Summer project

 

1) Research: TikTok videos

You need to write a 150-word close-textual analysis of SIX TikTok videos that will inform your production work. The TikTok videos you analyse are up to you but focus on a different aspect of media language for each one (see guidance below).  

TikTok videos

TikTok Video 1: Narrative
How is narrative used in the TikTok video and what impact does this have on the audience? Can you apply any narrative theories to the story in the TikTok video?

Blinding Lights - the Weekend

The narrative in blinding lights follows a chaotic journey of isolation, danger and obsession. The music video begins with The Weeknd’s character appearing disorientated and injured after an unseen event, immediately creating mystery and encouraging the audience to question what has happened. This uses Roland Barthes’ enigma codes, as unanswered questions motivate viewers to continue watching to understand the character’s situation. The narrative develops through a series of events involving him wandering through Las Vegas, encountering strangers and becoming increasingly reckless. The repeated imagery of neon lights and the city setting creates a sense of confusion and emotional instability, reflecting the themes of the song. The video can also be linked to Todorov’s narrative theory, as the character begins in a disrupted state rather than a clear equilibrium, and the ending does not fully resolve the conflict.

TikTok Video 2: Camerawork (shots, angles, movement)
Look for particular camera shots and movement - remember that movement is a critical convention of most music videos and performances and camerawork can contribute to this. 

Foo Fighters - the pretender 

The camerawork in Foo Fighters’s The Pretender creates a sense of power and intensity that reflects the aggressive rock genre. The video uses a combination of close-up shots of lead singer Dave Grohl and the band members to highlight emotion, energy and performance. These close-ups allow the audience to connect with the artist while reinforcing the importance of the band’s identity. The use of tracking shots following the movement of the performers creates a dynamic feel, making the audience feel involved in the performance rather than simply watching from a distance. at the beggining there is also a hand held camera reinforcing the rock genre as the camera is unstable and frantic also The rapid camera movements and changes in perspective match the intensity of the music, creating excitement for the audience.

TikTok Video 3: Mise-en-scene
What do you notice about the use of mise-en-scene to create meanings for the audience? Use CLAMPS to help you here and think in particular about how mise-en-scene is used to communicate the genre of music and the personality or brand identity of the band/artist.

David Bowie - Life on mars 

David bowies bright blue suit is one of the most recognizable things about the video as it is an unusual colour for a suit which makes him stand out and create a sense of individuality and challenge traditional stereotypes around masculinity his cosutume also shows us Bowies creativity and experimentation. the Lighting in the music video is high key the bright lighting makes Bowie appear almost unreal, reinforcing the surreal mood of the song and drawing attention to his expressions and movements. Bowies make up looks like hes from outer space reflecting the title of the song also The make-up challenges gender stereotypes and communicates creativity, allowing audiences to associate him with originality and self-expression. The simple studio setting removes distractions and places all focus on Bowie’s performance. The empty background creates a minimalist style, allowing his costume, facial expressions and body language to become the main ways meaning is communicated.

TikTok  Video 4: Editing

For editing, analyse pace, transitions, the number of shots and juxtaposition. How does the video create pace and excitement - or does it create a different effect for the audience?  

Smells like teen spirit - Nirvana

The editing in Nirvana’s Smells Like Teen Spirit reflects the rebellious and chaotic identity of the grunge genre. The video uses a combination of rapid cuts, close-up shots and wide performance shots to create a sense of energy and disorder. The frequent changes between shots of the band performing and the crowd reacting make the audience feel as though they are part of the live concert environment. The use of handheld camera footage combined with fast editing creates a raw and authentic style, which contrasts with the polished appearance of many mainstream music videos. The editing also follows the rhythm of the song, with cuts becoming more intense during louder sections of the track, strengthening the connection between the visuals and the music. there are also slo mo parts in the music videos where we can capture the emotions of the band and also contrast the hectic nature of the music video

TikTok  Video 5: Music Video Conventions

Think back to our Introduction to Music Video and our work on Andrew Goodwin's theory on music video conventions as part of the Ghost Town CSP. How many key conventions of music video can you find in your fifth TikTok example?

Arctic monkeys - body paint 

Arctic Monkeys’ Body Paint demonstrates several key conventions from Andrew Goodwin’s music video theory. One major convention is the relationship between music and visuals, as the slow pace of the editing and dramatic performance style match the emotional and reflective tone of the song. The video combines performance and narrative elements, showing the band playing while also presenting more artistic and cinematic scenes, which keeps the audience engaged. Goodwin suggests that music videos often include close-ups of the artist, and this is evident through repeated shots of Alex Turner, The video also uses  symbolism, with paint and artistic imagery linking to themes of identity and performance. however it could be argues that it doesnt entierly follow typical conventions as for large portions of the music video we dont get to see the band perform and see other shot sof the setting or shots of a plane or a pool table 

TikTok 6: Visual effects, intertextuality or product placement

Choose a TikTok video that has interesting visual effects or intertextuality and analyse the effect this creates and how it is constructed. Alternatively, you could look at product placement here and see how a band or artist has incorporated a brand or product into their video. 


The visual effects in Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Californication create a unique and memorable style by transforming the band into characters inside a fictional video game world. The use of CGI and animation constructs an imaginary environment where the band members experience different challenges, combining music video conventions with the visual style of gaming culture. This creates intertextuality because the video references the design and structure of popular video games, allowing audiences to recognise familiar elements such as levels, missions and digital landscapes. The animated world also creates meaning by representing themes of fame, danger and the artificial nature of entertainment. The contrast between the realistic band performance and the computer-generated sequences highlights the difference between reality and fantasy. The bright colours and exaggerated environments make the video visually engaging, helping the band stand out from traditional rock videos.

You can start adding TikTok links to this shared document that should help with research and, of course, or you are free to select videos of your choice. You may wish to write more about one video than another but as long as you have 800+ words of TikTok video research in total you will be fine. Feel free to use bullet points if this is helpful.

2) Planning: THREE TikTok video treatments

A treatment is like a script for a TikTok video - it tells the band or artist exactly what will happen in the video and the kind of style or effect the video will have. You'll need to choose what songs you are going to use at this point - remember, you can use an existing artist's work but it needs to be appropriate for the brief. 

Keep in mind, the brief does not stipulate the number of TikTok videos, only the total runtime of 3 minutes of video content in total.

For this aspect of your summer project, write a basic treatment that gives your reader a good idea of what your TikTok videos will look like. The most important thing is to keep in mind the brief - one of the TikTok videos must promote the soft drink. Other TikTok videos can feature any of the following:

• personal information from the artist
• replication of a social media trend (e.g. 'bees in a trap' video, ice-bucket challenge) extracts from podcasts, press conferences, red carpet appearances and/or promotional interviews
• clips from a music video
• any other content you feel is appropriate 

Start each of your THREE treatments with the following key details: 

1) Artists and song(s) you will use for video.

2) Original name for artist you have created - MUST be completely original

For example, Ed Sheeran - Shape of You is the artist and song you plan to use but your original name for your artist will be John Smith - Shape of You.

Name for artist - Alex Dean

TIKTOK 1

An advert for the soft drink 
song - i get around - the beach boys

run time - 30 seconds 

TIKTOK 2 

A music video 

song - waterloo sunset - the kinks 

run time - 1 minute

TIKTOK 3 

a Day in the life type vlog 

song - green onions + a voiceover from me 

run time - 1 min + 30 seconds





3) Statement of Intent

Write the first draft for your genuine 500-word Statement of Intent. This will be submitted to the exam board alongside your media products and is worth 10 marks of the overall 60 marks available.

It should explain:

• the ways in which you will apply knowledge and understanding of media language and media representation to your products
• how your products will target the intended audience
• the industry context they are created for
• how you will exploit the opportunities for digital convergence between the products

We also strongly recommend you look at our Statement of Intent questions to consider document too (you'll need to log in with your Greenford Google account to read this). 

This is just your first draft of the statement so try and keep it under 500 words if you can. That will leave a bit of room to add later when you do your next draft.

Statement of intent 

The name of my solo artists name is Alex Dean. He is a Indie rock artist , inspired by modern artists like Sam Fender. The website name will be AlexDeanMusic.co.uk as it is easy to remember and that type of website name is typical for someone in that industry. His soft drink name will be called AXEL is it is short and catchy whilst still relating to the artist as it is still using the same letters as Alex but just rearranged . I will meet the brief of the TikTok Videos As i will make 3 videos that promote the artist their soft drink and ill also make a section of a music video. For my music video i will use a range of locations in London , ill use Different shots to make  the video more challenging and to improve the quality of the video. The video regarding the soft drink (AXEL) will be an advert that will intrigue audiences especially those who are fans of my artist whilst also appealing to a Larger demographic . Ill also film a day in the life / vlog of the making of the music video for behind the scenes footage that fans of my artist will want to see. The videos will be shot vertically so that it is suitable for TikTok .

I will also create three web pages to promote my artist and also promote my soft drink (Axel) i will include typical conventions of a webpage such as a menu , multiple pages , headings. i will also add 8 original photos that ill take myself and a Logo and website. I am a well known artist so i will have a mainstream audience that covers many demographics but most popular will be between the ages 16  - 40. As my artist is a male his audience will probably be slightly more male dominated. a modern comparison that fans may also like is artists like same fender and one from the past will be someone like David Bowie. my product will target this specific audience as it is created by the artist with the same letters of his name on it so fans of Alex will go to buy it also soft drinks are consumed by all ages in all parts of the world linking to the mainstream nature of my artist. From my tiktok videos audience will experience (from blumler and katz theory) escapism as the tiktoks take them away from their real lives and entertain them they will also be informed of my new drink.    

4) Ignite presentation

Prepare a 5-minute, 20-slide presentation using the Ignite format in which you present your coursework project. In effect, this is your statement of intent in presentation format. You must cover:

• Your TikTok videos and website pages concept: your new original artist, genre, song and TikTok video treatments. Then, your print brief: title and logo for the artist's website, name of own branded new soft drink etc.
• Media language: how you will use TikTok video conventions and website conventions - e.g. camerawork, editing, typography, layout and mise-en-scene to create meanings for your audience. 
• Media representations: how you will use or subvert stereotypes in your TikTok video and web pages; applications of representation theory; social and cultural contexts - how your coursework will reflect contemporary media culture and society. 
• Media audiences: your target audience demographics and psychographics; audience pleasures - why they would enjoy your TikTok video and web pages; audience theory if relevant. Consider merchandise for your music artist which could be made available through their website e.g. www.spreadshirt.co.uk (could be embeded on a web page)
• Media industries and digital convergence: the potential record company that would promote your artist; the retail providers where you can purchase the artist's own branded new soft drink; the brand identity for your artist (consider the type of social media platforms they would feature on); how fans would engage with your products etc.

Ignite presentations have very specific rules: you must create exactly 20 slides with each slide set to 15-second auto-advance. This means your presentation will be exactly five minutes followed by questions and comments from the class. You will deliver your presentation on your coursework planning in the first week back in September.

Your Ignite presentation will be marked out of 30 on the following criteria (each worth a possible 5 marks):

1) Research (through the presentation AND your blog - make sure it is posted before you present) 
2) Coursework concept
3) Language: terminology and theory
4) Representations / social and cultural contexts
5) Audience and Industry / digital convergence
6) Presentation delivery