MUSIC MARKETING: Review

 

FULL PROJECT

MUSIC MARKETING!!!!!

    Everyone I know who has previously taken this class has hyped me up for this project. The general idea is that My group and I must create a marketing campaign for a new artist based on a song from a predetermined genre. In the project's first week, we worked on understanding the genre my group assigned. I was super excited when my group member Aneesa told us that she had randomly drawn alternative: one of my favorite genres.

        I grew up greatly influenced by my sister who stole my music taste, and I was definitely excited to do a case study on an alternative artist of my choice. The goal of the case studies was to analyze the different ways artists promote their music, and how this has been influenced by their record label and history

    I ended up deciding to do Melanie Martinez, artist that I grew up listening to. Researching her taught me about how big a role music videos play in promoting an artist, as she is one of only a few artists who makes music videos for every song on an album.

    The next part of our project involved creating a fake artist, who will be releasing a song and music video. My group ended up naming him Ace Dimitri and settled upon heavily leaning into the idea of a "nonchalant skater boy" persona while incorporating bright disco aesthetics from the 70s and 80s. We spent the next few days writing and storyboarding are music video which we decided would have the plot line of a serial killer protagonist killing people in a house party.

    I am excited to start filming the music video very soon as I have some very fun ideas for shots and story development, as well as designing an album cover.

Genre Research

This is a kid's movie...?

    I grew up immersed in a world of animated children's horror films and many of their stylistic choices I can see reflected in my own style as a filmmaker. Animated Horror for children is a very distinct genre that shines in its balance of scary and playful elements. The genre often utilizes fantastical themes and humor to counter a lot of its heavier and dark concepts. Films in this genre typically center around supernatural elements and the moral of family.

   Some of the most common conventions of this genre include moments of comedic relief. Films in this genre use comedy as a main way of offsetting the darker and scarier story points. The plots of these films also tend to follow themes having to do with coming of age, appreciating friends & family, and overcoming childhood fears.  Much of these films also tend to be stop-motion animated. Creating an age-appropriate animated horror can be a very difficult task, it is important to keep a clear distinction between good & evil, without having any part of it be "too scary." Directors such as Henry Selick and Tim Burton are considered some of the pioneers in this genre for expanding the range of topics a children's film could cover, such as in The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) which was one of the first children's films to actively play into common childhood fears such as "the monster under the bed," while keeping it stylistically fun and cheerful through a song despite its dark and grotesque visual style. 

    Animated children's horror also tends to follow a very specific production style. Much of these films feature very consistent use of low key lighting throughout as well as using weather to directly reflect the main character's emotions. They also tend to have long dynamic scenes with a lot of camera movement. They also make use of motifs for many of the more prominent characters.

    There are also many conventions in marketing that these films use. The most obvious is holiday-aligned release schedules, movies such as Wendell and Wild (2022) and The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)are released on or around Halloween to take advantage of the spooky time of the season. Marketing for these movies also seems to portray the plot as a journey or adventure that the character is going on.

the set of Coraline during "the web scene"

    A great example of a movie that follows many of these conventions is Coraline (2009) which features the title character on a "journey" through an idealized parallel world where her "other mother" gives her everything she desires, only to soon find out that you can't always judge a book by its cover. The movie makes use of cloudy and rainy weather throughout most of the movie as she explores the dreary new town she has just moved to. This later changes to bright sunny weather once the film reaches its conclusion. The Film also features distinctions between good & evil through creative monster design as the "other mother" transforms into a spider-like monster as her true intentions are revealed and is then given the name "The Beldam." With its strong messages of morality, bravery, and family, this movie is an amazing example of the conventions found within these films. This film also takes advantage of holiday-timed releases as even though it originally premiered in September, to this day it comes back to theaters for special screenings on October 31st.

    Monster House is another horror movie I grew up watching, although not stop-motion animated, it definitely follows suit with the other conventions of the genre. It follows a group of 3 friends as they unravel the mystery of their creepy neighbor's house across the street. The film makes use of atmospheric key lighting and darker themes of death & abuse. The story also intertwines the necessary comedic relief to provide a moment away from the heavier topics. Other popular films in this genre include: Corpse Bride (2005), Hotel Transylvania (2012), and Frankenweenie (2012)

Representation

    Representation is one of the most important things to consider not just when making media, but also when consuming it. The representation of characters in a piece of media can be what drives its story. Representation can also develop the way others percieve the group being represented, so it is important to consider what backgrounds or biases the creator of a piece of media may have to understand how the perspective of the creator may alter the representation of certain groups.

Girl, Interrupted

“Crazy isn't being broken or swallowing a dark secret. It's you or me amplified. If you ever told a lie and enjoyed it. If you ever wished you could be a child forever.”

― Susanna Kaysen, Girl, Interrupted

    The 1999 film starring Winona Ryder and Angelina Jolie is a prime example of why perspective changes the way characters may be represented. The film is based off of a memoir documenting writer Susana Kaysen's time at a women's mental health facility. Throughout the film we see a subtle change in how each character in the ward is written as the main character grows closer to the rest of the patients. Characters who may have originally been portrayed as strange, are later normalized as Susana comes to understand the other girls in the ward.

    One of the first girls Susana meets in the ward is Georgina. Diagnosed with Pseudologica Fanatastica, a condition characterized by compulsive lying, the film originally characterizes her as someone who cannot be trusted, using techniques to create an uncertain atmosphere around her words by holding on close ups of her face after she has said something.

    Later in the film however, Georgina becomes a trusted confidant of Susana's. The film shifts its tone in scenes with her to a more almost tragic and understanding light, as it can be understood that she uses lies as a sort of sheild to protect herself, something that can really be scene in the climax when Lisa shows the rest of the girls Susana's notebook which still has writing from the beggining of her stay, revealing unsavory first impressions. Georgina's portrayal 

(Note: This scene will be brought up several times later, it will be included at the end because of its relevance to all of the main characters.

    The most standout character of this film is Lisa Rowe. Her progression as a character is the most different from the rest of the girls as she starts with a mysterious light. The film takes the approach to her introduction just as written in Susana's Memoir

                                        “With wild eyes that had seen freedom.”

                                                        ― Susanna Kaysen, Girl, Interrupted

    The film maintains a mysterious light around Lisa up until her friendship with Susana begins to blossom. She is then depicted as an extremely charismatic rebel type character. Lisa stands out as a trouble maker who earns the trust of the girls by breaking the rules to get the other girls what they want. At first, this may seem uncharacteristic for someone with anti-social personality disorder, or as put in the film, "a diagnosed sociopath"  The writing of Lisa's character isn't changed throughout the film, but rather on a scene to scene basis, where we might get a scene of her harassing a young girl of the psych ward, be paired with a scene of her helping to soothe her tears. The representation of her character is influenced by Susana's perspective of her as a wild and unstable woman.

    The last character I want to talk about is Susana herself. The film doesnt change the representation of her character but it does push the shift in her understanding of her own mind. In the beggining the film is constructed in a disordered, fragments of memories are intertwined with present happening at the ward as she swears that she doesnt have any kind of mental disorder. This representation creates a conflict within the film. With time however, the film turns toward a more streamline order as she comes to terms with her condition. Accepting she has Borderline Personality Disorder is when the film first takes on the more chronological approach, and marks a change in the selection of what is included. Before this the film would only select the strange behaviors of the others at the ward. In contrast, after this the film would include scene constructing upon a sisterly bond with Susana and the girls of the ward.

    Overall this film is shown to be a prime example of how the representation of characters in media is a direct product of the different perspectives of those creating it.

“Have you ever confused a dream with life? Or stolen something when you have the cash? Have you ever been blue? Or thought your train moving while sitting still? Maybe I was just crazy. Maybe it was the 60's. Or maybe I was just a girl... interrupted.”
― Susanna Kaysen, Girl, Interrupted

PS: In preparation for this post I created a chart to help me differentiate the traits of the characters from diagnosable traits of the mental ilnesses each of them have and i thought that might be intereseting for anyone who wants to read it:

Character	Traits	Mental Illness
Susana Kaysen	Emotional instability Impulsive behavior Fear of abandonment Unstable self-image Intense and unstable relationships Drug Abuse	Frantic efforts to avoid real or imagined abandonment Pattern of unstable and intense interpersonal relationships Identity disturbance: markedly and persistently unstable self-image or sense of self Impulsivity in at least two areas that are potentially self-damaging Recurrent suicidal behavior, gestures, or threats, or self-mutilating behavior Affective instability due to a marked reactivity of mood Chronic feelings of emptiness Inappropriate, intense anger or difficulty controlling anger Transient, stress-related paranoid ideation or severe dissociative symptoms	The film’s portrayal of Susana aligns more closely with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) than Bipolar Disorder. This accuracy reflects the real-life Susana Kaysen’s diagnosis. The movie captures many key aspects of BPD, including emotional instability, fear of abandonment, and impulsive behaviors. However, it may not fully explore all nine criteria used for diagnosis in clinical settings.
Georgina Tuskin	• Elaborate, often unbelievable stories • Difficulty distinguishing truth from fiction • Tendency to exaggerate experiences	Persistent pattern of lying, even when there’s no clear benefit Creating complex, detailed false narratives Lying becomes a habit or addiction May believe their own lies Often stems from low self-esteem or desire for attention	The film’s portrayal of Georgina’s lying seems to align fairly well with the real disorder. However, the movie may not fully explore the underlying causes or the potential for this behavior to be a symptom of other disorders.
Lisa Rowe	• Manipulative behavior • Lack of empathy • Impulsivity • Disregard for rules and others’ rights • Charismatic and persuasive Violence	Failure to conform to social norms Deceitfulness Impulsivity or failure to plan ahead Irritability and aggressiveness Reckless disregard for the safety of self or others Consistent irresponsibility Lack of remorse	Lisa’s portrayal in the film closely aligns with many traits of Antisocial Personality Disorder. However, the movie may romanticize or oversimplify her condition, potentially missing the complexity and variability of the disorder in real life.
Daisy Randone	Obsessive hand-washing Hoarding behaviors (specifically with rotisserie chickens) Rigid routines Anxiety and distress when routines are disrupted	Persistent, intrusive thoughts (obsessions) Repetitive behaviors or mental acts (compulsions) Excessive concern with orderliness and cleanliness Perfectionism that interferes with task completion Inability to discard worn-out or worthless objects	The film portrays some classic OCD symptoms in Daisy, particularly her compulsive behaviors. However, it may not fully explore the range of obsessions and compulsions that can occur in OCD, nor does it delve deeply into the underlying anxiety driving these behaviors. The character’s eating disorder and potential trauma history also complicate her portrayal.

Sound (& babies on this plane)

    This past week in my AICE Media class we learned about sound in films.  We explored the different types of sound used in films and how they change the film. We especially over diegetic sound which is essentially the sound in a film that takes place inside of its world. For example, the sound of typing in the background of an office scene would be considered diegetic sound, while the music played under dialogue in this scene would be considered non-diegetic.

Soundscape Project

    After learning all the necessary principles of sound design, we were tasked with designing a complete soundscape for a scene of our choice. The only sound we could use would be diegetic sounds, and we were limited to 7 words for the entire 1-2 minute scene.

Pre-production

    After minor interruptions due to Hurricane Helene, me and my partner got to work brainstorming and laying out all the necessary sounds needed to create the scene. After some discussion, we decided on the sounds of boarding an airplane, by breaking this scene up into separate sections we were able to outline what was needed for the scene. We decided on 3 sections: waiting at the terminal, going onto the tube, and finally boarding the plane. We then used these 3 sections to compile a list of sounds for each in a shared document.

Production

    The next part of our project included us needing to Foley in at least 4 sound effects. By foleying the sounds, we can get a more specific and clear sound effect, closer to what we would need for the scene. The 5 sounds we ended up recording were a zipper, water running, a plastic bag popping, keys jingling (to be used as zippers hitting against hard cases, and an AirPods case snapping shut (used as the luggage rolling on the metal tube. 

(link in case the video isn't working)

Post-production

    Finally, we had to edit together the scene using a combination of the sounds we recorded and sound effects from the Internet. I originally began editing on Adobe Audition, but the project file corrupted, and the app was taking up too much space on my laptop, so I started over in Adobe Premier Pro. Using Adobe Premier Pro would slightly limit me in comparison to audition, but it also had the necessary effects for me to put onto my sounds.

Final thoughts

In the end, I think my project ended up pretty good. I think it captures the moment of being in the airport and boarding the plane perfectly. One of my favorite moments is when the captain speaks over the intercom like one of the adults from The Peanuts animations. Another fun moment was the bay crying during the flight. It never failed to get a reaction from those who I showed it to and that was definitely the intention.

(link in case the video isnt working)

 

One Word Film

    Our first video production assignment of the year was the One Word Film. During this assignment, I  practiced effective use of shots and angles as well as editing techniques. The project had me & my partner develop a 1:00-1:30 minute scene based on the prompt of a single word with the restriction of not allowing dialogue, which meant the story would have to be told purely visually. For this project, we were required to create a 15-shot storyboard, shoot the required footage, and then edit it all together in our editing program of choice.

Brainstorming & Pre-Production

    The word we were given for the film was Cruel. After some discussion, we agreed on a somewhat relatable and shared experience between many students: having your work torn to bits by a teacher after working extremely hard on it. We originally planned on having it center around an essay, but ultimately we agreed that by making it an artwork we would be able to make it undeniable that the work done by the student was good, and the harsh grading could be considered cruel. After bringing this idea to our teacher and getting it approved we started working on a storyboard. 

    We decided to begin the film with a series of close-up and extreme close-up shots to create a sense of anxiety as the student is putting the finishing touches on his artwork. we then thought a tracking shot could follow him close behind as he turned it in, followed by more close-ups to call back to his anxieties & fears from the beginning of the film coming to life.

Mona Lisa Sketch

  Filming   

    

    The next class we got to work shooting the One Word    Film. The art piece shown wasn't actually illustrated for this, but rather printed from a user on social media. On the first day of filming, we were able to finish about the first half of the film, leaving the tracking shot and grading sequence for 5th period the next day. Overall the filming process was a bit rushed since we had to make many adjustments with the camera in between takes, and to prioritize the diversity of the shots, we often had to do many takes before moving on to the next one which caused us to rush a bit on some important shots.

Post-Production/Editing

    In my opinion, the editing was the smoothest part of this project. I had a clear idea of what effect I wanted to achieve when editing the project so it's mainly what guided me through it and made the process feel super seamless to me. The most enjoyable part of the process had to be editing the sound. After searching some royalty-free online music sites I was able to find two perfect tracks to remix and include as part of the film. The first is a classical song set to a funky drum beat and the second of which being a chaotic but rhythmic drum solo from a jazz track. These two came together surprisingly harmoniously and created the exact feel I wanted for my film, and being able to edit to a beat also made the editing process a lot more fun.

Reflection

    I overall enjoyed the final product I ended up with. Something I could do better in future projects is really making sure to stay on track and not spend to much time on a shot that only ends up on screen for less than a second, and rather focus on shots that are more central to the piece as a whole. Doing this will hopefully make the film as a whole look better than it would've if I continued with my habit of spending too long on largely discardable footage.

One Word Film - Cruel

Shots Quiz (the joke that became too real)

One of our first assignments in AICE Media this year was the Shots quiz. We started the assignment on Monday after learning about the different shots, angles, and how to use them effectively. The project was supposed to be 15 photos focused on inanimate objects as characters, using shots and angles to convey elements of their personalities. 

Me and my partner Santi were having trouble brainstorming ideas, but during the process we were joking about a funny scene from the show Dance Moms. Santi had made a reference i didn't understand and had to explain the clip to me. In the clip one of the moms is yelling "Empty Chair Do a SOLO!!!" While me and my partner laughed it off at first but as we discussed it the joke became more and more real. We ended up coming up with a story about an empty chair rolling away from anyone who attempts to sit on it, and eventually running away to be free.

Although our planning stage was officially over, the production stage was very difficult due to our schedules. Both me and my partner were busy the day it was due (which was also our school's open house). While we had to stay at school until 9 promoting our club, we took the time after to quickly shoot our project. Overall it came out pretty well and im proud of our work despite the time constraints. Im happy that we ended up with a silly and well made project i would be proud to show anyone. 

Anyway feel free to see it here

Introductory Post

Hello my name is Sam and im making this blog for my AICE Media Portfolio Project. Im excited to use the blog to document the process of my projects and anything else that may come up along the way.