Location Planning

We have chosen the Co-op in Deeping. We have been given permission by their management (as you can see in the following email) to film in the shop when it is quite from customers. Thanks to their support and willingness to help we are able to use the majority of the store to get a wide range of shots.

Whilst in deeping we will also be filming in the local chip shop, The Boundary. This location will be used to create a similar effect to the co op; to turn the normal into the abnormal. We phoned them up and got permission to film from 6 O'Clock onwards as long as we are punctual. The artificial lighting in the chipy will allow us to film in the dark; additionally the neon lights will create an atmospheric effect.

We will also be filming at Hills and Holes in Barnack. We feel that it would be a suitable place to film because the landscape has peaques and troffs and creates a similar effect to moon craters and again; something normal that is turned abnormal.

We were also thinking of using Sam's car for bandshots. The morris minor would create quiter a retro vibe and create an iconic image. We are aming to use tightly framed shots. This takes influence from The Automotic's video where they are crammed in the back of their van.

Our final location will be  'the band room'. This is the practice room attatched to my garage. It is a good location because all of our instrumental props are in there and once empty we will have a room with big white walls which can give a clean effect if lit and framed correctly.

Making Helmets

We went to a local hardware store and bought three complete bins.We wanted to use bins to create the appearance of low budget. The shape with the sliding lids actually fitted our heads reasonably well whilst the lids enabled us to see whilst maintaning the effect of a fully enclosed helmet.

The first step was to cut the bins down to size. The bin heads on their own weren't big enough so we had to use the bottom half which also added as a futuristic neck brace and added to the humour. This was cut using a coping saw.

After all three had been cut we masked off the lids leaving just the 'visor' and sprayed it black to create the stereotypical astronaught look. We sprayed in a well ventilated area.

After they had dried we masked off the visors and added several coats of white to the lids and the tops of the bins. This to add to the cliche space effect.

finally we added our own designs to the helmets and finished the bottom of the bins with tin foil to add a humorous, low budget space feel to the helmets. Bellow is Sam's helmet with yellow trim and a 'damaged space' effect.

Actors

For this production we are going to be doing the same as the last and using members of our own team for acting and we all are a certain level of proriciency with instruments. This also applies for the narrative for a couple of reasons: A) transport in sam's car means we can only have a maximum of four of us (the ammount in our team) B) it is taking place in school time so to have three freinds join us would be a big ask and C) it allows for us to create the film in the vision we had. For the narrative it doesn't really matter the order we have us in as long as we keep to our individual helmets.

For the core-performance we will stick to the same formula as last time: Myself  on guitar Sam on drums, and Luke on Bass/Vocals. For the chorus we will all be swapping the roles around for the different shots.

Lighting Plan

 

Band room shots: The band room needs to be effectively lit. For this we will be using a combination of strobes and soft light. The strobe will be used to create a frantic and almost 'rock show' feel to the video. Cutting the video with the fast strobe will create a good pase to the promo. The soft light will underpin the strobe so that the image isnt completely black and grainy from lack of lighting. The 3D modelling design package Google Sketchup has been used to simulate the room and the band members to illustrate how it will be set up and lit.

Car Shots: As we are filming at night we will need sufficient lighting. We are using professional halogen studio lights. There will be a variety of 3 raised and angled lights and two halogen lights on the floor will add a soft light to highlight underneath. Basic lighting plans for the car performance sections:

Shot List

Shot list Pre Song: Establishing shots of the lift and the corridor. Medium and close up shots of the “astronauts”High angled shots from within the lift Close ups of pressing buttons Medium shot of the lift and the "astronaughts" Medium shot of the lift empty so the fade can be edited. Verses: Medium shot of the area the characters will appear. Same area but with astronaughts there Establishing shots of landscape and locations Long shots of astronauts exploring Hills and Holes Medium Shots of the individual astronauts running around Close ups of eyes, looking around Close ups of objects Long shot of brink of a hill as characters run and jump off it Long shot of the hill without characters for the fade. Panning and tracking shots to help tie together the different characters and objects Chorus: Close up shot of the vocalist on the back seat Close up of guitarist Close up of the drummer Medium shot of the front two seats of the car Medium shot of the bassist and one member in the front seat from the left " " from the right Verse: 3X's solo shots of astronaughts leaving the photo booth same shot of the photo booth without astronaughts for fading Mid shot of the three astronaughts against the co op wall Mid shot of them walking off High angled shot looking down at them looking at the TV Collective band shot High angled shot of members walking around the store Close up of three of the helmets/faces looking into a cupboard/fridge Chorus: Close up shot of the vocalist on the back seat Close up of guitarist Close up of the drummer Medium shot of the front two seats of the car Medium shot of the bassist and one member in the front seat from the left " " from the right Verse: Low angle shot from the trolly of items being picked up 3X's mid shot of different astronaughts 'discovering' something Continual mid shot into the chip shop. band shot potential crossing the road with a long shot Chorus: Close up shot of the vocalist on the back seat Close up of guitarist Close up of the drummer Medium shot of the front two seats of the car Medium shot of the bassist and one member in the front seat from the left " " from the right

Shooting Schedule

Shooting Schedule for the two days: Thursday AM: Driving to Hills and Holes in Barnack to film out door footage. Will probably be used as back up footage as it is always good to have too much footage than too little. Duration should be around 1 ½ hours. Thursday PM: At the cooperative for 18:00. Filming there for around 2 hours. 20:00/30: Head to boundary fish shop to film. Friday AM: Filming band shots in ‘the band room’ for approx. 3 hours PM: filming band shots outside ‘the band room’ with the studio lights in and around the car for approx. 3 hours

Final Story Board

Ancillary Mood Board

 

This mood board is a collation of abstract artists I have found to be inspirational towards creating an album cover and/or artwork for the digipak. 

Ancillary Task: Preparation

After reviewing artwork commissioned and made by other artists we decided that we thought it was most effective when the artwork was completely original from the music video and often the themes contained in the lyrics/titles/albums. Therefore we thought that we would progress down this avenue and aim to commission or create some original artwork for our digipak/poster. Below are some examples of artwork that has inspired us:

Teleportation test (final cut)

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We thought of taking a post-modernist approach by attempting to create an effect of fading in on final cut and creating something resembling 'beaming up' from Startrek. We think that it was reasonably successful and would like to develop the idea into our final production.

Costume Design

We decided to use suits and handmade space helmets for the narrative. The overalls and Startrek outfits present a host of problems therefore we had to improvise and take the term spacesuit differently by using smart suits and space helmets. The contrast of the helmets and suits helps to create a comedic effect whilst appealing to the idea of creating iconic imagery. 

 

First Storyboard

Mood Board

Promo Pitch

Research Analysis

Audience Research

Audience Research

Lyrical Analysis

A2 Music Promo Track: Space Elevator

The track we have chosen for our A2 Media Coursework is called Space Elevator. The track has quite an 'indie' and up-beat feel to it combined with light hearted lyrics giving it a quirky tone. The main theme we managed to pick out from the lyrics was the idea of a 'space elevator' which could have a multitude of metaphorical possibilities that we could use for our production.

Because of the nature of the song and its lyrics we were thinking of accompanying its quirky nature with a quirky and light hearted video. However we would also like to create a sleek and professional look for the performance aspects to create a conventional music promo. 

Sun spinning inside my mind inside my soul
Sun spinning inside my soul inside my bone
Sun spinning inside my soul inside my head
Sun spinning inside my head inside my mind


Space elevator won’t you take me so far

Sun out the ghetto won’t you take me to stars

Take me so far, take me so far

Sun out the ghetto won’t you take me to Mars


Can’t hear what you say, you’re so far away

You say you’ll see me later, ride my elevator

And if it’s possible to build something more

To be the talk of the town and never come back down



Sun spinning inside my mind inside my soul

Sun spinning inside my soul inside my head

Sun spinning inside my head inside my bone

Sun spinning inside my bone inside my mind

Science is trying just to figure out the facts


And I’ve been dying from crying

 ‘Cause nothings making sense

Space is calling out to me and my friends

‘Cause stars are falling and this is not the end


Space elevator won’t you take me to Mars

Sun out the ghetto won’t you take me so far

Take me so far, take me so far

Sun out the ghetto won’t you take me to Mars

Analysis - Music Promos

The White Stripes - Seven Nation Army

This promo for 'seven Nation Army' relies heavily on it's editing to for its individuality and success. It is a good example of disjuncture as there is no reference to the lyrics through the imagery what so ever and as most conventions are subverted it is very lucrative as an original promo. The entirety of the video is a mass of layered images which expand and fill up the screen one after another. It is very successfully done as all of the images are in sync with music all at the same time. Each shot is also mirrored close to the bottom of the screen which as the video progresses adds to the chaotic atmosphere it creates in combination with the song. 

The versus of the song have quite a relaxed feel to them and the editing reflects this as it is relatively slow paced and appears to coincide harmoniously with the music itself. However as you can see in the slide below; during the versus the editing becomes faster paced and the introduction of a strobe effect amplifies the nature of the more electrifying chorus. 

Tame Impala - Half Full Glass Of Wine

The promo for 'Half Full Glass Of Wine' also relies predominantly on editing for its success however it does make some intertextual references and can be seen to be more conventional than 'seven Nation Army'. For example the use of 'stop motion' animation can be linked to such videos as Peter Gabriel's 'Sledge Hammer' and even bares a resemblance in places to the same style of stop motion.

It could also be said that there is an intertextual link to Queen's promo for 'Bohemian Rhapsody' which was an incredibly successful music video and therefore it could be said that throughout the video they are making contextual references to past music promos. However they also put their own individual spin on it by using a large amount of psychedelic imagery typical to their genre. Additionally they still use typically conventions of a music promo through their consideration of performance aspects of the video which helps to prevent the animation and imagery becoming too overwhelming.

Tame Impala - Lucidity

'Lucidity' by Tame Impala is a video that defies and subverts all established conventions of a music video as the only performance aspect of the video is at the very beginning from an ariel perspective. The shot depicts the band playing around 500 kilometres from Melbourne, Australia.

The band took a leap of faith in using a series of experiments involving attaching a camera to a weather ballon to capture all that developed beneath it and sending it into space.

Again, as the band is quite typically psychedelic the use of space imagery and orbiting the earth is quite fitting for the genre. 

 

Digipak Review

Digipaks are becoming a more common way for artists to release their music on hard copies (e.g CDs). Digipaks are for one cheaper to produce on a mass scale and are more durable than conventional CD cases. Secondly the digipak gives an artist a chance to give their audience something more than just a CD (More artwork, posters, lyrics) and therefore entice them to buy it.

Gorillaz Digipak

This Digipak made for the Gorillaz is unorthodox in the way that it unfolds in a puzzle like manor revealing a new piece of artwork one by one which in this case is each member of the band and on each side they are in a different pose. I think that this Digipak is reasonably successful in the way that it is different and quite quirky which perhaps mirrors the style of Gorillaz however besides this I can't see anything else which could be better than a normal CD or a digital version. Despite this the idea of the 4 individual folds could be something to take into account when designing our own.

History of the Music Promo

Help! - The Beatles

'Help!' by the Beatles was one of the first music videos of its era to use the basic conventions that can be seen in todays industry. As well as using group shots (such as the one above) there are various close ups of the band playing instruments and a predominant focus on the lead singer. The editing consists of fast past straight cuts that are in time with the music itself which has become conventional to many contemporary music videos. Also because it is in black and white it creates a 'timeless' effect which has also been used in other videos through all eras, however in this case it could be due to the technology at hand. Additionally the lyrics are in sync with the singing. With regards to Mise en Scene it appears as though they are performing in a studio and each member has their instrument which gives the effect that they are doing a performance for the audience and therefore makes the band more accessible to people who might not have a chance to the see the band live.

The Beginning of MTV

MTV was founded in 1984 and created by Nickelodeon. However the idea was first conceived by Michael Nesmith a former member of the manufactured band, 'The Monkees' (In light of the popularity of the Beatles) who originally had  Their own TV series.  Although MTV has now expanded down various avenues and has a range of different channels it began as one channel which purely aired music videos. As well as allowing an increasingly broader audience to watch their favourite artists on TV it also gave a chance to emerging British artists to get noticed in America and from this moment music videos became very important and so the budget and level of creativity both increased in the production of music promos.

Smooth Criminal - Michael Jackson

A good example of the type of videos that began to emerge after the creation of MTV is 'smooth criminal' by Michael Jackson. Firstly there is a large narrative element incorporated along side dance routines which is another common feature of Michael Jackson videos which has become a major part of some contemporary music videos (usually dance music).  Also the budget appears to have dramatically increased which can be seen in the Mise en Scene as it takes place in a relatively more realistic looking location which appears to be some form of a club. It can also be seen in the editing through the introduction of the use of effects such as slow motion however the editing is still always in sync with the song and lyrics.

It Was A Good Day - Ice Cube (1993)

Alongside the growing popularity of Hip Hop and the acceptance of Black artists of music channels there was a serge in Hip Hop videos. Ice Cube's 'It Was A Good Day' is a typical example of such a video. It is interesting as there is effectively a 50/50 split of narrative and performance and occasionally a crossing over of the two, also within the narrative sections the lyrics seem to coincide with the images on screen (e.g 'looking in the mirror') which has also developed into a widely used convention in contemporary music videos. Also as shown in the second screen shot the idea that realism doesn't have to apply in a music video is also shown by the fact that the location clearly isn't real and is more than likely filmed in a studio as well as seeming to be at a peculiar angle. 

Conventions

 

Camera work:

Close ups of band, predominantly on lead singer, shots of audience

Peter Gabriel – stop motion

 Editing:

Quick cuts, slow motion

Montage

 Mise en Scene:

Band, performance, instruments, atmospheric lighting, at a gig

Lyrics and images link

Art Inspired

Nirvana – in bloom – subverts expectations (1950’s pop band)

References to popular culture, Humour 

No need for realism

Conventions Of A Music Video: Categories

Definitions:


Disjuncture: The video bares no relevance to the theme of the lyrics/song. Often used in more 'cutting edge' or artistic video by bands who typically choose not to follow typical conventions.


Example: Tom Vek, 'Aroused' 
This video basically consists of shots of different people smoking in what is clearly a studio. The one convention it does follow is the use of black and white.

Amplification: Takes a key idea of a lyric or the song and expands on it.

Example: Aloe Blac, 'I Need A Dollar' 

This music video is centred around money and the absence of it, as the title would suggest. It contains aspects of performance and a narrative which contains scenes of him trying to hitch-hike etc.

Illustration: Uses the general theme of the lyrics/song to create a narrative.

Example: The Hoosiers, 'Goodbye Mr A'

The song is about getting rid of someone who is superior using unethical methods. This is displayed in the video as a group of people (the band) scheming ways in which to eliminate 'Mr A'.

Music Video Analysis

Foster The People, 'Call It What You Want'

From the beginning of the video it follows a typical convention by creating the effect that the audience is being allowed to witness something that they shouldn't be.


As you can see from my screenshots there is a crack in the wall which widens and then allows the audience to see what's on the other side.


The video also follows the convention of including performance aspects which can be seen from the beginning as shown in my screenshot on the left. 

It is important that these aspects of the video are in perfect synchronicity to the music that is being played to make it look authentic and give the audience a sense that they are being played to.


In these sections there is also a predominant use of close ups either

on an instrument being played or of the vocalist singing. This helps the audience identify with the musicians as  there is a small chance they will ever meet them face to face.


A wide variety and artistic use of effects is also very common in music videos. For example the screen shot 

on the left shows an image of a clock imprinted in the vocalist's head giving a surreal image which is also enforced by the use of the mirrored effect which divides the frame into two opposite/reversed images.


The video continues this idea throughout in the scenes which don't 

                                                        include performance. As you can see in the image of the vocalist singing with his head inside a fishbowl. They also incorporate this surrealism aspect into performance in the screenshot which shows the drummer appearing to levitate whilst playing a snare drum. This shot is also framed so that the drummer is centred which signifies his importance in the shot. It is also important to note the location in which it is filmed which appears to be a house of grander which holds connotations of wealth (which becomes evident in their clearly large budget) and is also aesthetically pleasing which is important for a successful music video.

The surrealist aspect also gives the artist/artists an opportunity to exploit their 'fantasies' or imagination which can be seen in the next selection of screenshots in which the vocalist has a group of attractive women outside his window who he then pretends to shoot with his hand and the unexpectedly it has the effect of splattering them with paint.


Finally, at the end of the video there is a heavy use of effects to help enunciate the climax of the song in which there is a variety of effects used including the kaleidoscope effects which can be seen in the screen shot on the left.