MUSIC VIDEO

VISUALISATION DIAGRAM

 

CRITICAL REFLECTION

Our female character (Helene) has the opposite concept of the traditional male gaze theory by Laura Mulvey. She wears non-revealing clothes and natural make-up, with the camera focused on her face - close-up shot - to admire her beauty and her action - a wide shot - rather than a sexual camera angle that close-up on her body parts or low-angle. Furthermore, in the male gaze, Helene always appears in her best form. Unlike our female, there's a scene where she's ill, and her face looks pale and weak, which is opposite to the independent woman stereotype in both Western and Asian music videos.

For our male character (Lluvia), there’s not much female gaze in our MV. However, he showed in our music video that still loved his passed away girlfriend for 7 years, even after she died. The MV shows his love through his memorable and happy memories with her. It is quite the opposite of the stereotypical Western music video, when the male loves and cares for his girlfriend more than being aggressive or dominant toward her. Also, he showed the audience that he’s in depression mode rather than the confidence, strengths, and vulnerability that they normalize. Most of the camera angles are wide shots when they are dancing or walking, capturing their actions more than any sexual attraction shot. Also, I use close-up shots to focus on male emotions. Lluvia’s clothes in Van Gogh are mature and non-revealing, yet still bring out the gloomy vibes, unlike the normal show-off of the physical features of clothes. 

Furthermore, he may represent those people who are stuck in the 5 stages of grief. The death of Helene shows lots of things in the music video. The 5 stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. In our music video, I skipped the process of denial, anger, and bargaining because it can be too harsh. Depression shows from the start of MV, when Lluvia is sitting beside the wall, singing, and drawing another work, but still looking at Helene’s portrait, nostalgically remembering the memories. Then, acceptance is the end of the MV, when Lluvia throws away the sunflower, meaning he is moving on, accepting her death, but if he doesn't forget Helene, she will still be in his heart. 

Our MV, Van Gogh, represents the young Vietnamese population that lost their love at a young age when they were still students. Also, it focuses on the common experiences of love, heartbreak, and the sacrifices we make to find joy, all of which are central themes in many Slow Jam R&B/Soul music videos.

Van Gogh -MV- expresses compassion for those who belong to groups that suffer grave illnesses. Those individuals may experience suffering, protracted stress, and hopelessness, which is a lot like the plot of this MV. Some audiences may find a depressing or offensive finish, which leads to an opposing reading. 

Our initial theme was to bring the vibes like the well-known artwork, Starry Night by Vincent van Gogh. The sense of wonder and awe felt a connection to something larger than himself, something eternal. At that moment, he knew that he was not alone. This showed the vibes and feelings of the audience when they watched the music video. The male depression and the flashback of the memories with his girlfriend are something that lives in his heart forever. 

The colors in the music video and digipak have the same dominant color which is blue and yellow, just like the Starry Night. The blue in Starry Night creates a sense of depth and movement in the night sky. However, blue can also symbolize feelings of melancholy, loneliness, or even spirituality, reflecting Van Gogh's emotional state during this period. That also reflects the loneliness and depression of the male character in our MV after the death of his girlfriend. 

For yellow, yellow often connotes happiness, hope, and illumination. In this context, it could represent a yearning for something beyond the darkness, a flicker of optimism against the vastness of the night. In MV and Digipak, it represents the happy time of the couple when Helene is alive. Also, it is an illumination that the male creates when he’s missed his girlfriend too much. 

Furthermore, there’s the green in both digipak and MV when capturing the field scene. The green softens the intensity of the blues and yellows, offering a sense of balance, and creating growth, harmony, or peace. In our product, it is like the line between the now and the past, reality, and illumination that the male creates. 

The font in our digipak is hand-written. The reason I chose hand-written fonts is that I felt that it is easier to touch our audience's hearts than other fonts. This is also why hand-written letters are more emotional and warm-hearted than typed letters or emails because the reader can feel the writer’s feelings through the words. 

The style of our product is more daily-life and realistic, or more nostalgic. In Digipak, I stick to as realistic and simple as possible. Most of the Slow Jam R&B brings out the calmness through the digipak. So I didn’t use any complementary colors, I used blue, green, and yellow which is an analogous color to look calm yet still the dominant color is blue and yellow giving out a soft, contradictory feeling to the audience. 

The connection between our MV and digipak is quite bonded since I use the picture from the MV and also some key props such as sunflowers in the digipak. However, what is most important is that Digipak gives out the same vibe as the music video, sadness and happiness. 

Nine sunflowers hold the meaning of enduring love and a wish to be with someone forever. Sunflowers are known for their vibrant yellow petals that resemble the sun, sunflowers symbolize adoration, loyalty, and unwavering faith. Their constant turning towards the sun represents a never-ending devotion. Number Nine in numerology, nine represents completion, fulfillment, and everlasting love. It's often associated with enduring strength and overcoming challenges. To him, a female is like the sun, he always looks at her; however, one day, the sunflower loses its sun, and it will dry and dehydrate because they didn’t have sunlight, like him, being miserable and depressed after her death.

Our target audience is all genders, ranging in age from 12 to 18, coming from city - urban areas -, and cares about the narrative and lyrics of songs. So I tried to stick the MV with the lyrics. 

Our target audience mostly loved aesthetic music videos, which challenged us to produce the best visual MV. We used everything we could, ranging from the clothes to the lighting and the props, since we had limited funds. We chose the best location to film as it has the same vibe that can be related to the song and lyrics. Let the visuals and music evoke emotions and allow the audience to make their own connections.

From the start, our idea was to create a sad music video. However, it can offend some audiences as we change our way to the OE—the opening ending—which is neither sad nor happy; it's just a memorable music video that emotionally captures the audience's feelings. Our MV is about love separated by something more terrible than time or geography: death. I acknowledge this is a harsh reality for a romance audience. However, they can still relate to and empathize with the love that the male characters give to the pass-away girlfriend. 

Our MV, Van Gogh, hits the two representations, which are Van Gogh’s art lover and the young generation. The music video, titled "Van Gogh," tells the story of young Vietnamese students experiencing the pain of first love and loss. It reflects the universal themes of love, heartbreak, and the resilience of the human spirit in the face of hardship. Inspired by the artist Vincent van Gogh, who battled mental illness throughout his life, the MV draws a parallel between the students' emotional struggles and the suffering endured by those with serious illnesses. Both the students and those battling illness face immense challenges, emotional strain, and a sense of despair. Yet, the MV offers a message of hope, suggesting that just as Van Gogh found beauty and expression through his art, we can all find ways to overcome our struggles and discover joy in life.

Our MV could be an aspiration for somebody wanting to move on from someone that they loved. However, it can depend on how they loved the other person, since this is not an easy thing to do to get over someone that they loved. With hope, the video comes to a close. The main character remembers their previous love, but they also carry the lessons they've learned with them and approach new opportunities with renewed strength. Recall that it is nonlinear. Throughout the film, feel free to examine prior feelings; healing isn't always a straight line. This method makes it possible for viewers to relate to the character's hardships even if they don't have the same love story. It highlights how moving on promotes personal development and the prospect of happiness in the future but does not eliminate the memory of a prior relationship.

We analyzed what audiences typically expect from Slow Jam R&B/Soul and compared it to the conventions commonly used in the genre. Based on this comparison, we're confident that our project effectively captures the essence of Slow Jam R&B/Soul through its visuals, lighting, setting, costumes, and narrative.

By deeply understanding our target audience, we've created products that resonate with their desires. We know they value music videos with storylines that directly connect to the lyrics and feature artistic, visually appealing elements.  To achieve this, we incorporate specific actions mentioned in the lyrics, like "crying" or "looking at a portrait," into the music video itself.

Furthermore, we acknowledge that rarely people listen to Slow Jam R&B/ Soul, yet there’s many people listening to R&B. This is a contradictory figure for the MV producer. This challenges us to create an MV that is actually Slow Jam R&B/ Soul, not R&B. 

In R&B music videos, mood and pace range in tempo from upbeat dancing moves to laid-back jams. The tone might be lighthearted and self-assured or deep and reflective. R&B’s storyline may include a plot, but it's not usually the primary attraction. The performance and way of life of the artist are frequently highlighted. Fashion in R&B films frequently feature streetwear and fashionable apparel with an emphasis on being put together and stylish. Depending on the song's mood, R&B videos can employ a broader variety of lighting and color schemes.

On the other hand, the whole point of slow jams is to create a cozy, sensual ambiance. There is a sluggish tempo and a frequently sad or romantic atmosphere. Slow jam videos frequently convey a tale of romance, heartache, or longing. To create a cozy and welcoming ambiance, lighting is usually subtle and warm. Muted or monochromatic colors, such as blues or sepia tones, are common. With close-ups and personal moments involving couples, the singer's performance is frequently the main subject of attention.

Luckily, we identified the genre early on and focused on capturing the mood of Slow Jam R&B/Soul from the get-go. This clear direction prevented genre confusion and ultimately led to the creation of a fantastic music video that delivers exactly what our audience craves.