Preview of a Selection of our Music Video!

This clip is just an example of what we wanted to use in our music video. This is to give you an idea of some of the footage we got when filming in the public skatepark in Ladbroke Grove. It shows a young volunteer who agreed to be a part of our music video by showing off a few of his skills. He carves the bowl before attempting a grind but not quite landing it. We panned the camera to follow the skateboarder which creates a sense of movement and energy which reflects the skateboarders fun loving personality in which we are trying to portray. 

Audience Research: Questionnaire Analysis

Questionnaire Results

What age category do you fall under?

Having a different range of ages adds diversity to the responses and therefore allowing our results to be more valid and reliable (as there will be contrast in the taste of music). Since most of our questions were given out to a vast number of students from the same secondary school which consists of 12-18 year old students, it was only reasonable to question them as this is the time when they become aware of the latest music and artists and start to become involved to the media and watch music videos. 

What is your gender?

Having an equal number of participants from each sex adds reliability and fairness to the responses that we receive. This is useful as it was a factor that we weren't able to control with our survey on the blog (found on the left hand side) as people from different ages, race, sex where able to complete the survey. Having more control will enable us to seethe responses that are given more accurately. 

Q1. What genre of music do you listen to the most?

In the beginning we weren't sure of what music genre we would use for our music video and after conducted a survey on the blog (which is found on the left hand side of the blog) and this questionnaire we had a clearer idea. On the blog the survey had presented a very close range of responses on their favorite music genre and this was due to the reason that everybody from all ages and from different countries around the world were able to access this and vote. However from the questionnaire which we had asked students and adults to complete showed something really different and we concluded that the the music genre in which our people are exposed to are Pop, HipHop, and R'n'B. So we had decide to take into account both surveys and conclude that are music genre would be a hybrid including a mixture of the different genres that were selected, therefore it would please everyone and attract an audience and allow them to like our music video.  

Q2. How many music videos, on average do you listen to in a week?

This question was asked to know the average amount of music videos watched to have an clear idea of how well music videos are doing and whether music videos are important as the track of the music is. As shown from the table and bar chart on the left not many of the participants watch many music videos in a week which may show that music videos are not so important when it comes to advertising the track. However when the results are accumulated together it states the complete opposite showing that a music video are watched by the general public which helps elevate the ratings of the music track, music videos are watched more by the male gender than the female due to music videos being more sexually explicit. Also, from the age category '19 years and over' scored higher than the other age category and this may be due to them having more experience with watching music videos and understanding the notion of music videos to the track of the music.  

      

Q3. On a scale of 1-10, how important is the music video of a track?

This question helped us understand why people had scored highly as music videos are a factor in helping the music track. The music video can help narrate the story that might have not been quite clear in the music track or for various other different reasons such as entertainment. Music videos have become quite different from the last couple of years as more women are presented half naked and an eye candy for  the male gaze which can be compared to earlier music videos. Again male scored highly in this question then the females as of the reasons that were stated. However from the age categories '12-15 years' and '16-18 years' scored much higher than the any other category. Our reasons for this could be to these age categories grew up with music videos that are explicit and therefore helps to promotes the track as the music video is shared on Facebook and other social networking sites adding more awareness to the music video and the track. 

Q4. What type of music video you can relate to the most and what’s the name of the music video?

Music videos send out different messages about life and  relationships and therefore people are able to interpret the same music in many different ways. When we asked this question these were the responses of the sort of music videos that they could relate to the most. The responses were quite interesting as all the participants had the same ideas of what music videos they could relate to the most. The females scored so much higher then the males as they believe that music videos is an art form which is seen in a unique way depending on who you are. However in the age category the '19 years and over' scored much higher than the  other two categories stating the  life experience plays a huge role in being able to relate music videos and their tracks.

Q5. Name your favourite music video?
    

This question was asked to see the different varieties of music genres and tastes that the participants had. However looking at the table above it clearly shows that a majority of the music videos that are presented are either; Pop, HipHop or R'n'B and most of the artists are quite contemporary and/or international stars. If this question was to be placed on the blog where there is easy access then the responses would have been vastly different as they would a variety of participants from various parts of the world and therefore the participants would have a much greater and unique taste insight into the music and music genres.

Q6. Do you think you use music and music videos as a way of escaping the hardships in your own life?

Music and music videos have different uses but the most common is to escape from the hardship of life and just relax and reflect on life in a much calmer and peaceful place in a world of your own. And this understandable as the media presents a world that is threatened by war or natural disasters which adds to the stress which one already has from their own personal life. Nowadays we see more people listening to music everywhere eg on the streets which is complete uprise to a couple years back. There was an equal number of male and female participants who responded to this question however there was a much higher score from the  the age category of '19 years of age and over' as they have had more experience and stress in life.

Q7. Are you the type of person that would buy the latest music related gadget to listen to music?

This was to reveal what sort of individual that the participants are and according to the personality traits table they are categorized. From the age category of '16-18 years' a scored higher stating that they are the most involved with keeping up to date with the latest gadgets such as the i-pod for listening to more music with better quality on the ready, everywhere. Questioning them we found that the older generations are not as fussed with the gadgets and the younger generations are not as knowledgeable with the gadgets as they would like to be.

Q8. How do you usually watch music videos?

This question was to reveal whether the internet plays a huge role in how people watch music videos. Looking at the results on the table and the bar chart, it shows that the famous video sharing website-YouTube is the most successful in allowing participants to watch the latest music videos in a click of a button, this is considered pretty handy for the 21st Century as everything is done and watched through a computer screen and therefore less time is spent on watching TV and this is shown by the results,  where Music Chart Shows were placed second. However, downloading doesn't seem to be something the younger generations do. The results revealed that all ages from both genders usually watch music videos off YouTube, and '16-18 years' and '19 years and over' are much more likely to watch music videos from Music Chart Shows such as MTV. However only '19 years and over' would download to watch a music video which shows that times have changed and the internet and technology has influenced the way in which people watch music videos.  

Q9. How much improved is the promotion of a music video, since the last decade or so?

Music videos usually nowadays come after the track is out and the aniticpation of the music video eg. Love the way you Lie by Rhianna. is quite high so therefore the people have scored highly on this and this is due to the high technology that the music videos use and the male gaze which grab the audiences attention. Music video's in the 18th Century for example wouldn't have been promoted as they are now and this was due to the reason that the promotion of a music video wasn't as huge as it is today and this agreed by the age category of '19 years and over' whom scored the highest as they have witnessed the vast change. 

An interview with a Southbank skateboarder

We interviewed Erick a student who is a keen skateboarder from the South Bank Skating Park. We asked him his views on how the youth are represented in that area and he stated that skateboarders in the past where seen in a negative light, they were treated like terrorists however this negative imagery of skateboarders has died in the recent years. He also stated that this treatment differs depending on where you are in the UK, he states that areas out of London people don't see skateboarding as a hobby as we do here in London and he thinks thats what's great as there are no prejudices about skateboarders.

Erick's inspiration started when he was 8 years old, he moved into a new home and found a skateboard and from there he decided to skateboard, he had then met other skateboarders like himself and thats where it had begun for him.

We finally asked him on his views on other skateboarders in the South Bank Skate park and he said that most of them are great which eliminates the negative imagery that have been imposed by the general public about skateboarders being aggressive and rude.

Interview with a London graffiti artist

Whilst visiting BaySixty6, we came across a very talented graffiti artist named Roberto. He very kindly allowed us to interview him on how skateboarder and graffiti artists are represented as we believe that the two though may seem very different is actually quite similar.

We asked Roberto how the youths are represented in his area-BaySixty6, and he stated that they are represented in a good way as they are given enough space to do the things they love such as Skateboarding and or practicing graffiti and as he's from Italy he states that such space is not provided there.

We also asked him his true reason as to why he had decided to become a graffiti artist and he replied that it was the freedom of speech which in Italy his home town is banned. He goes on to state that he didn't have inspiration to practice graffiti, it had been something he had been doing from a very young age and from it he gained both pleasure and a sense of freedom. He goes on to state that graffti is like any other form of art or hobby.

Our final question to Roberto was targeted on skateboarders and how they were represented in that area and he had stated that they are represented positively, due to their passion and motivation to do something that they love and added that he's meet some really good guys that skate in the area.

Interview with a Southbank Skateboarder

We interviewed another skateboarder named Gino who also is a student from London. We asked him how he thinks the youth are represented in the South Bank area and he stated that they are not given a bad reputation at all, he states that nothing is seen in a negative light at the South Bank Skate park as people are practicing their hobby and what they are truly passionate about. 

His inspirations to skateboarding began when he was 7 years old and he saw a skateboard on TV which he found really cool, he went off and tried it out and fortunately liked it but he stopped practicing it till he was 13 and thats where it had began for him. Gino says he skates to release his anger, stress and frustration from his personal life.

We asked whether he finds himself comfortable with other skateboarders and he says that they are friendly and quite polite. He says that has heard rumors that skateboarders are usually rude and aggressive but he disagrees with them entirely. 

Location Research: Southbank Skatepark

The Southbank Skate Park located in Covent Gardens has been popular with skateboarders since the early 70's and it is widely acknowledged to be London's most distinctive and popular skateboarding area. The area is used by skateboarders, BMXers, graffiti artists, taggers, photographers, buskers, and performance artists, among others.

Some would argue that the Skatepark is not suitable to be located in the Center of London as its a well known iconic area due to the tourists attraction such as the London Eye and Big Ben. However

after the visit, we can disagree as we believe that it adds to the atmosphere of the location as we witnessed a mixture of generations, both young and old from a mixture of different ethnicity coming together and practicing the same interests that inspired them to skateboard from a very young age. We believe that the Skatepark reflects a positive image of the Londoners as it reveals a sense of unity and this seems to attract the tourists as they take pictures or sit and watch the skills that they practice.

We believe that this is a potential location for our music video as it ticks all the boxes of what we need eg it has a beautiful view of London such as the London Eye, Big Ben and the River Thames as well as a sense of community and unity of all ages. We believe that the blue light (as seen above) is a unique addition to the atmosphere as it adds another dimension to the location, which would be extremely useful in our music video.

Location Research: Baysixty6

The first skatepark we visited was The Baysixty6 park in Portobello. The nearest tube is Ladbroke Grove, which is on the Hammersmith and City line but you can also get to Ladbroke Grove on the 7, 23 and 52 buses.

The area itself was quite busy as the park is situated close to the Portobello market and under the Westway bridge. From the outside it looked promising with all the graffiti as we want an park that looks worn, frequently used and colourful. However, inside it seemed very plain with only some graffiti and we felt unsure about it after that.

The skatepark is sponsored by Xbox360, does collaborations with places like Nando's and has several events going on at one time. There is no doubting that the park is very proffesional, boasting this by inviting famous guests to participate. We still feel however, that the skatepark is missing some of the raw feeling we want in our music video. The park is also outdoor, so lighting would be an issue as we would only have a certain amount of hours time to film before it would get darker. Overall, filming at this place would be difficult because parts of it are frequently closed down for filming purposes and that could also affect our production.

http://www.baysixty6.com/html_v1/

Though the location is very attractive and contains lots of space for the skateboarders, it doesn't have the sense of community as the Skate Park seems to be blocked off from the rest of the general public and this is a important factor for our music video. However we might film some parts in this location if we see it appropriate.

We was informed of another skate park nearby BaySixty6 in Ladbroke Grove. This location was found to be more appropriate in filming for our music video as its out in the open and is used by skateboarders of different ages genders and cultures, which is quite different to the skate park in Southbank. We decided that Ladbrooke Grove Skate park would be our main location in which we will be using to film in.