ideas

As the weeks have gone by we have thought of more ideas that we are going to incorporate in our music video. out initial ideas have stayed the same but a few have been altered and changed.

Firstly the performance side of things have stayed the same. we are shooting the band performance at night at Newnham park, where there is an outdoor pool area with floodlights. We believe this will look very effective because it will be pitch black and the location will be hidden. The floodlights (and other spotlights, that we will provide) will pick parts of the instruments and the band up, creating silhouettes. This will add professionalism to our video. Also we thought that that the outdoor pool area will help with our genre conventions as locations such as this are often seen in 'indie' music videos.

Secondly the narrative parts within our music video has changed. Our intial idea was having the couple together in a white room acting like lovers, something goes wrong and leads to an argument and the girl leaving. Our ideas have now developed to the girl by her self walking down a street in a town center. This will also be shot at night. In some narrative parts there will be close ups of the girl, for example her lips and eyes. These parts will be shot in the dark room at school with spotlights. In some narrative parts the girl will be crying.

Thirdly for some of the viewing of the music video is going to be split screen. Just like in our test edit. The screens will change between narrative and performance and some of both. The screen style will also change to add diversity. Around each screen there will be a white border. This idea first came about whilst watching the plain white T's music video 'hey there deliah' (shown below).

Finally there will be a contrast between the narrative and the performance because the performance will be in black and white and the narrative will be in colour. we beleive that this is a convention used in many videos with the same genre as ours. the performance parts will also have close ups on the instrument and on the singer and other band members these parts may be put into slow motion when we edit because we belive that this will match the pace of our song.

Goodwin’s music video analysis

This is the criteria we are looking at whilst analysing other music videos.
Goodwin’s music video analysis:

Andrew Goodwin writing in ‘Dancing in the Distraction Factory’ (Routledge 1992)

1. Music videos demonstrate genre characteristics(e.g. stage performance in metal video, dance routine for boy/girl band).

2. There is a relationship between lyrics and visuals(either illustrative, amplifying, contradicting).

3. There is a relationship between music and visuals(either illustrative, amplifying, contradicting).

4. The demands of the record label will include the need for lots of close ups of the artist and the artist may develop motifs which recur across their work (a visual style).

5. There is frequently reference to notion of looking (screens within screens, telescopes, etc) and particularly voyeuristic treatment of the female body.

6. There is often intertextual reference (to films, tv programmes, other music videos etc).

prop list

This is a list of props and we will need whilst filming:

Props for performance

• 2 x Guitar
• Drum kit, or a single drum
• Performers (3 or 4)
• Microphone
• Car (for headlights use mainly)
• Floodlights
• Torches
  
• Back up lights provided by the media department.

Props for narrative

• Makeup
• Mobile phone

planning blog peer assessment

In today's lesson we went around the class and analysed each others blogs, and stated what we needed to improve, what was good and what needed adding. this is what people had to say about ours:

1. list below the content of each of the posts(e.g analysis of real music video). are there any types of post that you think are missing from the blog?

• Really good analysis of music videos and photos, but not list of props or people or locations.
• Detailed rough cut and call sheet.
  
• Not enough practical information-like location.
• No risk assessment.
• inspirational images are very effective, they make it clear of your idea.
• strong anamatic.
• all posts are very detailed.

2. Is there evidence in the blog that the group has:
A. Completed background research?
B. Organised personnel, locations and equipment for shooting?
C. Developed ideas since the initial concept?

• Yes video analysis are really good.
• Clear ideas that they have got from other videos.
• Good test footage-shows the developed ideas.

Overall assessment.= level 3

All this feedback is very useful and we aim to improve the quality of our blog by correcting the faults listed above.

Inspirational images

This image simply demonstrates the effect of the

spotlights that will be present behind the band as

they perform. The darkness will be create by

performing at night, and as little of the background

objects will be shown, much like this image.



Again, this shot conveys the idea of the spot light effect

illuminating the outline of the performer and creating a

soft halo effect. The surrounding light picks up a dim

sepia colour which we hope to achieve by desturating the

footage or applying a sepia tone. This effect will be used

for the band performance only, unless experimented and

approved during filming the ramaining narraitve shots.

This image represents the style of footage we want to

shoot when filming the lead singer walking/running

through the park. The use of shadow fits in well with the

style of lighting portrayed throughout the video and

looks overall quite artistic and breakes up the footage from

seeing the figure the whole time.

The last image is a rough shot of how the pool will appear.

The lighting is accurate to the set up at out chosen location.

We aim to recreate the image of the liht reflecting on the

water.

Animatic

Summary of Animatic -

Our animatic is reasonably short as the cutting speed of our video will be fasted paced to match the speed of the music. The close up head shots show how we intend to position the spot light directly, or to the side of the musicians head to create a silouette and project light rays which will beam from behind the body. We hope the camera will create a lens flair effect, especially when we direct the camera towards the flood lights.

The split screen is intended to separate the performance from the narrative, showing a connection between the two people although in separate parts of a city. The three way split screen allows us to promote our editing skills incorporating more than two images together, running along side each other, and changing within the frames to match the music. Hopefully, the smoothness of the transactions between the images will enhance the professionalised style we are hoping to achieve. The three way split screen also allows the viewer to devise their own story line, which we feel will hopefully involve the viewer more than when watching a static video as they have the chose to watch the video from their perspective. We hope this will make the video unique every time it is viewed.

We hope our animatic shows the diverse range of camera angels we are going to achieve, for example the close up on the instruments, and the long shots of location and band. We thought the landscaped split screen divided through the middle will consist of two panoramic shots of contrasting settings. As the two lovers run to meet they will run in opposite directions and disappear at the same spot in the centre of the screen.

Feedback from members of the class

The split screen effect was very popular with the viewers. The idea of linking the performance with the narrative on the same shot was evident and understood. The dark shading provided a visual representation of the night time shoot and the atmosphere we are wishing to create. Feedback confirmed that the idea of illuminating the setting was well planned and would successfully aid our video in our attempts to make it look as professional as possible.
The white framing used int eh split screen was commented upon and approved by the audience. They agreed that the extra effort to create the white spaces would again bring an eliminate of professionalism. The lighting, although created very cheaply and without the aid of professional lighting was commented upon and praised.

Test footage and sample of editing

Here is a short a sample edit of the split screen effect we will be using consistently throughout the video

Finger Eleven - "I'll Keep Your Memory Vague"

plain white t's

The video incorporates a combination of narrative and performance,much like the previous video ' The Script'. The narrative and performance are not only separated by the division of a split screen but the shots of the girl are viewed in colour and the singer and accompanying musicians are viewed in black and white. As she is in new york and he is 'a thousand miles away' in another state the change of colour emphasises the contrast between their settings. The split screen is often divided into three parts allowing the viewer to see close ups, mid shots and long shots of both the narrative and the performance. This provides the viewer the ability to chose which of the three segments to watch, allowing each viewer to devise their on story based on which footage their eye is drawn to. The audience is active, and not passive as the viewer is witnessing the video from first person perspective in a voyeuristic manner. We particularly liked the close up shots as it erased any of the distracting background allowing the setting to be anonymous. This will be effective in our video as we are woeking on an amature level and will not be aided by a set or composed setting.

Music Video Analysis- The Script- Together we cry.

The video supports the traditional layout of many 'Indie' style videos incorporating band performance with a threaded narative. Matching the pace of the song the images interchange between the performance and narrative to create an easy viewing, flowing peice of filming. Like most 'popular music', the lyrics and style are not likely to be extremely contriversal, and the pace is commonly fairly malodic and catchy, so the song is not intended to have an incrediably experimental style video. The editting keeps the pace of the song, cutting on the beat mostly throughout the video, and simply slowing down as the pace decreases towards the end. Most of the narrating footage is based in an urban town, a scene which again works well with the indie style, and is a scene that is related with teenage culture (the performers estimated target age group). Filmed in a muted sepia colour the streets and performance area appear more desterted and aged, almost like the style of an early war film. Interestingly, as more music videos are using techniques used in films, this video is presented with the tradition black slits either side of the footage. As the lead singer strolls through the series of urban streets he exchanges glances with a selection of different strangers which expressive the feeling of unity evoked by the lyrics "Together we cry". The connection with the lyrics is not always needed but here it works very effectively, especially as the lyrics are devised like a story. The mise en scene is very urban and rugged. The people on the street are typical charatcers you would find in any urban town e.g a man living on the streets or a woman with her child. The whole mise en scene reinforces the idea that we are all the same, no matter what our position in life. The street is litered with graffitti and boarded buildings to give the sense of struggle. The subtle contrast between the outside narrative and inside performance is effective as it provides a change of scenery and keeps the audiences attention active. Filming close ups of the performers hands and lips during the performance works extremely well with the style of the song, as it is mainly performance based. It purly brakes up the footage into more interesting images and creates an intimacy between the viewer and the musician.

music video website

This is a link to a website that has an article about music videos and the top 100 videos ever.
we thought it might be useful to look at and keep on hand to refer to it every so often.

http://www.stylusmagazine.com/articles/weekly_article/stylus-magazines-top-100-music-videos-of-all-time4.htm

lyrics for our song

THE STILLS - Still In Love Song

Album: Logic Will Break Your Heart (2003)


We were lovers, we were kissers
We were holders of hands; we were make-believers just losing time
You said you'd rather live in T.V. land and then say that you can but you don't
That's heartless and I will not cry

But I'm still in love
And I'm still in love... [3x]

You're dreams of acting on screen. What do they mean?
You'll be dancing senseless in your bedroom and
You find yourself out of a job and before too long
You'll be selling lemonade to the overpaid

And I'm still in love... [5x]

I remember it was summer; I was out of my head but you would
You're selfish and a waste of space

But I'm still in love
And I'm still in love... [6x]

Pitch

Track title: Still in love song.
Artist: The stills
Genre: Indie/Rock
Target audience: 15+

Location for performance: park (outside swimming pool with floodlights)

• Shot at night with floodlights and headlights of car. Aided by outside spotlight.
  
• Band performing in and around swimming pool.

Narrative location: White room, hotel maybe? White sheets and walls, naturally lit and open. Couple relaxing (pillow fight. etc) Mood changes as they have an argument. Girl leaves in slow motion clips. may reverse the order to end "lovey dovey" and begin with argument. Girl walks through streets and back alleys to end up at swimming pool. Boy meets her.

Mise en scene: Feathers, floodlights, band equipment (e.g drum, guitar, bass guitar) Car,

roles

Antonia- Researcher, as well as location finder.
Ally- Editor
Claire- Cinematographer
we will all direct as well as contribute to all areas of the construction of our music video.

Deadlines

Pitch - 10th September
Animatic - 19th September
Rough cut - 10th October
Final video - 7th November
Picturehouse Screening - 12th November
Writing Draft - 1st December
Writing Complete - T.B.A

music video elements

These are the elements we need to consider when making our music video:

• Music
• Singing-lip synching
  
• Dance routines-choreography
• Band- members or just backing instruments
  
• Narrative and story line
• Effects
• Film and song (simultaneous release- synergistic release)
• Changes in location
• Encouraging 'looking'
• Instruments
• Entertainment
• realistic
• Advertise music or band -promotion to band, singer etc

Welcome to GROUP 09-studying music video-history of music videos

History of music videos!

• Started in the 1920's-30's.
• 1960's promo-'hard day's night' and other rock films-focused on band.
• 1970 promo- top of the pops started to use them as a substitute when performing bands were on tour.
• 1975-start of the experimental/breakthrough era-Queen- Bohemian Rhapsody-(CLASSIC).
• Early 80's- Beginning of MTV-artists began to take promotion of the band and the release of the song seriously, so all songs all had a video.
• Multichannel music TV- growth of different genre of channels and real divide of music.
• Mid 80's-Black music broke out into the market.
• 90's-other channels broke out channels from spin-offs e.g. kiss, smash hits, Q etc.
• Nowadays - every song produced (singles) all have videos, and they are getting more conventional and experimental.

Music videos in order of release and conventions used!

1. 1935-colour box