Prop List

A list of physical props / costume / accessories needed whilst filming :
- White t - shirts for actors to wear
- Trousers and shoes which are old so it doesn't matter if they get messy
- Assorted paints and paintbrushes in order to dispense paint

Based on Our Research Into Immediate Media Products

We had an idea as to which brief we wanted to do before we started the research however after carrying out some research it has cemented our choice of choosing to do a music video.

The group I am working with is two girls; Molly and Annie. We are all confident in producing our blogs and carrying out planning and research. We are also all confident in voicing our opinions and this has led to us coming up with different ideas and constantly adding bits to make the idea better. Olivia is especially good at creating original ideas and Annie is good at filming and making sure to include different angles and shots. I feel I am quite good at organising and adding detail into the ideas. However, the main area we will struggle is when it comes to editing the footage together as nobody is completely confident with this and therefore we will try hard to make our idea even better so it makes up for the lack of editing skill. 

This year all of the groups ultimate aim is to improve on our piece of work we created last year as we feel we have learnt a lot of skills throughout the process and we think we have picked up understanding of what needs to be done in order to create a higher standard piece of work through listening to our audience feedback. We also aim to improve our editing skills this year as last year we all felt we all had a lot of help from other groups and our teachers. However we would like to keep the same the amount of effort that we put into our work and the level of detail we had in our blog posts.

Existing Settings

Setting is the in works of narrative (especially fictional), the literary element, setting, includes the time and geographic location in which a story takes place, and helps initiate the main backdrop and mood for a story. 




 Conventional settings we expect in different music video genres: 

• Indie/rock - Dark locations  are often used to create delusions and mysterious atmospheres, such as alley ways and dark rooms. An example of this technique is the Kings of Leon

 

Hip hop - Locations tend to involve parties or a fancy location such as the singers riding in a private jet, alcohol is often involved with the use of expensive things such as fancy cars an houses. An example of this technique is 50 Cent.

 

 

Pop videos - Set in bright colour locations often in your every day locations. 

 

 

I think the genre of a music video plays a huge role in the setting of the music video, Like shown above I researched into a range of different music genres such as indie and pop and found that the setting in the music videos varied depending on what the genre was. Slow and deep songs are more likely to have a dark gloomy location compared to a pop song that is all up beat because the different genres have different purposes, the slow song will have a setting that makes you feel down such as a dark location or locations such as a slum the viewer will gain sympathy for the character. Whereas, in a pop song the main purpose for pop songs are to get you of your seat and dancing and therefore they need a music video that includes bright cheerful colours to make the you happy. 

I think its important the viewer has an understanding the music video and I think the setting helps create the understanding of the video right from the beginning of the video. Likewise, setting helps to construct mise-en-scene and I think mise-en-scene setting is one of the most crucial aspects of the music video. For example, in Coldplay Violet Hill the song is represented in the video through bleak negative atmosphere, the photograph used often shows close ups of Christ Martins face expressing his emotions in a more elaborated sense which is initially more effective to the audience. The backgrounds are grey which is reinforced by the weather and therefore the weather must have been chosen specifically (there is also references to the month December). throughout the lyrics, there is an expressed uncertainty based upon a relationship where feelings and emotions are confused, this is also portrayed through the video where there musicians are placed apart to show the distance and the strength in playing the instrument shows the anger within. Additionally, in the music video Circus by Britney Spears there are many scenes that are dark and Britney herself is hard to extinguish which empathises the suspense within the circus to create an attraction from the audience. There are also shots to the dressing room showing the preparation behind the show but also creating a eerier atmosphere with the eccentric outfits clashing in colour creating unique and ominous atmosphere as the people do not appear normal, this makes a distance between the performers and audience as they cannot be related together. when the music picks up then the editing shots are much quick again creating a suspenseful performance. the background is familiar in terms of the 'circus'. Both these videos aim to portray a music video which clearly interlinks with their lyrics to allow the audience to understand their music. 

Existing Characters

I think characters are really important in a music video because they set the narrative and are usually the main element to a music video. They're something I personally mainly find myself focusing on when watching a music video. In a music video especially sad songs we often emphasis towards the characters and feel their emotions as we watch the video almost making songs relatable as you often feel you become part of the seen.

Character profiles of existing characters/performers in music videos:

Katy Perry in California Girls

 

Katy Perry in this videos is out of the ordinary which makes iconic and rememberable still to this date. She dresses out of the ordinary as well as does things out of the ordinary such as laying on a cloud making her appear like a fantasy that little girls would dream of being as they watch the music video. In this video Katy Perry really engages me as she is going against the ordinary unlike most other music videos, she makes you feel as though you have transported to the imaginary world as you listen and watch the music video which is really effective even now when I hear California girls without watching the music video I still think of the quirky music video in my head. I think in this music video the actors fits in well with the scenery and everything that's around her however, there is no real narrative its just a bit random and doesn't relate much to the song lyrics about 'California girls' when shes in candy world and up in the clouds.

Michael Jackson in Thriller 

 

I believe the character Micheal Jackson plays in his music video to Thriller will always be one of the most famous and well known characters of all time. The music video to Thriller was released all the way back in 1982 and at the time the music video shocked and stunned the public for being so scary. At the time special effects and technology was no where near the quality it is at in the modern day however at the time it was above way above other music videos that were released around a similar time. Like the Katy Perry's California girls music video this video is very out of the ordinary and so is Michael Jackons as he turns from a normal boy into a warecat and dances with the living dead, now that is something you don't see everyday! And due to that reason I think that's why he is so effective and still gets so many people talk about him, and even dress up for him for fancy dress nights such as Halloween. I think Michael Jackson really adds appeal to the narrative as he gives the 'thriller' experience to the audiences as they watch and listen to the song with his scary costumer, facial expression and quirky dance moves. As like Katy Perry in her music video I feel very engaged with Michael Jackson character as it is iconic and is different from your everyday music video as the character is so far from naturalistic so you feel transported to a complete different location in the comfort of your own home.

Maddie Ziegler in Cheap Thrills by Sia

 

 

Sia's music videos are famous for not having herself in but having a small girl in called Maddie Ziegler. She is not your average girl in the music video and that what makes her iconic. she does not speak in the video but dances around in a peculiar way and pulls over dramatic facial expressions. The way she moves is so fascinating I find my eyes attached to the screen for the whole song. The small girl still appeals to the narrative as shes acts the words out through her dance moves and if you turn the sounds down but watch the video you can often still make out what the lyrics of the song would be which I think is really effect. I really like Sia's idea in this music video, it's one of a kind.

 

Existing Narratives

A narrative or story is any report of connected events, real or imaginary, presented in a sequence of written or spoken words, and/or still or moving images.

Narrative works in music videos to show a combination of the story and the plot, the narrative is the story of what happens and how. Linear narrative is the plot and story working in the same way, and non linear narrative does not run in any specific way using random techniques such as flashbacks to aid the story.

Conventions of narratives in each of the following genres:
Comedy - Can be slapstick / dark humour / wit. Often full of jokes, the narrative can feature somebody who is made fun of.
Horror - Conventionally a horror features a storyline where something out of the ordinary occurs like a break in or a ghost in a house.
Drama - A drama has a unique way of storytelling and can fall under many different styles like period drama / crime drama.
Romance - An example of a typical romance narrative would be a couple falling in love then breaking up and getting back together again.
Family - Often a cartoon, has a happy narrative as it must be suitable for all ages, an example is two animals meeting and going on lots of adventures together.
Documentary - A documentary is a nonfictional motion picture intended to document some aspect of reality so it could have a narrative featuring a zoo.
Kids - Similar to family but often following a very simple narrative easier for young children specifically to understand.

Narrative theories and how they fit with music videos...
Todorov - Proposed that a narrative should have a beginning (a state of equilibrium), a middle (a disruption to the equilibrium) and an end (reinstating the equilibrium). This could fit with a music video with little 'band play' as in the short time of a song it would be difficult to show the stages especially with switching between band play and narrative.

Propp - Argued that a successful narrative has 6 stages.
1 - Preparation (the scene is set)
2 - Complication (a problem / evil occurs)
3 - Transference (tries to get help)
4 - Struggle (a fight or difficulty of some sort)
5 - Return (the 'quest' is fulfilled)
6 - Recognition (hero rewarded, villain punished)
I don't think this narrative theory would fit with a music video as there is simply too many stages. As much as there can be a story being told it isn't necessarily the same as a tv programme or film.

Barthes - Suggested that media texts with a narrative were essentially forms of storytelling.
He believed text was essentially a tangled ball of thread needing to be untangled and in this is the form of the storytelling, which could work in a music video.

Levi Strauss - Observed that all narratives are based around conflicts between two oppositions, which could work in any music video or film. This theory is much more simple.  

Footage

We are planning to divide up to footage with a mixture of lip synced live performance as well as a narrative story.

Although this is what we would like to do for our music video it is going to be something which we won't be able to decide until we have finished all of our filming and can see what fits together, as our narrative story is going to be focused on a very intense storyline it may feel as though it is simply unnecessary to add live performance. Another issue is to what our extent the male actor would feel comfortable with lip syncing so therefore means we could have an issue with trying to find somebody to do this. With narrative story, it can be problematic in a music video because too much can make it seem like it is trying to be a short film as opposed to an actual music video.

Song Choice

I think the song choice is an important choice to a certain extent, if you have thought of a plot already then the genre should fit with the plot for example you would not choose a dance song for a sad idea. Our genre is 'mainstream rock' with the song Fix You by Coldplay, which has a slow beat but isn't too mellow to not be enjoyable. The genre of our music video is a romantic drama so this will fit well.

Music Video genre / style

Music videos tend to include many long shots, close ups and mid shots. These shots are used to create emphasis on the artist, locations and emotions. Close up shots can be used to reflect the lyrics of the song as well as emotions. With camera movement, the use of it is used to follow the movements of the band or solo performer and camera movements used include tilts, pans, tracking and crane shots. Mise en scene with music videos refers to the arrangement of performers and props within a scene for the production of a music video. It puts importance on the representation of something, for example in the music video for Maroon 5 'One More Night' the contrast between his time spent with and without his partner is shown by skipping between the two kinds of scenes, displaying the breakdown of their marriage.



Conventions of different genres...
Pop - Pia Mia 'Do It Again'

Pop music videos usually have a very mainstream style, with the people shown dressed in fashionable and stylish outfits. The artists are often portrayed as happy and content and the song is usually linked with love and relationships which is often something relatable to young people like teenagers who are the target audience. Often there is a focus, which most commonly seems to be a woman expressed in a very sexual or seductive way, portraying a sexual atmosphere and often drawing in a different kind of audience. Hair and makeup is used to commutate the views and feelings of the artist and is something which seems to play a much more important role in the music videos from the pop genre more so than any others.

Rock - The Strokes - You Only Live Once
Rock music videos often have characters who are depicted as rebellious, going against mainstream society and fighting conformity stereotypically. This is often shown through confidence and stage presence. The main feature, something which is always particularly noticeable about a rock music video is the passion conveyed through the behaviour of the performer on stage. Rather than in a pop music video there would be more narrative, a rock music video tends to focus more on the actual performance of the band.

Hip Hop - R Kelly - Ignition
Hip hop music videos such as this one often use low angled close up shots, in order to imply the artists power over the audience. The low angle gives the status because it shows power over the audience and the close up highlights their status by showing that they are important enough to have a frame entirely for themselves. The narrative sometimes shows a crowd enjoying themselves like dancing to the beat of the music which gives credibility to the artist by showing that people enjoy the song. There are lots of references to the wealth of the artist through the use of mise en scene such as cars and money physically shown in them, also giving credibility and symbolising status. Men seem to have all of the power in hip hop music videos, women are seen as disposable items of lust and nothing more. Voyeurism is also used in these videos as the general target audience is seen as males and therefore women are portrayed in a very sexual manner to interest men and attract new fans.

Ancillary Task Research

This is a perfect example of a Coldplay digipak. All of Coldplay's album covers are very simple, yet effective. The images, text and use of space create the abstract feel the band is aiming to create.

The front cover is an image of the French Revolution, this is a rather memorable and famous image to many people, meaning the cover could easily be recognised and remembered.The use of the graffiti style writing over the top of the classic image adds a modern twist.

The two inside covers are both very simplistic. One containing a black and white image of each band member and the other simply states the name of the group and the title of the album.

The back cover follows the same colour scheme (black and yellow) and again is very simple. The back cover simply lists the track listing, a barcode and the copyright detailing. This would neither attract or detract an audience as it is vital information that has to be placed somewhere on the album. The best place therefore, for this information, would be at the bottom on the back cover. It is also in small print making it seem less important to its target audience.

Opposites - Biffy Clyro 

This Digi Pack works well because it shows trees but in different seasons depending on what page of the Digi Pack you're on. All the flowers are fairly dead with no leaves which symbolises loneliness which relates to many of the lyrics on the album. I think this Digi Pack has a very deep meaning and can speak many words and that is why it is appealing to the audience as it gives an insight into moments in his life that people listening may be able to relate to. Looking at the Digi Pack it makes me think very deeply making the audience want to listen to the album. 

Ed Sheeran 

This album cover is very basic which makes it rather mysterious and encourages the audience to want to listen to the songs to find out more about the style of music on the able and the meaning the lyrics have. The plain orange background draws attention to the audience as it is eye catching and would stand out in a shop making you want to buy it. The white font also adds effectiveness to this Digi Pack. Ed Sheeran is known for writing songs that are relateable to his audience and this makes him an important figure in todays society. 

 Our idea: 

For the front cover of the album we want loads of little t-shirts with paint splattered all over them but the words of our song title 'Fix you' 'Coldplay' will be left clear of paint. Then each page of the digi pack as you go along will have slightly less paint and then on the back page where the song titles are the page will have mo paint it will just be a white background with the song titles on. The t-shirt with paint on give hints to our music video and having less and less paint as the digi pack goes on sums up the music video narrative how as time goes on and the characters realise things and help each other they realise things aren't as bad and the paint comes of their thsirt like it does on the digi pack. 

Target Audience 2

How will your ancillary tasks help you attract your target audience?

The ancillary tasks such as the digipack and posters will massively help us to attract our target audience. It is important that we make the ancillary tasks eye-catching and appealing to our target audience, so that they become interested in looking into our media product and watching the video. The design of the digipack needs to be original and creative and include bright and vibrant colours which will attract the target audience. Inside of the digipack we will list the other songs that are on the CD and there will be other imagery related to the cover. As well as the digipack we will be creating a poster which will have similar imagery to the digipack and the video itself to create continuity throughout the campaign. The poster will be either A4 or A3 in size and will be printed onto high quality paper to create a professional look about the campaign.

In addition to these basic ideas we are also interested in setting up a social media campaign to help promote the band. Social media is a great way to advertise your brand and upcoming projects especially to the younger generations (which is our target audience) as the majority of younger people have at least one form of social media. Social media sites are quick and easy to use which means we could post constant updates throughout the campaign and keep people in the loop of what is happening with our music video.

As a result of creating ancillary tasks it means that we are able to broaden our advertising and reach out to a much wider range of people. The underlying aim of the ancillary task will be to represent the process that we go through whilst creating the music video and alerting the consumers to what our idea is all about so that they become interested in looking at or buying the idea. The ancillary tasks are all part of the synergy that occurs within the industry where each different marketing approach promotes another, ultimately creating more awareness for the band and the media product.

Target Audience

The target audience for our media product is people of a similar age to us (young adults and teenagers). However, we are also hoping that our media product will educate people of a younger age than our target audience, as they may not know much about illnesses regarding mental health. We are also hoping to show teenage boys that depression and other mental health issues are nothing to be embarrassed about with our video.

Our media product will engage with our target audience by doing several things. One way we are approaching our audience is by using characters of a similar age to the target audience so that they are aware that mental health does occur to other people like them and as a result of this we are hoping that they find the music video approachable and relatable. Another way that we are aiming to reach out to our target audience is by using male characters for the main roles. We hope that this alerts the male audience into being aware that mental health doesn't just effect teenage girls. We feel that it is important to approach the male gender as in recent studies investigating mental health it has been made aware that younger men are more likely to suffer from mental health issues and keep them to themselves rather than talking to others about them. The final way we are planning on reaching out to our target audience is by trying to make the product relatable by including a lot of 'everyday stuff' that someone suffering from mental illness is likely to go through. We also hope that by including this in our video we are able to educate other people that may not be aware about the effects of mental illness on somebody's life.

What we will need...

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/6-Fluorescent-Ready-Mix-Poster-Paints-Neon-Glow-6-Colours-Kids-UV-reactive/181790129396?_trksid=p2045573.c100507.m3226&_trkparms=aid%3D555014%26algo%3DPL.DEFAULT%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D38661%26meid%3D6e06476ef1f14ce1b9ee5a036de29c4e%26pid%3D100507%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D1%26

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/5-Pack-Mens-Fruit-of-the-Loom-Plain-100-Cotton-Blank-Tee-Shirt-Tshirt-T-Shirt-/172207657616?var=471039911021&hash=item2818605290:g:Es8AAOSwt7pXOI5U

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/FRUIT-OF-THE-LOOM-LADIES-Plain-Lady-Fit-T-Shirts-Tee-T-Shirt-ALL-SIZES-XS-2XL-/152089503845?var=451293082702&hash=item23693da865:g:hx0AAOSwUxNXh1OA

We spent the lesson looking online at what we will need for our filming. We have decided that what we need is the links above and are currently looking into getting funding from the school.

Initial idea character / performer list and profiles

In our film the main characters will be the boy and the girl. The boy character will be sad and lost looking and the girl will be almost like a hero, she can see how he is feeling and sympathise with him when he feels completely isolated and alone, and by the end the idea is that he will be feeling better.

We can't only have the 2 people in our music video as part of the locations we have planned are in public places and it would be strange for only two people to be there so because of this it is likely that we will be using volunteers as extras to look like members of the public. Using the extract characters will help to construct a more realistic music video.

It is likely that a wide audience will engage with our music video because some people suffering from a mental health illness will be able to relate and most people know someone or know of someone who has one of some sort and will therefore be able to either sympathise or relate to the sympathetic female character.

Initial idea plot synopsis

The idea for our music video is that there is a male character with depression, with the use of poster paints as a representation of this. He will be covered in paint in a way displaying the more paint he has on the worse he feels, and it will be coming off and on in a way which we will show using a number of different t - shirts. At some point in the video he will meet a girl who can relate to his situation and by the ending he will be happier, symbolised by him wearing less or no paint.

We came to this idea from watching a TV advert on depression, with it being symbolised by a black dog and liked the idea. Originally we had a different idea, of a girls summer holiday however there was not a story which could be told from this and although a music video does not have to tell a story I think there should be some depth to what is going on whilst the music is playing.

The part I am most looking forwards to is to edit once we have filmed because I think making parts in slow motion with paint splattering on and off will look very effective.

Decisions

I am going to be completing a music video in a group with Molly and Annie. We have chosen to work together because we are good friends anyway so see one another regularly and we will find it easy to split the work between us. Most people do a music video and I chose to do this because I think it would be much harder to create an interesting short film whereas a music video can be fun and around lots of different areas, also working with a shorter time period will be easier.

Our idea so far video

Evaluation question 4 (PRELIMINARY)

How did you use media technologies in the constriction and research, planning and evaluation stage?

Construction and research:


This stage required more technology than I thought it would as I had to use the internet to find possible locations that we could use, finding locations was difficulty because there wasn't many places we could get all our cast to. Without the internet finding locations would have been a lot more difficult as we used google maps to look at locations and communicate without each other via and whatsapp group chat to give each other updates on filming times etc. Also using our phones we were able to take pictures of our locations and pictures whilst filming and upload the pictures directly to blogger, which overall speeded up the construction and research process. 


Planning:

This stage used slightly less technology than the research stage but still was useful for communicating with other group members and actors to organise dates and locations without actually having to meet up and discuss. Also, we used technology at this stage by making a checklist for what we needed to bring and what our restraints where for filming, we did this on our phones so we could have them with use when we where filming and make sure we fitted in with them as much as possible. 


Evaluating:


For our evaluating stage we also used technology. Such as when we uploaded our video to YouTube and then sending it members of the public via email and messenger to get reviews for our audience feedback. Having the internet meant we were able to share blog post, as Hannah and I wrote most the blogs whilst the other members of our group did other roles the internet meant other group members were able to see our blogs and get our blog posts onto their blogs, which successfully sped up the overall process. 

Evaluation question 3 (PRELIMINARY)

What have you learnt from your audience feedback? 

Looking back to when we initially got the song titles it was evident that the song didn't have to be our favourite choice or one we would listen to. It was about how we could formulate a story that can be a tangible item, in which viewers could interact with, as it is personal and identifiable to the target audience. The main issue with the outcome wasn't that the song wasn't appealing to everyone, but that the song length being 4:01 minutes made it difficult to finish the product. Tommy when editing reversed the clip, this correlated well with the lyrics of the song when Biffy says 'Baby if you could would you go back to the start?' it's a simple technique to use but it's also quite effective. It fills up the duration of the time without being unnecessary. 
With everyone else in our media class having the same preliminary task, it enabled us to ask for their feedback as they have more of an insight on what the expectations were for the video. We then asked people who we considered our target audience. Because of the storyline and using actors our age it was quite easy to distribute the clip across different social media sites to gain feedback. 
It didn't take long to identify a theme with the feedback. During the research it was noted that they liked the combination of different angles composing the video, but thought a greater variety of different locations should be used. Despite our group not wanting too many locations to complicate the storyline, it was apparent maybe the type of environment could differ. The pub, the walk and park scene were all in quite green, quite areas. Although it was aesthetically engaging them having drinks in a pretty area, the contrast of a more urban intimate environment could prove more effective.
In addition ending at 2:54 it meant that there was still 1:07 minutes to fill with content. That was probably the strongest point and something we already knew as soon as we edited. 

People also liked the smooth transitions between scenes, the effects that cause the raw footage to become the finished product.
Another factor that we could have altered is the warmth, hue and depth of field, in post production, which ultimately could make the final cut more professional. All of the feedback we received was something we realised once watching it back ourselves. Which is why I think it is positive. As when we go on to develop our actual products this year we will have more time to produce. Therefore we can truly refine the work and outcomes, in order for it to be as successful as it possibly can be.

Evaluation Question 2 (PRELIMINARY)

How effective is the combination of your main product (video) and your ancillary text (CD cover)? 

I think our combination of our main product and our ancillary text is very effective. We thought that for an album cover we wanted a simplistic design that still attained a greater meaning. After looking at an array of album covers including Biffy's own design, we decided that something more minimalist, yet still artistic would fit the song a lot better. Throughout the filming the couple were surrounded by a lot of nature. We took inspiration from that and decided scanning plants and flowers would connect well with the video outcome. After going to a garden and selecting a variation of leaves, flowers and petals we laid them on the glass for scanning, where we arranged the placement of each item. Above you can see two designs, the first was just a test shot to see how the outcome would actually look and the other was a more constructed visual. 

The small petal and the end of the branch we thought could represent male and female in the video, how they are just touching, they are still connected but rather distant and neither 'item' is up to its full potential. It's not a flower it's only a petal and it's not a huge branch it's just a few leaves. I think it's a good metaphor for the music video, the characters aren't thriving at the end and there is a slight presence of decay and fracture in the relationship. It also is minimalist and slightly artistic which is what we wanted initially.

Evaluation question 1 (preliminary)

In what ways does your music video use, develop or challenge the forms and conventions of real media products?

From a conventional music video it could be expected that there would be shown some narrative scenes, along with some lip syncing and also some band play shown. Our music video develops the narrative by showing it throughout, the whole thing is based on a story which is told with the help of the lyrics.

 

Going against conventions, our music video doesn't use any lip syncing or band play however it works well because it is almost like a full story is being told. Something we could have done differently would be to have used a band for some parts however we had a limited amount of time to film for this task and it would have been a waste of money to spend on hiring a band out for the preliminary task whereas it would be different for the real thing.


Constructive criticism we have received is that our video seems to be repetitive in some places, which is something that we can all take away from this and use in our final videos. The reason it can feel repetitive is not the location, because we used three different ones, but it is more so that we only used narrative instead of mixing with other techniques such as lip syncing and band play. Most music videos use a mixture of techniques however there are some, such as 'All Of The Lights' such as Kanye West where throughout the video all that is shown is the lyrics printed on the screen. Something we have learnt is that the forms used to convey the music video work in different ways depending on the song. 

Preliminary Task

Final Cast & Roles

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pictured is Maria Page and Charlie Frazer, who we have chosen to act in our preliminary task music video. We knew who we wanted to choose without auditions as firstly we are very limited with a short time frame and secondly they both had the look our group wanted to achieve. Charlie and Maria both look much older than our age group which is exactly what we wanted as we wouldn't be able to afford a professional actor so we wanted our age but looking older. If they looked younger the plot of our music video could be slightly unrealistic as it is unlikely a teenage couple would face the type of situation the song seems to be about.

Location ideas PRELIMINARY

For our narrative we require places couples go on dates so we will choose for this a local café and some other places in Wymondham which we will easily find. We will need to obtain permission from owners of private places such as cafes however this should not be a problem.

Plot ideas PRELIMINARY

As we were presented with the task four days ago, we are just beginning to explore plot ideas. Tommy came up with an idea that a boy and girl meet and begin to fall in love - we are not sure which point to take this up to, whether they go on dates or as far as moving in together. At this certain point we are going to make it appear that the couple fall out of love, arguing a lot. The idea is to then have around a third of the narrative shot and reversed which has particular relevance due to the song frequently mentioning going back to the start. Because of the stimulus walking under the ladder, we could make it so that when the man walks under the ladder, the filming reverses from that point onwards. We are also looking at the possibility of a time lapse at some point, if it would fit in.

Lyrics of the song PRELIMINARY

Here are the lyrics to our chosen song:
Baby if you could would you go back to the start?
Take any fresh steps or watch it all fall apart again?

Play another song here, then you can leave
With your delicate wings, I used to weave
Maybe there's an undertow here
Or maybe this is stuck up in the air
I know how it looks but all that glitters ain't gold

You gave me magical, I gave you wonderful
Cut that invisible cord or I'll starve you
Of what's understandable
Let's make immeasurable moves to the left
Or the right but not central 'cause
[x2]

You gave me magical
I gave you wonderful
Let's make this biblical
And hang from our invisible cords

Baby if you could would you go back to the start?
Take any fresh steps or watch it all fall apart again?

It could have been a wonderful year
Instead we might not make it to the end
Everybody cares, but nobody knows

You gave me magical, I gave you wonderful
Cut that invisible cord or I'll starve you
Of what's understandable
Let's make immeasurable moves to the left
Or the right but not central 'cause
[x2]

You gave me magical
I gave you wonderful
Let's make this biblical
And hang from our invisible cords
[x2]

Baby how can you walk away? [x8]

Baby if you could would you go back to the start?
Take any fresh steps or watch it all fall apart again?

Our group printed out the lyrics and annotated them together. The genre of this particular song is alternative rock, the tempo starts off slowly and gains rhythm becoming more upbeat, and we can tell that it is about something to do with love and relationships. It feels as though it is related to a broken relationship so due to this it is likely that we will use a couple, a male and a female, for our music video.

Format of the video PRELIMINARY

After exploring the lyrics of the song as well as looking at the way music videos of a similar genre are, our group decided to look at filming our music video as a narrative. The other options were to film it as a live performance or a mixture of live performance and narrative but the music videos of a similar genre looked most effective as purely narrative. As this is for a preliminary task we have the possibility of trialling things we are unsure of in order to ensure we know what we want to do for the real thing.

Roles within the group PRELIMINARY

We designated roles within the group so we work more efficiently and get more done at once. Currently, I am researching into existing narrative music videos to gather ideas for our own music video, Hannah is then coming up with ideas and Tommy is in charge of organising which includes when we will film and who we will be acting and the location. Annie has been doing blog posts, and we have been communicating frequently so that we all know everybody is putting in equal amounts of work.

Researching PRELIMINARY

Below is three music videos based on a similar genre.

Arctic Monkeys - One For The Road
For this one the video is engaging and tells a story. As well as the narrative story aspects of the band playing are integrated within the story as opposed separate which is an unusual feature of this music video as a lot switch from narrative to band playing.

Muse - Aftermath
This music video of a similar genre to Biblical takes on an entirely different approach. It shows no band playing, the same as Biblical however the significant difference is that the entire video is in black and white animation, another unusual stance to take on a music video. It is good, very original and creative but may be slightly more interesting if colour was added.

Coldplay - Up and Up
Another music video similar to our genre, this one does show some singing from the lead member of the band however in a foreign setting, as opposed to a studio. Rather than telling a mundane, everyday story this ones interesting and colourful making it even more engaging and my favourite one of the videos I have studied.

All three of these videos are clear and easy to understand as well as being engaging but they are all unique. I think it is important for a music video to be unique, as it makes it more interesting for the viewer and encourages them to watch.

Song Choice PRELIMINARY

After listening to the three songs we all decided on Biblical as the one most appropriate for a music video. The song is quite sad whilst remaining upbeat and we thought that it fitted best with the stimulus we were given.

Task PRELIMINARY

In preparation for our A2 coursework we have been given a trial effort over the next month to produce an original music video and an accompanying original CD cover for the release of the song. I will be working in a group with Annie, Tommy and Hannah and below is a picture of us all.

 

We were given a list of 7 songs to choose from and from this we derived our top three;

1. She Bangs The Drums - The Stone Roses

 

2. Where Is The Love - The Black Eyed Peas

3. Biblical - Biffy Clyro

 

We were also given the stimulus - 'walking under a ladder brings bad luck' which we should base the idea around and see where it takes us.

First Post

This is my blog for advance production portfolio for A2 media studies.