era of the 1920's which is highlighted through the use of the black and white editing and the use of costumes such as the tuxedos which take the lyrics of the song 'suit' and 'tie' to a literal meaning.


WWW - I analysed music videos directed by David Fincher and how his style changes, and analysed a recurring theme in his music videos.

EBI - my analysis of his music videos would have been better if I had analysed how his videos would be seen by the audience that they were aimed at.

Iconic directors

Dave Meyers is an American music video, commercial and film director. After graduating from Loyola Marymount University, Meyers worked his way through the studio systems at Paramount and Fox before filming his first music video with rap crew The Whoridas.
Inspired by a chance meeting with director Gus Van Sant, Dave spent the next few years directing over 200 videos for the music industry’s most popular recording artists. His work brought dozens of nominations and 11 MTV Video Music Awards including the 2003 MTV Video Music Award for Best Video of the Year. Meyers is a frequent collaborator to P!nk, and Missy Elliott. 



Missy Elliot - Work it 2003 




P!nk - So what 2009 






Katy Perry - Firework 2011