Hannah and Radhika's one minute extract video

this video created by Hannah and Radhika perfectly re-creates the first minute of song by birdy- shelter. this video is very indie and a great example of the conventions of the genre. from this video ideas could be taken and transferred to the video we are creating i think this is a great video.

our finished video

our video so far!!

Storyboard analysis

In this picture i have the first scenes of our video we have the opening credits we show the name of the with the song name. it will be on the chalk board at school to show the opening title. The other pictures depict the main character stalking the girl he loves outside Starbucks this is the main section of our story and we show him shooting her also at the end with the story ending with darkness. we have mostly gone for medium shots this is because they fill the conventions of indie music videos and because it is the most effective way to see the story from the point of view of the main character. we felt that this would be good for the story as it shows obsessive love and the song is about love so the two do fit in together. this is the point you realise that the main character is deranged and dangerous. we added a school scene this is too show how he met the girl and to give the audience an idea of the age the character is.

in this section of the story board we see the main character taking the girl hostage. the camera shots are now closer and we have also included some performance clips so its not completely narrative this is to make people understand that the main character is in fact our singer Oliver Fox. it also shows his regret at killing the girl he loves and even shows him in the car reconsidering the kidnap. this is to show the human side is still there and he is conflicted by his obsession and love for this girl. on the scenes he shows regret we have done close ups this is to show how conflicted he is about the situation and the audience can he how much trouble he is having deciding if he should do this or not.

in this page we see his obsession in full as he has pictures of the girl all over his room and it shows his hearts desire which is holding hands with the girl and having a picnic which he replicates later on but instead forces her rather than her being there willingly like his fantasy. it again has another performance clip to show the band as a whole. this also shows where he first meets the girl and where his obsession begins.

production diary

January

Our filming started this month this was very exciting but needed to know where to start and what locations exactly we should use. Two members of our group filmed the introduction to our music video. This was meant to be at the very beginning of the video but after consideration it was moved further into the video. It was the scene that shows the main character showing his first signs of love for our other actor and group member Hannah.  When we got the footage back to class we had to try and piece them together it was here I think we all realised it wasn’t going to be as easy as we first may have thought (well this is true in my case anyway) once we pieced together where we wanted everything we had to try and find a transitional effect that would make the change between scenes work seamlessly which thanks to Hannah and Radhika’s expertise with final cut pro we did so.

February

 We had started working on the ending scenes and getting random shots of blue skies, driving by the town, birds flying by. We encountered other problems such as our schedules preventing us from meeting all together a lot of the time. But still filming was getting done and we was all editing the video together and giving our opinions of what should be where and how we should add effects when we change scenes. We also decided which of those little scenes would be in the final video (the birds, blue skies) me and Marissa had filmed the town passing by while I drove but we decided not to use this

March

This was the busiest month we had most of the filming was done now. Most of the video was shot this month with the performance scenes filmed and then the final scene. We still had the kidnaping scene left to do. But problems had been encountered in this month firstly when shooting the final scene we had dog walkers going by randomly which kind of killed the effect of drama we was going for but we had another scene filmed the same day which didn’t have the same problems. This was then edited and pieced together. We realised that we still had about 30 seconds left to fill in in the middle. Radhika had a great idea of taking many still images of chess pieces going all over the board to represent the main character chasing the girl which was put together really well.

 April

During our two week holiday we met up to film the section to our video. But we had a big problem our actor had cut his hair!! This was especially bad as these scenes are in the middle of the video so it would go from long hair to short hair then back to long hair. There was nothing to be done so we just shot our last scenes in which I had been filming the rest of the group as they were all the actors as well.  I had to get to grips with different techniques like over the shoulder shots medium shots and tracking shots. We encountered another problem on that outing which was the camera we was using ran out of battery. But luckily Hannah had brought her camera along too so we could continue filming as normal. Once we had the kidnapping scene done we decided to get our actor to lip sync the whole song so we could use some of it as another performance clip. Thus we had thought we finished but just needed to edit the film together which was done on final cut pro. We had a showcase coming up and needed to get the video completely finished. So we added our introduction to the song filled in a 2 second gap with a clip of a burning candle that Hannah had taken earlier that day and then put finishing credit. Thus we have finished our video and we now hope everyone enjoys it.

advert conventions

This magazine advertisement of Kings of Leon just has a blurry picture of what is a beach since there are palm trees and sunlight. The title of the band is at the top in a big font. The title of the album is in the same font and colour except a bit smalller so that the artist's name stands out more. The release date of the poster is in a similar font. The title ' Come Around Sundown' fits in with the beach/sun theme of the poster. I think it's a really simple but effective poster. The poster also looks vintage, like it was made in the 60s which also goes with the indie image that Kings of Leon have.

the snow patrol name is in bold red to make it stand out against the white background it has all the information for one of their gigs and also has information on the album release.  The large picture draws attention to the advertisment and all the sponsers that are with snow patrol.

digipak conventions

from these digipak front covers in the indie conventions i can see that art is a big part of the apperence of the digipak this will therefore make it easier to decide how to go forward with the front cover of the digipak we will create. abstract art is very normal in the indie music digipaks. Even down to the colours both are different even though they are in the same genre. snow patrol digipak cover has dark colours but it also has a focus on the bright colour white which is a convention of the indie genre. the Kings of Leon digipak has a very bright and colourful cover with the abstract art in the centre almost depicting a fight between light and dark. this could be done to show the kind of songs that will be on the album. it also could be the relation to the name of the album 'only by the night' which would justify the use of dark colours in a indie cover.

My individual plan for digipak

Here are my initial plans before we decided as a group how our digipak would be laid out

here is the front cover that i had designed (would have drawn a pictiure but im a terrible drawer)

here is the back cover i had made

this would have been the lay out i would have done as it is nice and simple (in truth the group agreed one is much better)

and here is the mind map i used to decide what needed to be in the the digipak

final digipak version analysis

the front cover of this digipak is very artisitc and has the same themed colouring of the digipak it draws the attention of the audience. The images in the digipak consist of natural surroundings nature being a big theme in this digipak and is one of the conventions of indie music videos therefore it follows the convetions very well. throughout our digipak we have gone for images of nature like on our top two (centre and right side) both incorporate nature as its what fits into the indie music conventions. we picked the colours we did because we found other indie digipaks often use bright colours. it also serves the purpose of showing our singer not in the right state of mind this is done to fit in with the name of the album which is unrest. we felt this would be best shown with different colours. we also thought it was important to show our singer which also follows the conventions. he is wearing pretty much the same clothing as he does in the video this is to create the link between the digipak and our music video.

initial branding

Before deciding names of the song the artist and the albums we decided to ask friends and other people what they thought of the names. The artist is called Oliver Fox, the album will be called Unrest and the song we made will be called Nights of broken sleep. In this post i will give a general view of the audience to each of the names.

What do you think of the name Oliver Fox?
The people i asked loved the name and said it gave an exciting image to the artist. They also said that it was easy to remember as it is so different from other artists which made it different and more likely to stand out to the audiences. i had asked 10 people this questions and 9 out of 10 said they liked it and that it fit in nicely with the conventions of indie music.

What do you think of the album name 'Unrest'?
Again i asked the same people what they thought of this name and 10 out of 10 said they liked the name. They said that it was very appropriate given the name of our song and that if fits in with the short snappy album names that are being released today.

What do you think of the song name 'Nights of broken sleep'?
When i asked if they liked the name of the song 8 out of 10 people said they liked the name of this song name as the main theme is obsessive love they thought that the name was very approriate. The two people who didnt like it stated that they felt it was too over the top in sadness and could of toned it down a bit.

location pictures

one of the places we filmed at was at a local shopping centre not far from school

we also used local parks as a location for our filming where most of it would take place

we also used a local pub and florist.

we also had a scene in our school

CD panel design

this is the final draft of my CD panel

I had combined two of my best pictures to get this one and copy and pasted the picture changing the colours each time then i brought it together to create this. here are the pictures i started with

the reason i decided on these pictures was because it fit in with the conventions of the indie genre. i also thought that it would be good to put on the CD panel because both the pictures look lonely and distant which is what the theme of the album name is. i thought it it goes well with the album name unrest because it represents the artists loneliness and show him to be separate from the rest of the word which i thought these pictures typify brilliantly

music video analysis

a)      In snow patrol – chasing cars the camera is always shooting close medium shots this is done to engage the viewers to the singer and to see the look on his face in which you can see how he feels.

b)      Medium shots and close ups have been used in this video this is to draw the viewers’ attention only to the singer. There is also an overhead shot too while the singer is lying on the floor. There isn’t any real movement from the camera.

c)      The main focus in the video is the main singer its always focused on him and nothing else this makes him the main focus of the video.

d)      This music video is not a narrative as it doesn’t show a story but it is conceptual. The video does reflect the words in the song but doesn’t show the story like other indie music videos which portray the story that the song is talking about. This shows that it is going against normal conventions of indie music videos.

e)      The editing used is skipping from a scene in a café to him lying on the floor Its not heavily edited like other indie music video Another use of editing is when its one minute sunny then the next it is dark in seconds.

f)       The props are just the natural surroundings of the city nothing has been put in place that relates to the song.

g)      The singer is just walking through the city and lying on the floor in the underground and on a zebra crossing. This video doesn’t have any actually narrative.

h)      The video is not the best and it doesn’t follow conventions of indie music its not the most effective video in that respect but it does grab the attention of the audience

a)      Arctic monkeys- when the sun goes down.  They use snorri cam in their videos briefly this is to give the feeling that you are actually there. They also use a lot of medium shots and close ups they use free hand to film some scenes this is to give it a realistic feel to the video.

b)      Snorri cam was used as well as close ups and medium shots there are some instances where a medium long shot is used the camera is mostly at an angle

c)        the main focus was the girl actor in this video (she is on E4 hit show 'misfits') she was what they focused on the most

d)      The music video is a narrative they show the story of the song through the acting in the video. They use editing like quick cuts to different scenes to give the feeling of an event filled night and to make it feel fast paced in the middle of the song when the music is louder.

e)      To switch to other scenes the video is fast cut to the different scenes this is how they transition the video throughout

f)       The mise-en-scene develops the feeling of the girl actor being in a hopeless position and very bored with her life wanting better. They build the feeling of you being there in that position with the girl and you feel like its part of your life because the surroundings are so real and realistic of some of the places you get in England.

g)       the girl is on the streets just living her life but it all goes crazy as soon as the sun goes down this is shown by the distorted vision at points in the video.

h)      It is a very good film it is effective and gets you watching and listening to the song it follows many of the conventions of indie music so it would be a good template for the music video I will create.

health and safety

I will now go through the health and safety hazards we could encounter and how we would avoid these and keep safe while filming our music video:

·         Don’t climb tress- this goes without saying but climbing trees while we film in the forest should be avoided at all costs to avoid injury

·         Do not stand on any chairs to film only on safe and stable platforms- this is because again we avoid injury this way if we ever needed to film a high level shot

·         Make sure we travel to filming destinations safely and plan in advance- this is to minimise risk of being unsafe and planning will help everyone keep safe and know where they should go.

·         Notify a parent or guardian the exact location of where you will be filming- this is so people will know where to find you in cases of emergency and to prevent worry.

·         Keep away from train tracks during filming- this is because it may not be the safest place for a large group of people to film therefore we will not film near a train track

·         Do not use dangerous items for props- this is to prevent injury anything that could cause injury should be avoided

shooting script questions

a.       What do you need to show to establish environment? To establish the environment that we wish to convey we will need to use natural lighting and bright colours. The surroundings also need to be natural and mostly forest like areas or anywhere with plant life as it follows the convention of this genre of music.                                                                                                                      

b.      When do you show establishing info? 
this will be done from the beginning to try and build the story up from the start and hopefully make it east to follow.                                                                                                        

c.       When do characters move and how to show movement (follow character / make shot wider / let character leave frame / show another character’s eye line change) when characters move we will largely be following them just to see what they do this creates the effect of being there with the character.                                                                                                                                         

d.      If relevant, at each significant moment, whose POV are we sharing - does POV shift? When / how? At one point of our music video we will share the point of view of the boy this will be done by seeing through his eyes this will be done by using the camera right in front of the eyes of the boy so it looks like it’s his eyes we are seeing through.                                                               

e.      What are significant eye lines and when do they change?                                                                            

f.        When / why does the camera move? The camera will move with to keep the character in shot this will be done so the audience can develop a full understanding of what’s happening and why. It will make it easier to tell the story through the music video.                                                            

g.       How can you use composition to show relationships / develop narrative (framing, focal length, arrangement of characters, etc)? to show a relationship we must plan carefully how the characters are placed or even just the facial expressions as this will show the audience what relationship they have with particular characters.                                                                                                           

h.      What kind of coverage do you need (critical moments should have more coverage / more editing options)? For the in the forest scene this will be the part of the video with most coverage but at other points in the music video that will need more editing is the part where the boy is watching the girl this is because it will be showing his love and his madness at the same time so clever editing may be needed.  

costumes & props

The type of clothing that the actor in the video will have is indie styled to go with the genre of the video. It will be a suit because the boy will be going to 6^th from so would need to be smartly dressed but the suit would still need to have some indie style to it therefore the trousers should be skinny jeans as a way of incorporating both styles into one.

The girl will be wearing light colourful dresses to set her apart from other girls and to show the gentle nature of the girl it will be light because it follows the conventions of indie style clothing. It will also need to be nice enough to be able to wear at 6^th form too.

the props we used were as follows:

• gun
• car
• phone
• school bags
• keys

the reason we had used these as props was because they all have a part to play in our music video this is the reason why we decided to use them.

things that inspire me

John Perez

John perez has worked with many of the biggest names in the music and film industry his videos are innovative and could be used to gain new ideas for the music video looking at his videos would be best for forming ideas.

300 the movie lighting

The lighting in the movie is dark this shows that there is still struggle ahead this could be incorporated into the music video if possible to give added effect to the video. It would give the effect of something bad coming should look like.

conventions of genre essay

Introduction

When making a music video it is very important to look at the conventions of that genre. This is so when we make our video it follows all the same conventions of that type of music or even breaks the conventions in the same way other indie videos break them. Not all indie music videos follow the strict conventions set but largely keep to them this is important to know as it will become helpful when we plan for our videos.

Cinematography

The camera shots that are used in indie songs are largely the same. They never really take longshot its always medium shots or medium longshot it also uses close ups often to show the face of the singer. In snow patrol- chasing cars this is apparent if you watch the video you notice that the singers face is always a focus of the camera and not his surroundings. Another song that proves this is by Marc Foster- I was broken in his music video nearly all of the shots are close ups of him and Kristen Stewart therefore showing that this is a convention of indie music and something that can be used in our videos or even just using medium longshot would suffice to fulfil this convention.

Lighting

The lighting in indie music is largely natural for example sunlight. This is shown in snow patrols chasing cars video. Even looking at other indie music like Florence and the machine all her music videos are largely lit by natural lighting. The few times that it’s not lit up by natural light are rare therefore this shows that the conventions of indie music videos is light and natural.

Editing

Editing is very important in indie music videos they use many different types of editing to make the videos look good. In snow patrol there is editing the one bit of editing that stands out most is the change between light then becoming night time in a second. This means when I make my video I need to look at these kinds of editing to be able to keep to the conventions of indie music. But not all indie music videos are heavily edited this means that even if we do not edit a lot and put in tons of special effects it would still be sticking to the conventions of the indie genre.

Mise-en-scene

The surroundings on the set of indie music videos are natural surroundings like fields and some even feature in cities. This means that the set props are just the natural surroundings nothing really needs to be placed specifically as it needs to be as natural as possible. The costumes the people wear are simple clothing but they are bright natural and warm colours this means when I make my video those costumes must reflect these conventions or at least have the hint of those conventions. In Florence and the machines videos she is mostly wearing light bright colourful dresses this is because it is a convention.

Forms

Indie music videos are mostly always narrative this is because the music videos almost always directly relate to the lyrics of the song or at least relate to it in some way. The lyrics are almost like the story of the video therefore when I make my video I must be able to do the same and make sure the lyrics are telling the story of video as it is the conventions of the indie genre. Some indie music like snow patrol: chasing cars use conceptual form so this could also be an option for the video.

Cultural references

Indie music videos do not relate to any culture they are for everyone they do not single out a specific group of people to watch their video’s the references made in indie music videos are almost always about love or other human emotions that everyone can relate to.

Conclusion

From looking at these conventions I have found all the types of conventions that my music video must follow when I need ideas I can look back on this essay and gain more ideas. It will help me stick to the conventions and not break it completely but it can also show me where I can break conventions slightly.

relevant questions

What is the video’s theme?

The video’s theme is based on obsession and love it also deals with rejection as the girl is oblivious to the boy’s feelings. It’s going to be about a boy who falls in love with a girl but becomes obsessed and begins stalking her and he lives in a dream state world where she feels the same but the reality is the opposite he then kidnaps her to try and make her fall in love with him but it doesn’t work and he has to deal with the rejection by her.

What are its mood progressions?

The boy goes from being totally in love to obsessed when he reaches this point he is unhinged and dangerous. The girl will go from being happy and smiling a lot too being scared and upset, also angry with the boy for the kidnap.

What kind of location should each sequence have?

Natural surroundings will be the main location of the video although some scenes will take place in cafes and at school and in houses.

What statement should each location make towards the video’s premise?

Each location shows that even in normal calm surroundings. It will show that terrible things can happen in normal places and the forest setting is to show how the boy has gone crazy and shows the girl being trapped in an inescapable forest.

How should each set be lit?

the lighting will be natural and bright this follows the conventions of the indie genre

What kind of props go with the set?

We will need a:

• car
• picnic hamper
• loads of pictures of the girl
• book called enduring love
• books and pens
• wallet
• red rose
• party invitations
• handkerchief
• gun (fake)
• scissors

What kind of belongings do the characters keep around them?

The boy will have a picture of the girl on his person at all times.

What kind of clothes does each character wear and what do the clothes tell us?

The boy will wear skinny jeans and a blazer with a shirt. This will show how he is different from other people and his look is becoming more popular in society now. The girl will also be wearing indie styled clothing bright natural colours.

 What colour palette and progression would promote the video’s thematic development?

In our editing we are already thinking of using black and white imagery to show part of the boys mind is dark and evil or that the events that are going to occur are dark.

roles and responsabillity

Director: Marissa

Scrip director: Hannah

Editor: Radhika and Marissa

Location manager: Mark

Casting director: Mark

Videographer: Radhika

Props/ costume manager: Hannah
for these roles and responsiblities we will all be helping eachother in our roles so this will make it easier for us to do our job much more easily.
we all know what our jobs entail but we will also be helping each other out so anything we don't understand about our jobs we will learn through out the project.