The Transformation of Rihanna

The Transformation of Rihanna by Komal & Hasina on Prezi

Final Cut effect tests

With the footage we used for the 'sharks' task, I had played around with the frames, by using the razor tool and sectioning few frames. Once I had done this I duplicated the frames and made one faster (by 150%), and the other I kept the same speed but had reversed it. I then watched it over and felt it was still too slow, so I sped up the whole section making it 170% faster than the original speed. This gave a more 'jerky' effect than it was before. As there is no set effect in Final Cut, I cannot apply it to footage automatically. Instead I have to manually cut frames, alter the speed and put the frames back to try and achieve the effect in Rihanna's Disturbia video.

I have tried to achieve the effect with another clip, this time, by using the razor tool by se

ctioning the clip, then speeding one part to 250%, then the next part to 150%, then next to 120% and then back to 250% and so on. It gave a more smooth jerky effect than the clip above as I did not have any reversed frames in between the normal clips (only at the end had I reversed all the clips and added it to the end).

Mind Map of Initial Ideas & Screen shots of Inspiration

A particular sequence I like is from Destiny Child's Bootylicious (1:15-1:23) which features various dance sequences being edited together very quickly with cuts to black, in between each of the shots.

Cuts to black then next shot:


Next shot:


I can see this same sequence in my own video with Lollipop, where the girl band (2NE1) are singing the last line of the first verse. It's tempo resembles the tempo in Bootylicious where Destiny's Child sing :-

Baby can you handle this
Baby can you handle this
Baby can you handle this
I don't think you can handle this

Another video with a shot that would suit with the girl band in my video, is Can't Speak French (00:05) by Girls Allowed. This is a shot where the girls are walking in a line towards the camera in slow motion, like models on a runway.

Special Effects Email

As I was trying to find out the name of the effect used in the Disturbia video, or even how it was done, I couldn't find any answers on the internet from just searching on Google. Instead, I came accross an animation, illustraton and visual effects website called Anachronistic Productions. On their website, gives users the opportunity to ask questions to the people behind the company. I had emailed Christian Darkin and he had replied giving me the answer to how the effect was created and advice about filiming during the performance. Before the reply, I had a chance to practise with the sharks footage on Final Cut, to try to achieve the same effect as seen in Disturbia. I had cut the frames from in between the movement during the dance sequence, but had not sped the clip up and I didn't paste the frames back in. So the effect wasn't achieved but following the reply from Christian Darkin, I will paste the frames back into the sped up clip to see if this would achieve the right effect.

The email and reply below,

Sent by me, on 25 Sep 2010, at 00:17:

Hello,

I am about to direct, film and edit a music video for my A2 Media studies, and I came across an effect which I am dying to know how it's done and the effect's name! The effect is from Rihanna's Disturbia video, where the video has many jerky, quick movements. I've tried testing this in Final Cut Express, but I can't seem to get it right. What I did was, I got a clip and cut out some of the frames during a dance sequence and then watched it over, but it didn't give that psychotic jerky effect like in Rihanna's video. What is the name of the effect, and is it achievable in Final Cut Express, and if so, how?

Thank you very much for your time,

Hasina

Reply from Christian Darkin(26/09/2010):

Hi,

I think it's a combination of fx and good choriography. In the edit I think you need to cut out a few frames between every movement (yes every single movement) speed them up and put them back in again.

You'll get a problem doing this because it will throw the dancers timing out so you'll have to make the dancers compensate somehow with their performances

Christian

You Wanna What Final Cut Task

In this task, we had footage of people lip syncing You Wanna What, and we had to cut and move footage around to make a clip where the original audio track matched the the lip syncing. I found this task more difficult than the sharks task as there is lip syncing involved in it making it more difficult to correctly match the audio. I was able to successfully match another scene with where the music left off in the previous scene. I also enhanced the colour by changing the black, white and contrast levels. By doing this, the colour had become 'film' like, enhancing the viewing pleasure.

Analysis of Rihanna - Disturbia (using Goodwin's Ideas)

The video I will deconstruct is 'Disturbia' by Rihanna as it shares the genre of pop with my chosen track ('Lollipop') and shares the video genre of performance. Though my video will not resemble 'Disturbia' in terms of concept, prop use or lighting, there are particular visual ideas from the video which I would consider replicating.


The video begins with an uncomfortable (off tune bizarre sounds) intro of the song, which sounds like it is drowning out and echoed. This is accompanied by the dark under lighting creating shadows on the characters faces insinuating a dark song; sound and vision work nicely here.


In addition the use of props adds to the Gothic idea of the video as the scene looks as though it is a torture room with its devices. This video reads beyond realism as the video slightly romanticises torture in the sense a female victim/torturer (rather than a male) looks glamourous rather than vicious; even though in reality torture is an unfortunate occurrence. The name of the video 'Disturbia' is instantly picked up as we see a woman struggling with her hands tied assuming she is disturbed from the torture. We see fast movements within the character as she makes jerky movements. This effect is created by cutting frames from a sequence which the human eye cannot establish the 'gap' in the sequence.

During the first verse of the song, we understand that Rihanna is confused and this is illustrated in the video as we see images of Rihanna in a cage, often shaking her head vigorously and 'going insane'.


The idea of Rihanna being a prisoner is related to the song's lyrical message as there are many hints in the lyrics that she is in fact paranoid and disturbed and this mirrors the images shown to the audience. They may not be as literal as the lyrics may read e.g. a thief at night coming out to grab you, this is not literally seen, though we see the symbolism and metaphorical meaning behind this line. We then see a conflicting side of Rihanna as we see her taking a dominating role where she pats the head of a man. It conflicts with the idea of her being the prisoner being tortured initially, then seeing her being the torturer. This could be Rihanna's alter-ego where she plays both roles of victim and torturer and so the role switches back and forth, therefore the performance iconography intentionally contradicts the meaning of the song (which its lyrics may be subjective to either victim or torturer).

Torturer? (@ 1:55)

Prisoner? (@ 0:42 & 2:09)

Rihanna's dance routine is a reference to Michael Jackson's 'Thriller' routine, where the moves are very sharp, static and robotic due to the frames being cut. There is also that element of horror and Gothicism similar to 'Thriller's.

Rihanna is heavily promoted as she is the main star of the video. This hidden promotion is represented by routine close-ups of her face, flattering or unflattering (due to the concept of this video). There are many close-up shots of Rihanna's face which connects a sense of intimacy with the audience and with Rihanna, but towards the end, a particular close up questions our sympathy for her as the close-up is not as 'friendly' as the others. Her eyes are nearly rolled up in the back of her head, and the slight vindictive smile she has gives her away, and immediately we remember the torturer role she plays.

Notice the soft lighting coming in from the side - It gives the impression as if she is the victim, and we feel her pain.

The harsh under lighting here contradicts the previous close up - We see a dark side to Rihanna, she does not look like the victim here, more like the torturer. (Supposed alter-ego?)

Music Video Mood Board

Above is my mood board which represents the pop/elctro pop genre, in particular, ortiental pop (K-Pop, J-Pop and C-Pop). I have intentionally made this mood board very vibrant and bright in terms of colour as the pop genre is usually very bright, whether it being the the music video of the music icon. I have also included fashion, which plays a major role in pop music, especially in the oriental pop scene. There is a specific fashion scene in countries for example, Japan where they have Harijuku girls and boys whose clothes express their personality and individual style. Hairjuku girls have been excessively represented in Gwen Stefani's image (as of 2005), music, and fashion brand (L.A.M.B.).

Here is a clip from a documentary exploring contemporary Japanese pop-culture (particularly the fashion in this clip), similar to Korean pop-culture.

Spike Jonze: Diector Research

Spike Jonze on Prezi

Possible Tracks

1. Unsigned artist Nicola Sipprell, found on MySpace under unsigned artists.
Genre: R'n'B, Soul, Pop
MySpace Page
Artist Website
Potential Track:Twist by Nicola Sipprell

Nicola Sipprell is a completely unknown singer with no official released tracks under any record label, though her music is for sale on MySpace. My choice to shortlist this song was that it is not a 'slow jam' much like her other songs on her MySpace play list. It has a very nineties feel to the song which makes it quite unique oppose to the other songs on this shortlist. It is faster in terms of vocals, accompanied by a slow beat. As slower songs would limit editing effects and cuts, I felt this song had some creative potential as it is faster than much of the songs by many Soul/Pop/R'n'B artists on MySpace, but as the use of props, lighting and editing ideas are limited, this song choice may not be completely ideal. The audience for this music would be mostly females in the age range of 16-25. As the genre is Contemporary R'n'B/soul; the audience would be of any race. The musical tastes of this target audience would like artists similar to Brandy, Aaliyah Monica, Destiny's Child and Ashanti (slower songs, possibly ballads). This particular song has a particular late 90s and early 00s feel, thus the artists the audience may like can relate to the feel of the this song.
Other media the target audience may consume is MySpace for example, as for the age range, most are expected to have or view MySpace profiles. They are likely to buy mp3 files online (for example from, Amazon, iTunes). The function of this kind of music is to relate to the listener as the lyrics to many R'n'B songs represent likely occurrences in the lives of women especially. Many of the issues in R'n'B songs are about love and relationships, which women going through the same thing can relate to. Contemporary R'n'B can be consumed in places such as clubs but depending on the speed and tempo of the track. A slow song such as Twist may be listened anywhere, including intimate concerts performed by an artist in front of a small audience. The video of this song would be air on free music channels such as Channel AKA , Starz TV and Flava available on Sky Digital.

2. Signed artist (Eastside) Cleo Higgins (formally in girl band Cleopatra)
Genre: R'n'B, Soul, Pop
Wikipedia Page
MySpace Page
Potential Track: Feelin' Like This
YouTube Link to the song (DJ Joseph Radio Edit Version)

Although Cleo had been in a girl band, as a solo singer she had not had much success, prompting her to turn to MySpace to encourage fans to help promote her and buy her tracks. This song 'Feelin' Like This', is a Pop/R'n'B song sounding much like what we'd hear in the charts at the moment. I had chosen to go with the DJ Joseph remix as he merely adds a new backing track with heavier electronic sounds and beats than the original. This drastically can make the song appear faster than the original, therefore opening more door, when it comes to editing ideas. The only disadvantage of this song, is that the backing track or instrumental overpower the vocals, making the vocals seem quite weak, and this would cause the person in the video singing the song seem overshadowed by the music itself. The visual and song both need to be balanced and have to work together in order to create a 'great' video, otherwise the audience's attention would be on what sounds better rather than what looks better. The target audience again for this track is female listeners of the 16-25 age category. As this song is more up beat it can be played in clubs and is suitable for concerts. The tastes of the target audience may include hip-hop and pop as well as R'n'B, as this track sounds as if it can feature a male or female rapper. Similar artists include, Amerie, Alesha Dixon, and Jamilia. This song would be likely to be played on radio stations in the UK such as Choice FM and Capital FM.

3. Signed artist (Columbia) Solange Knowles
Genre: R'n'B, Soul, Pop
Wikipedia Page
MySpace Page
Potential Track: Sandcastle Disco
YouTube Link to the song (Freemason's Remix)
YouTube Link to the original song

Sonlange may be known as Beyonce's younger sister, but she is also a singer/song-writer whose music style is completely different to her more famous sibling. Often seen as being overshadowed by her sister, Solange's music career had not been majorly promoted in the UK. I have chosen to go with the remix again version yet again as her original song has a much slower tempo opposed to the upbeat remix; again enabling many editing ideas and opening the door to choreographed or freestyle dancing to go along with the fast tempo track. There is a downside however to this very fast tempo track; as the remixed backing track is looped, it makes it difficult to spot the beats where cutting is necessary. Therefore in the possible outcome, the video may have cuts with in the footage which do not match the difficult to hear beats in the song. The original song may target a different genre of audience opposed to the audience of the remixed version. The original would target male or females ranging from 20+ since the song has an element of jazz. It can still be classified as contemporary R'n'B, as her main genre of music is R'n'B. The remixed version may appeal to ravers and club goers, where the age range would be 18-25. This version is drastically more up beat with the potential of being aired on radio stations such as Kiss 100, the music channel Kiss and MTV Dance.



4. Signed artists (YG Entertainment) Big Bang & 2NE1

Genre: K-Pop, Dance Pop, Electro Pop
Wikipedia Page of single 'Lollipop'
Wikipedia Page of Big Bang
MySpace Page of Big Bang
Wikipedia Page of 2NE1
MySpace Page of 2NE1
Potential Track: Lollipop
YouTube Link to the song

Originally the song was used to promote a mobile phone by the two South Korean groups. The girl band 2NE1 were little known and had debuted with this song collaborated with Big Bang who at the time were well known in South Korea. The reason why I have considered a South Korean track is because of originality and potential creative ideas surrounding Korean culture. Being able to make a video equally as bright but having my own choreography, makeup and costume ideas is my aim in this case. What makes this choice even better for me is that it's mid to fast tempo makes it easier to hear the beats within the song, which would make it easier to mark the necessary cuts when editing footage. In the lyrics, the word 'pop' is sharp heard often in the song which would be where the footage would be cut in the filming and editing process. The audience contrasts the audience mentioned for the other tracks above, as there is a cultural difference to keep in mind. The sub-genre of K-Pop appeals itself to all classes, young adults and teenagers of any race but is mostly consumed by the Oriental race (middle classed teens and adults), as K-Pop is not largely marketed in the UK, (with the exception of Teriyaki Boyz who have featured with successful artist such as Pharrell and Busta Rhymes and colaborated with the soundtrack of the film 'The Fast and The Furious: Tokyo Drift'). The music tastes of this audience include hip-hop and pop, notably with Korean or Japanese lyrics. Music fans of this band (Big Bang and 2NE1) would be influenced by their fashion and style of dancing which relates to Japanese and Korean 'bboys' who are urban break dancers. The females fans develop a style of fashion in which they express themselves whether it being very bright and colourful, cartoon (anime) like, or being very child and doll like. K-pop is apart of the expansion of music surrounding the Asian market, as the middle classed youth of neighbouring countries such as Thailand are becoming more and more in tune with K-Pop and it's culture.

Britney Spears - Hit Me Baby One More Time recreated

For this task, our class had to recreate Britney Spears' music video Hit Me Baby One More Time. Every shot was filmed to imitate the shots in the original video. As the studio recorded track is different used in the video (no sound effects from the beginning exist on the studio recorded track), I had removed the video and kept the audio from the original video clip to match the footage. I had cut the footage to the exact time of the shots from the original video. So from watching the original in the middle window, I was able to see the duration of the shot, and then matched it to the duration of the footage we had taken. This resulted in the footage cutting shots at the same time as it did in the original, replicating it completely with precise timing.

Problems with occurred included the problems with rendering as Final Cut was not writing the audio. As the video was rendered and written, the audio was left unrendered. The solution was to only render the audio and not select 'Both' or 'Video'.

Music Video Test With Sharks!

This task involved using existing footage of various people in costume dancing. All the clips had no soundtrack in which the characters did not lip sync to a chosen track. There was a choice of 6 tracks in which I had to choose one and edit the footage to match the track. While listening to the playback of the track, I was marking the beat each time it was heard. This would then help me make appropriate cuts in the footage, where the beat is heard. I had chosen various clips and applied effects on Final Cut Express, such as, reversing a duplicate clip which I had cropped (from the original).