1. The Pitch
Lauryn Cedrola

2. Established in New York in the early 1970s, popular in underground clubs and house parties
Mid 70’s and early 80’s increased airplay on the radio.
Music videos were only just beginning to become part of the promotion for a particular song.
Because of this, many songs from the disco period do not have music videos.
The 70’s were a time of personal liberation in the USA.
People felt overwhelmed by the social problems of the 50’s and 60’s, craved carefree lives
Disco provided people with a way to express themselves freely.
Protests for gender and race equality grew strong in this decade, disco dance clubs attracted people of mixed racial and sexual orientations.
DJs mixed the records on two or three turntables in order to extend the length of most songs.
Record companies cottoned on to the growing popularity of disco clubs and began to record disco artists, even releasing long-playing records especially for DJ’s.
Genre – 70’s Disco

4. ‘I Feel Love’ by Donna Summer (1977)
My Song Choice
‘I Feel Love’ by Donna Summer (1977)

5. Music Video Conventions (textual analysis)
Camera
Editing
Mise en Scene
Repeated close ups and mid shots of the face
Neon Light Patterns layered on top of the scene
Sophisticated and synchronised, choreographed dance routines
360 degree rotation of the camera around the dancers
Mirrored imagery
Lip-synching of the song
Focus pull adjusted to create soft focus and blur people in the background
Transitions – jumpy computer glitch, soft pull in and out of focus, fades
Bright colours and neon lights – usually a colour theme
Singer in centre frame or at the front – boost star image
Regular pace, synchronous with music
Blacked out background
Panning/scrolling across a group while they are dancing – camera rarely stagnant
Green screen to edit performers surrounded by animated lights and other objects
Props – light up floor, disco ball, musical instruments
Closeups of dancing feet
Motion blur and trail effects
Costume – glitter makeup, leopard print shirt/jumpsuit, matching outfits for a band, afro hair
High angle shots and eyeline shots
Duplication of people and repetition of scenes
Location – disco club, crowded dance floor, stage and band performance
Representing lyrics visually with editing, e.g. Including a girl when the lyrics mention a girl

6. Music Video Conventions (audience focus group)
Young, thin girls roller skating
Brightly coloured clothes
Big, 70’s style hair
Lots of flashing disco lights
Theatrical smoke
Locations = Club, field on a summer day, town setting, beach
Lasers
Choreographed dancers
Singer performing on a podium with a surrounding band
DJ spinning decks
70’s style car with roof down
Drum set
Long, white flowing dress
Scenes from peace protests
Girl walking past couples in town
Hippie style
Bright vibrant colour scheme
Hot sunny day

7. Potential Locations

8. Editing Workshop

9. Album Art Conventions (record cover analysis)
Features the artist to boost ‘star image’
Colours such as gold and red show power, lust, luxury, passion and wealth
Matching outfits/band pictured closely together shows unity
Smiling faces show joy and passion for music
Bold, large print for artists name (star image), smaller text for single/album title
Artist centre frame and low angle shot to show a power imbalance (star image)
Disco costume conventions apply here (big hair, bright colours etc)
Black background with one or two bright light sources behind artist
Voyeurism, over sexualisation of female
Dynamic, diagonal text