Planning: Editing

I had to plan the editing techniques that I will use in my music video so it will help me during the editing stages. In particular, when choosing editing ideas, I had to think about the thoughts of Goodwin who stated that 'editing should be in time with the pace of the song' and 'editing should match the lyrics.


Some of my editing choices:
What: a transition where I introduce my single title. This will look old school, almost like the Charlie Chaplin videos.
When: at the start of the music video
Why: suits the sounds of the music and allows us to use an intertexual reference.


What: fade to black
When: at the start of the video to introduce the artist and the various locations he is in
Why:  to show he has a strong presence in and around town. Some of these images will be of him alone, and some will be with friends.


What: A flash to white
When: During the middle of the video
Why: to show him reminiscing about the good times he has shared with his friend to create a nostalgic feel to the video


What: an overlay
When: when the artist is singing, and the overlay will show him also dancing in the background
Why: this will show the multi-talent of my artist so the audience will admire him and this will enhance his star image.


What: cross dissolve
When: throughout the video to show different narrative/performance from the artist
Why: this is because from my research into videos like Westlife's 'Smile' video I noticed they used a lot of these to make the visuals flow and change in a relaxed manner.


What: fade to black which are prolonged
When: towards the end of the video
Why: music slows down at the end and this will be emphasised with the pace of editing to end to a calm feeling note. It will create a sense of satisfaction to what the audience see.




This editing has been beneficial as it will save me time in the editing room if I have a general idea of what I want to portray.

QUESTIONNAIRE & GRAPHS

QUESTIONNAIRE

 

Introduction

Within my group it was our duty to develop an idea for the music video, we also carried out some research into each idea, genre and potential audience. To find accurate results we decided to create a questionnaire with questions that are tailored to finding out target audience expectations and desires of our video idea.

Questionnaire

I handed my questionnaire to 20 people of mixed gender who liked the Neo-Soul/Jazz genre of music. This is because they are best suited to giving me potential ideas of conventions and narrative so they would be the perfect demographic for my music video ideas. The 20 people will age vary from 15-25 due to what concept the video follows it will again be best suited and most relate able to this age group. 

 

*second sheet could not be attached*

 

 

 

 

"Which setting would you most like to see a Jazz music video set in?"

 

-A run-down street  |   |

-A bar |   |

-Casino |   |

-Performance Hall |   |

-Studio |   |

 

 The majority vote was a casino and studio so I will look to include these in my video.

 

"What types of iconography would you expect to see within a Jazz music video?"

 

-Alcohol |   |

-Cigars |   |

-Playing Cards |   |

-Instruments |   |

-Microphones |   |

-Stages |   |

 

The audience could pick 2 of their preferred ideas. Cigars, alcohol and playing cards were the top choice so if we create the Jazz video, I will use these to reflect the genre.

 

"If you could suggest a typical costume for a Jazz artist, what would it include?"

 

-Long trench coats/jackets |   |

-Black and White Suits |   |

- Top hats |   |

 

The majority vote was the black and white suits and long trech coats so my artist will wear these. This is good as this was also my preferred choice to include both as it reflects the genre well.

"In a typical music video such as "Follow" would you expect the interaction between characters to be relaxed and joyful or serious and dominant?

 

________________________________________________________________

 

 Most people chose relaxed and joyful so this is how my characters will behave.

"What would you suggest the essential lighting for a Jazz music video to be set in?

 

-High Key |   |

-Low Key |   |

-Natural Key |   |

 

Most people said natural and high key so I will do this to glamourise the star appeal.

 

"Should we introduce other characters into the music video or keep it to the one friend?"

 

-Other characters? |   |

-Just the one friend? |   |

 

Most people said other characters and I feel this is important to do so also to show his cool persona.

 

"Should we increase the sex appeal within the star's persona or keep it moderately clean and collected?"

 

-Increase sex appeal |   |

-Keep it clean and collected |   |

 

Majority vote was increase sex appeal so I will do that, but have to think closely about how I will illustrate this idea.

"Should the visuals compliment the lyrics or should we keep a simple concept to the video?"

 

-Compliment each other |   |

-Keep it to concept standard |   |

 

 This was a 50/50 split vote so I will include both ideas and this will be good to increase variety in my video idea.



GRAPHS 

 

From this graph I have gathered that there is in fact a target market for my music video. This is due to the results given displaying that there is a lot of people watching music videos within a 7 day week.

 

 

From this graph I have gathered that it would be best to post my music video on YouTube as it is clearly the most used online site for watching music videos.

 

From this graph I have discovered that It would be best to make my music video concept based.

 

 From this graph it allowed me to know that the best iconography for my music video would be alcohol, cigars and playing cards

 

From this graph it allowed me to chose the outfit for my music video to be long trench coats/jackets with a black and white suits

 

From this graph I was able to suggest that the essential lighting for my jazz music video should be set in natural to high key lighting

 

 

Conclusion

Creating this questionnaire has been beneficial to my planning because it has allowed me to locate the target audience that my music video will be perfect for. This will increase the chances of success and good ratings for my video. 

I will feedback to my group my results in the form of a graph so it is easy to interpret and understand.

Planning: Group Roles

Group Roles

 

Production Roles:
Production roles are the roles that the people have during the production of the music video, there are 10 different roles within the production of this music video.

Director:
This is the person will over see the whole creation of the music video, he/she is in charge of everything that happens. Throughout this whole creation of the film the producers will give ideas of what they want for the film and if the director will like it he will use it but any choice that will be made will be by him as he is the person that has the ultimate say.

Producer:
This is the person that will manage all of the budgets within the making of the music video. Also as the producer this is also the main person that works alongside with the director to gives ideas of what could happen but he only can give ideas towards the creation of the music video. Furthermore he works much closer with the cast and calls quite a lot of the shots, but the director calls the final shots within the production of the music video.

Camera Operator:
What the camera operator is the person that takes the footage of the music video, the camera operator works with the storyboard manager to get the correct camera shots, angles and movements in order to get the correct emotional feelings that the director wants from the audience when watching the music video. 

Editor:
Editing Manager gets the footage of the music video, and edits the scene to create the effect upon the audience. The editor will work with the camera operator in order to create the scenes and shots director would want without making the audience confused at what they are watching.

Story boarder:
This is the person that will put the narrative into a graphic pictures, what the story boarder does is create the illustrating images that are in a order to tell the narrative. Also what this role does is the person has to think of the camera size, angles and movement as the camera man will work with the story boarder to get the idea of what to take when shooting the music video.

Hair, Make Up & Costume:

The person that does all the hair and make up for the character, will be important because they are in charge of what the actors will look like, also the costume for the film is decided as well because it will have to go with the stereotypes that the music video might use of the character or not. But the costume is important because this is what the actor will wear for the music video.

 

Actor/s:
With being an actor, this is the person that will be acting a certain role within the film. This role is important because you will need a actor to act in the film, and there are different types of acting roles.

 

Photographer:

With having this role of a photographer, this person is the one who will be taken the pictures for the digipak and the advertisement of the music video.

 

Print designer:

This is the role where this person will be taking the images from the photographer and being able to edit the images to the outcomes that the director would want to help advertise this music video.

Personal Roles Within Our Group


Sean

I am the Director of the music video production, I am in charge of the whole development and creation of my music video. It is my name that is associated with this production so I give the last comments on how scenes should be shot, what characters should be doing and also what they should be feeling. I have taken the role of editor as well, due to me having this role last year and being the best at it. It will be best for me to edit the clips we record in our scenes as I have the most creative ideas and plans for the music videos' success.
Lastly, I will be the storyboard creator of the group. This means that I will draw and design the scenes we will film and this is because I have a better idea for the concept and I have good skills in Art so I will be able to help bring the scenes to life.


Kloe


We have chosen Kloe as the producer due her knowing how to communicate with the other members in the cast, also knowing what is going on in the production of the music video, but doesn't call some shots as that is what the director is for.

Moreover we have given Kloe the role of being the costume, hair & make up due to her being the one with this role from our other production and with this she already has experience in this line of work. 
 

Darhyl

As the group has pick me to be the director due to the experience from before in other productions like this. I have been picked for this role because I have good leadership skills and is very organised in when doing something and getting the work done.

Furthermore I am taking the role of the camera man due the experience in being a cinematographer, as I have experience in this field of work.

Roles that have been split:

Also I am taking on another two roles partially as it going to be taken as a joint role of being a photographer and the print designer, with Kloe. This is due to me having knowledge in the use of Photoshop and a Photographer as I am a Photography student with me and Kloe taking this role joint, is due to our experience and also because it makes sense in them both being split as I have more knowledge in being a photographer than she does but yet also she has got more knowledge in Photoshop and with putting us both in this position allows for the work to be done faster yet also better as we can come up with better ideas for the outcome of the digipak.

Planning: Lighting & Colour

Lighting And Colour

 

 

Lighting and colour – Smile (Westlife)
 
The lighting is natural lighting which adds a very natural and soft tone to the events in the music video. There are also moments of high key lighting which I like as it enhances ‘star image’ and the activities that the characters are engaging in. The colour almost has a brown/gold look to it which suits the genre of Jazz/swing because it sets a very relaxed mood to it. I like the use of lighting and will look to use this, as the soft tones reflect what we will be looking to show.
 














Lighting and colour – Suit and Tie (Justin Timberlake)  
 
It is black and white in colour. I really like the use of this as it is cool and urban and gives the video a really classic look for such a modern artist. The lighting is low-key at times, and also high-key depending on what activities they are engaging in. I really like the use of black and white to create a classic feel to the video so this is something I will want to include in my video, especially at the start to create mystery around my character.



















Lighting and colour – That’s life (Frank Sinatra)



Because of the time period this video was filmed in, naturally it is in black and white. This allows the video to have a mature look to it and like the ‘Suit and Tie’  video, this is something I want to implement in my music video.
I definitely feel like I will use black and white colour in my music video, and keep to really soft lighting to create a chilled atmosphere within my narrative. 

Planning: Character Representation

Character Representation

 

Introduction - This post was planned as a group.

 

It is important to plan characters because it allows you to represent the themes which will be apparent within the music video. It is vital to ensure through the use of characters that they represent your target audience in the intended way. The characters are the ones that create meaning and understanding for the audience. The characters are the ones that tell the narrative the music video follows so they are just as important as the artist. They help to build a relationship with the audience.

 

Planning: Copyright Letter

Copyright Letter

 

 

 

Oasis Academy Hadley

South Street, Enfield

En3 4PX

TEL: 0208 804 6946

7th November 7, 2014


RE: TOM MISCH - FOLLOW



Dear Tom,

We are Mos Wanted Productions, a company created by 3 A2 media students and we are writing to request your permission to be able to use your song to make our music video. Although it is a cover yourself that you song, we would like to use your version of the song as we are very inspired by it. The track that we wish to be able to use is Follow. 

With your permission of being able to use this track we would like to create a music video of our own, as we are a group of three in this production group from the Oasis Academy Hadley Sixth Form. And this project for you media course is worth 50% of our coursework grade.

This project involves creating a music video for a song of our choice, and targeting a selected audience for this type of song. Furthermore we are going to create & produce an album and magazine advert to accompany it. This track I have requested to use is only going be used for the educational purposes of our coursework and the OCR exam board moderator.

 If we can gain your permission to create the music video, we will only be promoting it in terms of gaining audience feedback for our course work on the social media sites such as; twitter, face book and YouTube.  It would not be used for any promotional purposes in gaining views.
A copyright notice with wording supplied by you can be included in the records of the project. If this is required, please send us the full details to include.

 
Thank you very much for your time. We look forward to hearing from you,



 Yours Sincerely,



Mos Wanted Productions:

Darhyl Matias

Sean Mutiso

Kloe Boylan 




Here is an official cover letter that I have sent to Tom Misch via his Facebook page asking for his support enabling us to use his version of the song ‘Follow’ to use for our production.  
 

 

 

Tom is an independent artist and therefore doesn’t have a record label for us to contact, so the easiest way to do this was through Facebook. 

 

 

 

We are still waiting for a reply. 



 



 

 



Planning: Pre-Production Paperwork

Pre-Production Paperwork

 

 

 

Benefits of paperwork:

 

• Ensuring everyone's safety
• Cast and crew know what they are doing
• Helps bring the production to life
• Everyone knows what is expected of them within the production

 

 

 

Release And Consent Agreement
This is a legal document that discusses the terms and conditions for all actor in our thriller. This document is given to everyone who will be a part of the production. It includes a full analysis of the terms of the thriller and what will be going on. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Production Schedule
A summary of exactly what is going to happen in your filming schedule. This document will be given to everyone in our filming team and cast so they can again, have all the information they need for filming dates and individual actor dates.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Location Release Agreement
This is a legal document which agrees for everything that goes on, it is based on our rights as an actor and the all the rights to the recording and filming side of the production. This is given to every actor present. 

 

 

 

 

 

Location Recce Form
This is a summary of all your location that you decide to use, everyone in the production cast will be given one of these. It provides the visual/literal information they need to know about your location.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Risk Assessment

This is an analysis of our location, it identifies what risks might arise and how we plan to overcome then. Again, everyone in the group will need one of these so they can obtain all the information they need to know before filming. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Planning: Artist Image

Artist Image

 



 

 Link to theory:
 
Goodwin: will use extreme close-up, close-ups and medium close up on artist to enhance his star image.



Mulvey: Artist is male so do not need to consider this. 



Popular culture: artist will portray popular culture by engaging in activities such as drinking, playing poker/cards. He will also portray popular culture by dancing in the music video. 



Dyer: ‘Star Theory’ Audience and Industry – I will show this by trying to turn my artist into a commodity with his moreish personality and one that the public can relate to. The artist will be portrayed in a handsome way in order to appeal to a female audience. 



Hebdige: I do not want to appeal to a sub-culture nor too niche and audience so I do not need to consider Hebdige in my artist representation. 









Similar artists:

 

 

 



 

 

 



Planning - Storyboard

Storyboard

 

 

 

 

Planning: Cinematography - Shot List

Shot List

 

This form goes to the camera man and allows them to know and be able to envision the types of shots they will be taking

 

 

 

 

 

Planning: Locations

Locations

 

 

 

Here we have planned and analysed the locations for the music video.

 

 

 

 

Our first location is set in the living room of a home. The living room will contain a sofa, table and other furniture. The lyrics that this particular location will be used for are "I want you, to turn up on me every night when I see you, better recognize me when I see you".  This is relevant to the genre due to music videos of this genre, being R&B, usually including scenes that are taken from a home. The use of a home is that it connotes safety, can show wealth and also the style of an artist. Filming in a home is relevant to the target audience because they will be able to familiarise themselves with this location meaning the narrative will not be lost, but understood.

 

Advantages of this location:

 

-Warm conditions to film in

-Easy to obtain

-Lighting is at an advantage and can be altered to filming suitability

-No background noise or interference

 

 

Potential problems and how will they be overcome?:

 

-Finding a living room that suits the style of the video and genre. This will be overcome by testing out multiple living rooms of the members of our group and if needed then friends from outside our filming crew. This is so that our ideas can be expressed and understood thoroughly by our audience.

 

 

 

 

 Our second location will be taken from the inside of a car. The car will be black with black interior and cool gadgets within. This will be used in a few shots as it will be used to highlight the artists track playing on the car's music dashboard. The lyrics, "Sorry if my whip covered in dank, cause I be rolling with this skunk all day". "I be trippin', but this money ain't", will be featured at this point. This is relevant to the scene as it describes where they are what they are travelling in. The car is relevant to the genre as it is a form of transport that viewers would be familiar with taking. This is because the audience, being 15-25+, are socially interested by what car one a no0ther drives so I decided to include this to add a popular element to the music video. Plus, the audience will want to know what car their star drives, this is another reason why I feel it is relevant to the target audience.

Advantages of location:

-Easy to film ( P.O.V shots)
-No background noise
-Warm conditions
-Easy to obtain

Potential problems and how they will be overcome?

-Car accident ( there is a high chance of an accident when driving and filming)
-Gas money ( someone will have to pay for petrol and be legal to drive)
-Police ( It is possible the car can be pulled over if police spot this)

 

 



Planning: Analysing Similar Ideas

Similar Ideas

 

 

 



 

 

 
Artist representation: (costume, body language, positioning)

-Artist is dressed in everyday clothes at the beginning of the video as he prepares to start his day with Jay-Z, we see him relaxed and laughing. This is also repeated mid song when the friends are editing off stage.

-As he approaches the stage to perform, we see he has changed into a smart suit. He confidently approaches the stage with his back turned to camera, this builds anticipation for the performance and we see that his costume is adding to his status on stage and his confident body language.

-When Artist is performing on stage he is the main focus.

-The choreography on stage draws attention to Artist rather than the backing dancers on stage, only occasionally does he join the same routine as the other dancers, this helps to add weight to moments in the song. Artist then breaks away from the routine and regains the audience’s focus.

- Varying camera angles pick up many aspects of Artists’ expressive body language whilst dancing on stage.

-We see that Artist’s costume is fuelling his confidence and expression of self on stage, as he dances and his facial expressions fall in line with the lyrics he is singing.


Video 2: Westlife – Smile 
By Darhyl
Whilst analysing this video, I was mainly interested in the content and visual style of the video. 

Themes apparent in video:
-1940’s Las Vegas life style
-Gambling in Las Vegas
-Love and flirtation
 
Lighting and colour:
-Gives the sense of a smoky, dark Las Vegas bar in the 1940s

-Dimly lit, particularly amongst the audience members, offering selective lighting of women’s body parts, for example, a smile or legs.


-Stage lighting is more intense used to illuminate Westlife’s performance of the song.

-Vague, dreamy lighting used to increase the sensuality of the song.

-Images fading and emerging in time with the song.

Body language and facial expressions of characters and artist:
-Artists are relaxed, calm and happy throughout the piece, both on and off stage.
-Slow and sensual movements from the artists, in keeping with the tempo and content of the song.

-Artists sway slowly to music and gaze engagingly with the other characters / audience members.

-Characters / audience members gaze lovingly back at the artists on stage.

-The characters / audience member’s body language and facial expressions are more energetic as they interact with each other, drinking, smiling, laughing, kissing and enjoying the artist’s song.

-Later in the piece, the artists and character’s interact with each other more vibrantly when gambling.

Setting:
-1930’s / 40’s in Las Vegas
-Poker place
-Champagne / Cocktail Bar in Las Vegas
-Vintage style

Iconography/objects:
-Las Vegas billboard in opening scene to set the scene and context of the piece.

-Champagne and cocktail glasses on the character’s tables showing the traditional setting of a Las Vegas bar.

-Poker tables and poker chips to re-enforce context of Las Vegas and the past times of guests there, entertaining both the characters and the artists.

-Las Vegas casino lights, to add to glitzy setting.

Character representation:

-Characters are seen to be enjoying the specific setting of the piece, all are smiling and laughing and enjoying drinks, gambling and each other’s company.
-All give an impression of being very classy and sophisticated, dressed well, composed and poised.

Artist representation:

- Artist’s are represented as being very loved by the other characters, they seem popular and charismatic, holding the other characters attention throughout.

- Artist’s engage with other characters enjoying Las Vegas and sharing moments of eye contact with them whilst on stage.

-Artist’s seem very comfortable and seasoned within the specific setting, thriving in the environment that they are in.

- Artists are smartly dressed but comfortable 

Use of camera work:

-Camera shots work in harmony with the relaxed setting, following the artist’s journey onto the stage and panning out to their view, the other characters / audience members enjoying their performance.

-Slow camera shots glide over the character’s bar tables and past their glasses, providing glimpses of moments between them, drinking, cheers, kissing, loving looks.

-Camera tends to focus on each artist as they perform solo pieces using close ups and mid-shots, to give more attention to whoever is leading vocals at any moment.

-Vintage filters used to create aged feel. Camera lingers and moves around the artists. 


Video 3: Frank Sinatra – That’s life 
By Kloe
Whilst analysing this video, I was mainly interested in the character representation. 

Body language/movement and facial expressions of artist:
-Main character seems a little sad in mood, perhaps fed up, looking at the ground and walking with little purpose.

-Once he is on the stage and adjusts his costume (putting on hat for example) he perks up and gets a spring in his step, dancing and looking up rather than down to the floor.

-After the tempo of the song picks up he walks with more purpose and presence, interacting with props and scenery around him. 

-As the song builds and positive moments are vocalized, his gestures become more open and expressive.

Costume:

-Main character is wearing a suit, he interacts with the suit to express his mood, playing with his hat and flapping his suit jacket.

-Once on the stage the suit seems to empower him and improve his mood

Interaction with others:

-He seems to be looked down upon by other characters in the piece which makes him lose status.

-When he is chucked out of a venue by another character, this seems to fuel him to become more positive and confident in his body language.

Camera work around him:

-Follows his journey between the streets and the stage.
-Back and white throughout.
-Silhouetted figure when on stage.
-Faded edges.
-Very vintage feel.

From this analysis, some of the similarities I have found are:
-Artist usually wears a suit but in a casual way.
-Black and white colour added.
-Vintage style applied to all / a timeless sense of style portrayed.
-All seem to have the time performing on stage as the focal point to the piece.
-The costumes are most suitable to the piece when the characters are on stage.
-Other characters in all pieces do not add to dialogue or add directly to the direction of the piece but rather enhance lyrics that are being sung, the mood of the piece or the status of the artist.

From this analysis, some of the ideas we will take are:

-The costumes will be similar to what was worn in the Westlife - Smile video (smartly dressed but comfortable)
- Use of camera work in a relaxed harmony towards music
- Use of a smoke and dusty las vegas bar 1940s style


Conclusion
In conclusion, my group and I have analysed three music videos which have influenced our ideas for the music video we are going to create. We have, in depth, shown a description of the narrative, visual style and also the artist/star image which is represented. We hope to that our music video will be able to look as good as our influences as we will very hard to get it to these standards.

Conducting this research has been beneficial to my music video as I now have an understanding of the styling I wish for my video to have. From observing these similar ideas I am able to see the ideas I have thought of, shown to me. This helps me bring my ideas into fruition when creating it so that I can make it to the best of my ability.

Planning: Outline Of Narrative

Outline of Narrative

“Tom Misch – Follow”

Introduction

Here I have included the annotation for the lyrics that will be included in my music video. I have include what theories will be used at what parts, what structure will be made evident and what will be going on within each scene. 

The themes that I feel are present within the music video are:

-Friendship (bromance)

-Dancing

-Having a good time i.e. drinking, smoking around the city.

Narrative

Due to the nature of the song, we want our music video to look quite ‘old skool’ and traditional in its look and style. As it fits the Jazz genre, we want it to look really laid back and stripped back by showing traditional male ideas. Our research into music video has been really beneficial here as it has developed our ideas and allowed us to plan further. The outline of this music video is based around two friends within the city who show their bond of friendship through the interpretation of dance and lavish living.  Our song will feature lots of performance from the male artist to show his star image, but analysing the lyrics has allowed to think about an appropriate narrative to also incorporate within the video. They then venture to spontaneous locations, dressed in smart attire, and explore their hometown whilst keeping in the midst of their friendship. The two friends will be in locations such as a pool bar where they will play poker around a table whilst drinking alcohol and smoking cigarillos. This is one of the many motives the two guys will be on throughout the music video. The title of the song “Follow” symbolizes the affiliation the two males have for one another as they journey on to reach the next best highs, together.

Relation to theories studied and what I will include

Andrew Goodwin

-Notion of looking – we wanted to create a “Christian Grey” type of presence with the use of a tie

-Technical elements e.g. editing – shots will complement the music by being in time with the beat or lyrics, iconography – (alcohol cigarettes etc.), low-key lighting – shots during the day and night to help connote a jazzy outlook as the song is very smooth and sleek

-Relationship between lyrics and visuals

-Star Image will be of ‘Sean De La Rose’, he will lip sync and also sing the lyrics of the song.

-Relationship between music & visuals. What you will hear will compliment what you hear.

 Dyer

-Star image will always be present

-Star will represent cultural values and ideologies e.g. smoking, drinking, playing card games and engaging in dance. This will enhance the star’s persona amongst the audience.

Conclusion

By looking at the lyrics within the song it has aided me in creating the narrative for our music video. I now have a detailed description of what I will be doing.