This week, I have done some research into the equipment I
will be using. This includes the camera, the tripod and the software programmes
I will use for editing my video and for my other ancillary tasks. I feel as
though it is important to know about the equipment before I used it, especially
to learn about all the important features and controls so I can achieve the
best possible results. I also watched many tutorials in order to prepare myself
to use this equipment and software.
As this week is half
term, I have planned to do a lot of filming. Now I know how to use the
equipment, I am planning to film some footage at my own house as well as on
location (such as in a field or in the local woods). In my house I will record
footage of my artist painting as well as other small tasks. The footage in the
fields/woods will be the flashbacks of the ‘couple’.
This will help me with the creation of music video as I am now more familiar with the type of features and tools I can use from this range or equipment in order to make my production work look professional and to a high standard.
Painting Scenes (My House):
Filming - 29/10/14 16:00-19:00
Editing - 3/11/14 - 7/11/14 primarily. I would then continue to edit any appropriate shots until my finalised video.
Flashback Scenes (Local Fields):
Filming - 29/10/14 14:00-16:00 (filming outside at this time means it would still be light, therefore I would be able to achieve high quality footage).
Editing: 3/11/14 - 7/11/14, then 17/11/14 - 21/11/14 as I would need to edit these shots along with my green screen shots - the flashbacks scenes would be used in the background. I would then continue to edit any appropriate shots until my finalised video. I also feel the editing process for these scenes as well as the green screen ones will take longer than the other shots.
Performance (Drama Studio):
Filming - 13/11/14 15.00 - 17:30
Editing - 13/11/14 - 14/11/14 primarily. I will then continue to edit any appropriate shots until my finalised music video.
Time Lapse (London):
Filming - 14/11/14 16:00-19:00
Editing - 17/11/14 (the time lapse shouldn't take more than a lesson or two to edit)
Green Screen Scenes (Classroom):
Filming - 17/11/14 13:30 - 15:10
Editing - 17/11/14 - 21/11/14 - I will edit these shots along with my flashback shots. I will then continue to edit these until my finalised music video.
This is the filming/ editing schedule I created before making my music video. After I had a clear idea of what I wanted my music video to look like, I made this schedule to organise the filming dates as well as give myself an idea of when I could begin to edit these shots. I feel as though this schedule helped me as it reminded me of the the scenes I had to film, as well as keeping my editing process on track.
As I am close to
filming my video, I want to make sure I have all the necessary planning posts
completed as I feel as though these will really help me when it comes down to
shooting, especially the costume planning and the prop list. When I do begin to
film, I will look back at these for guidance.
The song I have
chosen for my music video is ‘You’ by The Pretty Reckless. As The Pretty Reckless
are a rock band, I want my artist style to look somewhat like a rock artist. This
may include the heavy make-up she wears or the dark clothes. In fact, for this
post I also looked at images of Taylor Momsen (the lead singer in the band) for
style ideas. She tends to wear rock style clothing and dark black eye make-up.
This type of look is something I think is relevant to include in my own video
also.
The props list was
also necessary to create. This included all the pieces of clothing I needed for
the costumes, the objects I wanted to shot within my video and the vital
equipment. As I mentioned before, I will look at this before shooting so I don’t
forget any important props for my video.
My latest post was
my moodboard which I created to express the themes I want to portray within my
music video. I enjoyed creating it as searching for particular images to go
with the song gave me even more ideas for the production of my video. I also
used the song I am using in my video in the background to create a stronger
sense of what my final music video will look like.
This will help me with the creation of my video as it will be remind me of the themes and aspects I want to include such as the objects, types of shots and the locations. I have also used the actual song for my music video in the background to create a sense of what my final video will look like.
This post describes the type of props I will be using when shooting my music video. This will be significantly useful as I will use this post as a template for when I plan to shoot my video to make sure I don't forget anything and have all the essentials I need.
Personally, I think styling is very important when it comes to music videos or any type of production. It is clear to see that costumes are well-thought out before filming so this post will help me with my music video later on.
Primarily, I would like my model/artist to have quite a casual look. This is purely to keep the main focus on the narrative taking place within in the video and on the props. Therefore, I may stick to a simple plain t-shirt and jeans. This can also portray the type of simplicity she is feeling at the time as my video isn't supposed to be particularly glamorous. As my video is about a heartbreak, my artist is supposed to appear upset, therefore her costume also has to link in with her mood. Taking this into account I may use a long black shirt to relate to the dark theme of the song. Perhaps some of the clothes I used may be ripped and tattered to further suggests the hard time she is going through. I own a couple of baggy shirts/tops which I could also used for my video. As my song is from a rock band, it may also be important to use a type of rock style. This may include dark colours that I have mentioned before, leather jackets and boots.
Moreover, I think make-up is also very important when it comes to styling. For my artist, I want to use dark eye make-up and dark lipstick as I also think this will go with the theme of the song. The hair will be quite simple however I may get my artist to wear a type of hat such as a beanie while filming.
Below are some images regarding my costume and styling plans. There are also some images of the actual artist that I will be using for the song in my music video as I think her style is also relevant to the type of image I want to recreate. This will help me with my music video as it will give inspiration when I actually shoot my video. It has also given me a starting point for considering the type of clothes I will need for my production.
Recently, I have been doing more research into the music industry. I looked at music directors, music labels and existing music videos. Researching music videos was part of my similar product research and I think this helped me significantly regarding ideas for my own video.
I now have a good idea of what I want my video to look like and have created a mind-map expressing all possible ideas. Now that I have a very clear narrative and theme, I will be able to start shooting soon. Below are my ideas for my music video:
This is my presentation researching into existing music
labels. I have looked at some of the main ones in the industry including
Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group and Sony BMG. It was interesting to
find out how each label started and what artists are signed to each one. This
can help me with my media studies as it can teach more about the music
industry, giving me better insight to the type of product I will be producing
(a music video).
This is my Prezi I created on research into music directors.Within the Prezi, I discovered the history of each director as well as their most famous music videos to date. This type of research can help me with my own work as I can consider and take into account the different type of style each director uses and perhaps put this towards my own music video I will create.
As I have chosen a rock ballad song for my music video, I thought it would be useful to research and analyse typical rock ballad music videos to find out the typical conventions they use. I will be able to take some of these on board when creating my own music video and this way, I was also get a better feel of the rock genre. Below are some examples of rock music videos I have found/seen before. I have tried to find slow songs I can analyse as I will be using a very simple slow song for my own video.
The Pretty Reckless - Just Tonight
This first video is one by the same artist I am using so will have a very similar theme to my own video. I thought it was important to research by artist in more depth so I took a look at many of their music videos and thought this one was very successful as it uses a lot of symbolic features (a similar aspect to what I wish to include for my own production) and very clever use of mise-en-scene. From the very beginning a close-up shot displays blood, meaning this is definitely not a pop genre type of music video. The dark lighting also gives a sense of the music genre and the dark theme that carries on throughout the song. The audience is then introduced to the lead vocalist Taylor Momsen who also plays guitar. She is wearing a tight red dress and dark heavy make-up, again emphasising the type of artist she is as her style even comes across as goth-like.
When the song starts in the background, we see the performance side of the video. In this part she wears a long black dress, a chocker necklace and again dark make-up as this type of style is linked to the genre rock and would be very normal to see in any type of rock video. In the background, the viewer can also see the rest of the band however as Taylor is the main singer, she is the one we see the most throughout the video. Other various close-up shots of a rose dipped in red paint, blood running off her hand and a bug are used for symbolic reasons. For example, the rose (which can be used in many romantic songs) symbolises love, beauty and passion yet the fact it is in red paint could suggests a type of dangerous love or heartbreak and this is not a normal way of presenting a rose.
The music video is shot inside some type of warehouse which has also been decorated to represent a type of old mystical house, especially the stair case. Shots of a cracked mirror has also been used for symbolism. Mirrors have a lot of connotations - the fact this mirror is broken may imply she is finding it hard to discover who she is or that some sort of trust is broken that can no longer be fixed. As well as the rose in red paint earlier on, there is also a close-up of a rose on fire. This could highlight the artist's anger and is also an example of the video;s progression as the situation is becoming more and more extreme.
There is also various examples of distorted and jumpy editing such as quick pace cuts and blurred shots. This may suggest the type of confusing and troubled time she is going through and overall, links with the chilling theme. The use of flashing lights also gives off the same kind of feel and sets off a hectic atmosphere. This is when the song gets louder and increases in tempo.
Close-ups of the artists when she makes eye-contact with the audience almost reflects a cry of desperation. I feel this also makes it more personal for the viewer as they can try to understand her emotions better. The use of blood running down her eyes is also an extreme and unique way of showing her sadness instead of just showing her crying. Towards the end, the audience can see all the red painted roses hanging on the wall by a wide shot - this explains that the artists has been working on this throughout and has now finally created a piece of art in some way.
Paramore - Monster
This is another artistic style video by Paramore. Similar to The Pretty Reckless, they have a main female artist who is shown more often than the rest of the band members. However all band members play an important role within this video. For instance at the start, all members are shown with their heads just above water. This is a kind of intellectual technique and makes the audience think about what this could mean. These types of shots may suggest they are being hold back from something (e.g. they are drowning and can't escape their monsters). I think the use of birds-eye view shots of the artist makes her look more vulnerable and the fact that at one point she reaches out towards the camera, emphasises that she wants to escape.
Suddenly as the music tempo increases we see the band performing in an enthusiastic way. I have discovered that rock band music videos nearly always include the band performing at one point. At this point, there is also another setting introduced: a hospital. This type of location may have been cleverly selected to symbolise something within the narrative. Clearly, a hospital is not a positive place therefore this setting undoubtedly has negative connotations and links. The hospital may portray a frantic and chaotic atmosphere, especially by all the mess as it looks like some sort of tragedy has happened. Shortly after, the hospital starts to break down even more - making the band members go into chaos. Around the time this video was filmed, the band almost broke up. This entire video may suggest what was going on at the time. The hospital implies the healing process they had to go through in order to fix the situation. There are also long shots of each member running down a different corridor however they all meet up in the same place at the end, suggesting they are a team again.
Furthermore, a type of circular narrative is used as they all run to the room where they started performing in at the beginning. I personally think this is a clever way to conclude a video as it makes the audience realise everything that was going on in the earlier stages. The final shot of the water is also quite significant as it shows that the band isn't there any more. In other words, they managed to escape their own monsters and are finally at peace with themselves.
Although this video has more personal symbolic aspects in terms of the band's break-up situation, it is still very emotive for the viewer and the technical aspects are also very exciting to watch.
Evanescence - My Immortal
As this video is entirely in black and white, I believe it makes it more unique compared to other music videos. The first shot we see is her feet covered in bandages on the side of a water fountain. The bandages in particular, may propose the idea that she is weak and vulnerable at this moment in time. We also see the piano that is played throughout the song in a different room with, which is supposedly, one of the other band members. Close-up shots of the artist's hands wrapped in bandages are also shown to again highlight her damaged character. The fact she is also lying on the ground for many shots displays this same kind of weak emotion as do the many high-angle shots of her.
The setting looks like an old traditional city which goes well with the costumes used. The main female singer wears a classic white dress while the other band members wear suits. This may be something that you wouldn't expect within a rock music video yet it goes well with the sad, romantic theme. The fact she is wearing a white dress and is in a town where she is surrounded by children conveys the innocence within the video. For one, she is clearly the victim in her scenario. The use of the water fountain, the dress and the old car also gives the video an antique feel. I also think the use of the tree leaves falling on her while she sings is an effective shot as it uses full use of the props to create a sweet, natural environment. Compared to the first video, this artist wears a lot less make-up and her hair is curly to again display her natural beauty.
Another interesting point to make is the fact she hardly ever looks into the camera - while she sings, she looks another way as if she is calling out to someone else far in the distance. Her body language and the way she moves her hands out is also a significant aspect as it looks as if she is reaching out to something she cannot find. For example, this may be linked to losing someone close to you.
She goes from lying on a bench within the town to lying on a roof top somewhere in the city - this is another example of progression through a music video and the shot on the roof may be more interesting. Again, like the two previous videos, as the music increases in tempo we see the band perform. This time it is through a window of an old traditional looking room to fit with the rest of the video.
At the end, it almost appears the artist is crying into her own arms which makes it very emotional for the viewer and the video ends where it started - at the water fountain.
Analysing these types of videos was very helpful as although they were all different in some way, I think I can take parts from all three to help me work on my own music video. For example from the first video, I thought the use of symbolism through the rose and the cracked mirror is something I'd definitely like to include. Moreover, the task she completes (hanging up the roses on the wall) is something similar to what I have discussed before in my planning so I will think about how I can
in-corporate something similar in my own work. All three had very effective close-up shots and I think this is also something I can create for my own video. As well as a similar use of shots, they all appear to have some sort of narrative behind them, even if the narrative is not clear, which is an approach I also wish to take.
This past week I have been working on my blog both in class and at home. Recently, my main focus has been research so I have learnt more about the music industry by finding out about the typical music video conventions as well as the music channels. I think it is important to learn about this type of information if I am creating a music video myself, as it gives me some background knowledge regarding my piece of work. As I am personally interested in music, I found researching this type of information about the industry exciting as it is background information I never knew before. Especially my post regarding the music channels as I learnt about how major and successful music channels like 'MTV' started out and how they have progressed/changed over the years. MTV in particular now airs more reality TV shows and documentaries as well as VIVA yet VIVA is still very music orientated.
I have also been thinking more about my own music video. Now that I have a basic idea and song for my music video which will be 'You' by the Pretty Reckless I am able to make a start on the planning side of my coursework. I chose this song as is goes with my type of 'heartbreak' theme plus there is a repetitive music sequence and lyrics which I think will be easier to create a music video for. In my opinion, I think this side of the blog will also be very interesting for me as I will enjoy seeing how my ideas progress and I like the creative side of the course. Taking this into account, I have made the location reece planning post to discuss the type of locations I will film. These were also discussed in my initial planning ideas post were I spoke about being able to film in a busy city like London as well as a deserted place such as a field or the woods. These locations are very accessible for me plus I have also considered shooting in my house for more of the basic shots and in the studio for the performance part of my video.
For the rest of this week and next, I would like the continue with more research posts yet I am also going to start focusing on the planning side to get a very specific idea of what I want my final video to look like as I will have to start shooting very soon.
