Painting

Shaileyee and I recently did the painting that we would be using in our music video. It took 2 hours to paint and we filmed the entire thing, although we will not incorporate the whole process in our final music video, with all the process filmed we can now take what we like most.

Here I have used all the footage and time lapsed as well as used stop motion editing, so that the entire process can be seen and also so that elements can be selected that we like, for our final music video. The painting is of a couple walking through a park/forest setting, and by the end the painting is ruined, this is to symbolise the destruction of the couples relationship as time goes by.

Stop Motion

In our music video we want to include a stop motion painting, we looked at some videos for inspiration in what to paint and also how to edit it so that is flows well and is interesting. What I like about these two videos is that they both use stop motion and incorporate a storyline. The first video follows the kind of thing we want to achieve but not in so much detail as we do not want the whole song to feature the painting, but what we will divinity take from this piece is the build up to an overall destruction.

Inspirational Video

One music video in particular that I think uses elements useful for us is the 'Love The Way You Lie' video by Eminem and Rihanna. This video incorporated fire and destruction really well and uses limited locations yet is affective and has a clear narrative. The song also hasn't got any performance but does use lip syncing which is another element we are interested in. The song doesn't use the artists as the actors for the video which is something we could consider however I feel for us, using the lead singer as the actor as well would create a relationship between the song and video better.

Synopsis

A lot of the lyrics speak of fire and broken is a theme throughout, therefore we felt incorporating these elements were key.

Our music video will be mostly abstract due to the editing, we want to include a time lapse and stop motion, but we will also want to include a narrative and some elements of lip syncing. Although this is a lot to incorporate it requires less location and more time is spent editing where we feel we excel. The basic message we wish to convey in our storyline is the lead singer (also the protagonist) is trying to hold onto a relationship which no longer exists, till she finally comes to terms with the fact that its over. The music video then goes from creating to destroying, to symbolise the relationship ending.

We discussed calling our song 'Ting Spark' as this is one of the lyrics in the song but also because the word sums up the narrative. as if someone is trying to keep a fire lit and hold onto the flame for as long as possible even though they are aware it isn't what it once was. Much like the relationship in the music video. However this name is not yet officially decided.

New Song/Idea

Due to complications we have decided to change our song. With our lead singer going outside of our group, it was becoming difficult to film with him as we weren't always free at the same times. We also found that with our narrative, the filming and overall video was looking very cliché and amateur.

However we like the genre but feel we need a female vocalist so that one of our group members would be able to star in it. We have settled on the song Part II by Paramore, and the lead vocalist with be Laura Licata.

This song is called part II due to the act that it is actually a sequel song to an earlier released song called Let The Flames Begin, also by Paramore. We felt this song has a good beat and flexibility within the narrative. From exploring the other song idea we came to realise we much prefer a darker message with negative lyrics rather than upbeat and playful song. This is also reflected in our AS film opening where we did a psychological thriller, this genre seemed to suit us well and when attempting something happier we found ourselves lost and disconnected to the project.

BFI trip

We went to the BFI recently to talk about the making of music videos and to gain some advice on what to do for our coursework, as well as looking at past examples.

 

 

While we were there we did a vlog:

 

 

Intro

Here we were inspired by the Kickstart video to try low angle close up shots of the protagonists feet tapping to the beat of the music for our opening.



Here is a photo of us working on intro shots:

Influential Music Videos

This video by A Day To Remember, has a strong narrative and clear lip syncing which is something we hope to incorporate in our music video. The shots too are very interesting and varied and use actors outside the band as well as in.




This video by Bastille uses a variety of location, all of which are framed very well. This is something important to do in our music video because we want to use location shots to help create a date setting. Also the angles of the camera in each of these locations are different and interesting to the eye, which we could also take from this as inspiration.




This video by Example uses lots of split screens and shots which fit perfectly in time with the music, which we hope to incorporate. The date setting is also something we wish to portray in our video but without making it look too cliché and in this video they pull this off the way we would like to, therefore his video is the most influential towards our music video.

Promoting Star Quality

Star quality has been promoted through a variety of medias such as newspaper articles, social networking sites, interviews, album signings etc.

One star who has changed a lot over time is Miley Cyrus. Her change in style and platform from sweet and child friendly on Disney Channel, to sexy and wild on stage has allowed for a lot of publicity on many forms of media. Here is one example, an article called 'What Happened To Miley Cyrus?' Although not all the publicity is positive it has reach a lot of people and made her more famous due to the number of people interested in her big changes. This therefore following Richard Dyers Star Quality Theory.

Star Quality Theory

A short overview of Richard Dyers Star Quality Theory:

 

 

 

 

Audience and Institution being the idea that stars are made to make money. The institution models the star image around the target audience. For instance The spice girls each had different characters (costume and personality) to stand out and look fun to attract a young energetic audience.

 

 

 

 

Construction being the idea that the artist is built specifically for the audience to differentiate them from other stars. For example, Pink was made up to look tomboyish, with heavy black clothes and makeup, short hair and stern facial expressions to suit her rock image and create a statement that woman can are as tough as men.

 

 

 

Hegemony is when an audience feels they can relate to or admire a star and usual tries to replicate them in some way. Their admiration becomes idolization. This can be positive for example, Paramore suggest you don't need to be an emo, miserable person to love punk music and rock instrumentals. However some stars have a negative impact, for example Britney Spears, who portrays herself as a bad role model and in some ways has influenced peoples poor decisions such as drug usage.

 

 

 

 

Album Cover Ideas

I recently came across this powerful image, it represents the idea that everyone is hiding behind something. This image (to me) represents majority of women, who feel they have to wear makeup to be acceptable or fit into society.

This idea of a mask to hide behind or to blend in to society is also something we are trying to portray in our music video as our protagonist is shown on a average date with a woman as he is unsure about his sexuality and how society will react.

Therefore this image could be adapted to suit our album cover.

Random Name Generator

During a recent lesson we played a game called 'The random name generator' this was a way of generating a name for our band. The games works where each person takes it in turns to write down a word fold over the paper and pass to the next, so that when reviled you have a long sentence of words which you can rearrange as you like.

Although we are still not completely sure on a name yet, this did help to get ides flowing. We feel so far the best band name which came out of doing the was 'The Worn Skies.'

Music Video Ending

After taking into account our audience feedback we decided our ending would end with the protagonist holding a photo taken earlier on in the music video from a double date scene. The protagonist will fold away the two girls in the photo, leaving him and the other male figure in the photo, suggesting he is homosexual. The protagonists sexuality is revealed subtly and not cliché way however also reflects the complexity of the way people feel in society.

 

 

Audience Feedback

When deciding on the end of our music video we as a group debated on whether to reveal the sexuality of the protagonist in a positive way and accepted way or to show the protagonist still questioning his sexuality. We asked men and women of different sexualities to see what they would like to see in our ending.

Storyboarding

In the last lesson we were storyboarding. this proved more difficult than expected. This intro of our song lasts 24 seconds and within this time we struggled to think of something to do in this time. We eventually came to the conclusion that we would do still shots of the the protagonists individual features and fit them to the beat of the music. This would then lead into the lyrics through a zoom shot going into the laptop screen and beginning the videos made with the female characters.

We have not worked out all the details yet but feel this will be easier once at location, so have therefore done a simple storyboard to go with these ideas so far. We also this lesson discussed the ending of our music video and came to the conclusion that we needed to somehow portray our message clearer to he audience and decided we would interview people with different sexualities to come up with an ending which our audience would find appropriate.

Here is a picture of us storyboarding:

Pompeii Music Video

This music video uses a variety of different locations which is what we wish to do in our music video. Through watching this video it has become apparent that it is important to use interesting locations in order for it to be worth the travel. Although using different locations is going to be time consuming, it is clear through this video that if shot properly then they are very affective and eye catching to an audience.

Chanel Number 5 Advert

This advert highlights many key aspects of a music video, in that it included lip syncing to the music, a narrative, performance and a range of shot types and angles. The video also looks at the male gaze theory using close up shots and low key lighting on the female figure suggesting this advert also looks at the representation of women. I also like the way the song has been re-arranged to make it fit the elegance the video is portrayed. Both the performance elements and the narrative side to the music video are shot separately however the two ideas are linked together through the last shot were the singer and the actors are shown in a shot, the allows the video to flow together.

Email To The Manager

As a group we emailed the manager of Smallpools, asking for permission to use one of their songs for our music video, they replied granting us permission and here is a screenshot of the two emails:

Songs

Our first song choice was Fresh Start Fever by You Me At Six.
The pace of the song and the strong beat makes this a good song choice however the lyrics are too predictable and our ideas didn't fit the music.




We then decided to do One of Those Crazy Girls by Paramore.
This song gave us lots of ideas and allowed us to have a female vocalist however the lyrics again were too predictable.




We have now settled on the decision to use the song Mason Jar by Smallpools.
This song have a good pace and lyrics which provide a variety of ideas and editing techniques which as a group we would all have strengths to put towards the outcome.

Lyrics

Here are our song lyrics, we think our synopsis fits well with the lyrics referring to women however we can make the video unpredictable by creating the homosexual twist on the plot. At first we made the decision to make the entire video narrative, however we will now include some lip syncing.

Lyrics:

She saw the world through a mason jar, it's foggy
She had the kids with the vicious smiles, they got me
Up on a hill with the trophy wives
She's doing all right, all, all, right (yeah)
They let her roam some tree or vine, no question
She's got a home with some shit to climb, don't mention
Been up and down like a hundred times

But I got to kill this conversation while
There is still sense in my mind
But I miss the way you feel
No one will ever know-oh-oh-oh

She wrote a film 'bout a double life, she's livin'
She had a weak co-star in mind, I give in
Mix something clear with the coffee grinds
We're shootin' all night, all, all, night (yeah)
I feel the shift of the fallen side, I'm leavin'
Nobody dares to take her side, still pleadin'
She's breakin' down tell me one more time

But I meant to kill this conversation
While there was still sense in my mind
But I miss the way you feel
No one will ever know-oh-oh-oh

Well we both know
The green will fade to gold
It wasn't that, I should've called them off
A face like stone
The pain begins to show
And it was not right, I should've called them off

But I miss the way you feel
(well we both know)
No one will ever know
(the green will fade to gold)
I miss the way you feel
It wasn't right I should've called them off
(no one will ever know)

But I miss the way you feel
(a face like stone)
No one will ever know
(the pain begins to show)
I miss the way you feel
It was not right I should've called them off
(no one will ever know)

Group Vlog

Here is our vlog, which we did after presenting our treatment pitch. We look over everything we have done so far.

Treatment Pitch:

Here is us working on our treatment pitch in class: 

We created posters and wrote down everything we could think of including, such as location, synopsis and selling point, so that we could take the information and put in onto a prezi.

Here is the prezi: http://prezi.com/jgtz33ac3iso/title/ 

This is a picture of us presenting our treatment pitch:

This is the pitch itself, when presenting we included all details on the mise-en-scene, selling point and all other ideas. After we had presented everything we asked for feedback and asked if anyone had any questions, the feedback seemed positive and the only question asked was how we would show the audience that the protagonist was homosexual. So we have changed our idea slightly. The posters on the wall at the end will be of male models to suggest this is what he is really attracted to and the magazine of female models is a cover up to fit into society.

Here is the treatment pitch: 

Mood Board

Here is our mood board looking at all our location ideas:

Locations

We created spider diagrams of locations we thought we could use in our music video, these included: Enfield Town festival and Camden. We had other locations in mine as well however after discussing with my group we decided not include Trafalgar Square or Crews Hill, this being because there would be too many places to film and the music video would become too much to film and we don't have enough models.

Here are the spider diagrams of the location we are going to be using:

Within these diagrams we included actors, shot types, ideas and editing techniques which would all be used within each location.

Song Choice

Our song choice is Mason Jar by Smallpools:

We chose this song due to the distinctive beat and lyrics which could be interpreted in a variety of different ways. We have decided to begin the song with what would appear to be a normal relationship between a boy and a girl. The video will reveal at the end that the boy is imagining this relationship and the girl is just a model on a poster on his wall. This is a spider diagram of our ideas:

You've Got Time

As a group we recently put together a short music video (copy) to practise our lip syncing and work out who would suit the role within our final video best. Therefore we decided to put together another video, this time to practise our editing skills to music. We chose to do 'You've Got Time' due to its strong beat and fast shots. As a whole I feel it was been successful however if I was to change anything it would be the lighting; the lighting appears slightly different in each individual shot which made the overall video look slightly amateur.

Original Video:




Our Video:

Record Label

Top 20 indie/alternative rock record labels are included in this link. These record labels could be interested in our music video due to our genre of music being (also) alternative rock and the knowledge that the band we have chosen to represent are a current and popular band at this time.

http://altmusic.about.com/od/top10lists/tp/Top-10-Indie-Record-Labels.htm

Alternative Rock History

Alternative rock have a huge background as to how it came about and I have used this website to gain insight into its history: http://rockmusic.mu/alternative-rock-music.html 

Alternative rock music is usually any rock music that descended from punk rock. Alternative rock music became popular in the 1990's but the history or alternative rock music goes back farther than that. Before Nirvana brought alternative rock music to the mainstream audience, the music genre had been gaining popularity with the college crowds and music underground.
          In the 1980's REM was making their start in alternative rock music. Most of their airtime was given by college radio stations. This is where their loyal fan base started. However, their commercial success started at about the time that alternative started to really become popular in the 1990's.
The popularity of alternative rock music came about after the grunge period. Grunge was a type of alternative rock music that denounced commercialism. This movement started in Seattle, Washington and soon took the world by storm. This was ironic since it was this type of music that helped to create the commercial success for alternative rock music. Bands such as Pearl Jam, Nirvana, Soundgarden, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
          Alternative rock music also made a big splash in Britain where punk rock was more popular. In fact, Alternative rock music entered the mainstream earlier in Britain than it did in the United States. This gave alternative bands a broader venue even before the popularity of alternative music in the United States.
          During the height of success for alternative rock music, many record companies handed out the name to bands that fit the requirements loosely at best. This was done in hopes that the label of alternative would help sales. However, looking back one can see that some of this music was more pop than alternative.

Nirvana

A good example of an alternative rock music video would be this one by Nirvana called Smells Like Teen Spirit. Throughout this video conventions of a stereotypical alternative rock video are used, and from this style of video there are a lot of idea we could use. This includes the dark setting, shots in time with the beat of the music, low angles etc.

Alternative Rock Conventions

For our music video we decided to look into alternative rock; this was due to everyone in our group taking an interest in this style of music and enjoying the diversity of ideas this style of music portrays in its music videos. Convention of a successful alternative rock music video general consist of:

-Close up shots of the band (lead vocalist).

-Shots of the instruments used in the music.

-Cut away shots between the band and shots resembling a storyline are generally used.

-The video is film and edited so that the shots fit to the beat of the song.

-Lip syncing is used however doesn't dominate the video as other shots such as close up and establishing shots can also be used.
-A variety of shot types are used and edited using different shot lengths.
-Lots of editorial techniques appear in alternative rock music videos such as fading transitions, lighting adjustments etc.

Our Holiday House by More Madness

During my holiday away my family and I put together a music video to the song Our House by Madness. This was so that I could practise shot types and angles, as well understanding how to put the lip syncing to music and how to direct and prduce a music video. In doing this I have gained more ideas as to what we could do in our final music video and have learnt what does not work or I need practise in doing.

The whole thing was shot on an iPhone 5 and edited using iMovie on an iPad. I then used a grading app to change the colouring and make the finished product HD.

Throughout the process I enjoyed film and editing the individual shots together, however struggled to put the music to the video. I also cut out a verse and one of the choruses of the song meaning to was difficult to match the music together without any jumps however feel it was successfully done. We cut a section out of the song due to the length which I think will need to be taken into consideration when choose our final song.

The finish product is called Our Holiday House by More Madness. Actor are Jason Michaelidies, Jo Michaelidies, Dan Barnett and Thomas Barnett; and I filmed, directed and produced the final product.

Video link:
http://vimeo.com/103633438

Blooper link:
http://vimeo.com/103760698

Prelim

We chose to do 'Rockstar' by 'Nickelback' for our prelim as the shots in the music video are interesting but feasible to re-create. The video provided use with the chance to practise our lip syncing as majority of the shots focus on this element. As well as looking at a range of shot types and angles.

If we have learnt from doing the prelim is that lip syncing is harder than we anticipated and shots need to be thought out more thoroughly in order for then to look good. For instance looking for symmetry or rule of thirds in the framing and appropriate backdrops for the individual shots.




The gate shots stood out as unfinished as the shot wasn't and the brick either side of the shot was uneven. The figures too were not centred and this is something we would need to think out and frame right to achieve our goal.

Other shots we would need to improve include shots were people are cut off or blurry. Also in some shots the lighting differs, therefore we wold need to think about the lighting and decide if it fits in with the genre of music.

Fish Tank

-British Film
-Writer and Director: Andrea Arnold
-Production Company: UK Film Council, BBC Films, Kasander
-Year of Release: 2009
-Genre: Drama
-Film Budget: £2 million, UK Film Council partly funded the production, they gave £70,000.

-The film was shot in 30 days.
-IMDB and YouTube features 'Fish Tank' trailers and their are several posters to promote the film.

-The lead actress (Katie Jarvis) was spotted by a casting agent, following an argument with her boyfriend at a train station. She is now known as the Mia Williams in 'Fish Tank.'

Song Choice Ideas

We have looked at many bands and their songs in order to choose a song to make a music video for. So far we like
-We Are The Ocean (The Waiting Rooms)
-Paramore (Crazy Girls)
-You Me At Six (Fresh Start Fever)
-A Day To Remember (All I Want)
-Nickelback (Rock Star)
-Meat Loaf (Bat Out Of Hell)

So far we are the most interested in doing Crazy Girls by Paramore as the song allows multiple interpretations as to the state of the female vocalist.

AS Film Production

A table bullet pointing what went well and what wasn't so successful during the productions of our AS film opening:

This is a link to last years blog for more ideas and information regarding this table:
http://charlottebarnettmediasudies.blogspot.co.uk/

Past A2 Students

I this video produced by past A2 students I like the creativity in the story narrative and the good use of editing affects and camera angles, I have included this video because I feel it is successful and portrays a good understanding of the Andrew Goodwin theory by creating a focus on the singers, a variety of angle and shot types (e.g. low angle, high angle, mid shot long shot...) as well as using good editing and lip syncing.

The Sun: World Cup Advert

Although this isn't a music video I have chosen to write about it because it caught my attention in the way they have incorporated the music with the visuals. The idea of creating a 3D karaoke, by using people in football uniforms bouncing the ball the the lyrics created an interesting interpretation of the song by promoting the World Cup and creating interesting visuals for the audience. The video is a continuous one take meaning editing is not what I will take from this video, however it does include rhythm, beat and meaning displayed in an unusual way.

'The Writing's On The Wall' by 'OK GO'

As an art student I was really interested in the music video of other reasons other than for media. For instance the great use of vibrant colours and memorable patterns. These features create illusions and makes the music video appear as an abstract production. This video is filmed in one take and only uses one setting, although this may appear limited, it allows the audience to focus in on the symbolic references and abstract ideas instead of confusing the audience by flicking between places. These simple decisions also mean the artistic ideas and angles are given more thought and challenge the camera man to find the perfect angle in time with the music, a skill which if done wrong would mean re-shooting from the beginning.

Favourite Music Videos

Sledge Hammer By Peter Gabriel:

This music video has been created using stop motion animation to give life to the images in the song. It follows Andrew Goodwin's theory as it follows all 5 elements of his theory. In particular the video focuses on the relationship between lyrics and visuals, this is done through presenting items and symbolic movements to visually portray the meaning within the song. Star image has also been concentrated on, the camera is entirely focused on the singing in the middle of the one camera shot used throughout this video. Although camera shots and angles are limited, other technical aspects such as the stop motion animation and green screen images create interest and visual excitement within the music video.

I find this music video to be very memorable and enjoyable to watch due to the imagination and variety of effects used though out.



You Wanna Know by Don Broco:
This music video contrasts with 'Sledge Hammer' in that it is a performance video and portrays Goodwin's theory in a different style. For example here, silhouettes, close up shots of the instruments and the vibrant colours used in the technical aspects of making a music video draw your attention. By using these ideas and keeping the mise-en-scene basic and staging fairly empty, the star image is the main focus and allows the audience to be engage with the performance more closely.

I enjoy watching this music video due to the natural use of thought through beat shown in the way the artists show passion and energy in their performance.

Andrew Goodwin's theory states that there are five key aspects to a music video:

-Thought through beat
Looking at the structure of the song, the voice and the way the story represented in the song is portrayed.

-Relationship between the lyrics and the visuals
Illustrated: Images and shots used to show and explain the meaning behind the lyrics.
Disjuncture: The meaning is ignored in the music video.
Amplify: Images and camera shots are repeated through out the video and drummed into our visuals.
Doing exactly what the song is saying (e.g. the character/actors jumping when the song says jump.)

-Narrative and performance of the song
Artists becoming involved in the music video by performing or acting out a role as the main character. This helps the audience to see it as realistic and believable creating a connection between audience and song.

-Technical aspects of a music video
Holds the video together using camera work, movement, angle, mise-en-scene, editing, song and special effects.

-Star image
Using lots of camera shots and angles making them the centre of attention. The star is a visual aspect to the video making the music video more appealing to audience whilst bring a unique style to the video. They are presented in a unique way (e.g. costume, moves, appearance.)