Track research

Tracks:

Female artists:

t.a.T.u

Though there are 2 singers, the differences in their voices are very subtle, so we could get away with a solo singer and of course the narrative parts of the video would involve other actors. Most of this could be shot in a studio, the performance parts: we could have different sets which gave the feeling of entrapment like corners/ closed doors or a box room type situation.

The Veronicas

Aly and AJ

These two are a bit too mainstream and 2007 is a bit recent methinks.

Male artists:

Jack's Mannequin

Dark blue is open to many interpretations, so we'd have pretty much free reign over a music video. The performance is quite different to most band performances (not the typical drums.guitar type thing). It's quite upbeat and sounds like a fun song, so the video could also be fun and quirky.

Train

So this song is sweet and lovely, and the lyrics are so abstract that a video  could be pretty much anything. It wouldn't require instruments to be played etc. The performer could really actually perform. Narrative would also be fairly easy to write for this song. And it's an awesome song.

Kris Allen

The last one may bit a bit slow. I don't think we'd need instruments for this, because Kris is a solo artist. We could get some really good narrative going with these songs too.

What music means to me...

My musical life

Childhood

Every day of Primary school consisted of at least a few minutes singing this with my best friend Emilie. I've known her since we were 3 and she's basically like my sister. A lot of our childhood was spent together, and even my parents have adopted her as a 6th member of the Islam family. My dad even made up up a song which goes like this: "Emilie, Emilie, you are our Family!" My family are completely mad by the way. 

Also this song means a lot to me personally. It's about freedom, and breaking free of constraints, which as an Asian girl can sometimes be a little overbearing. I've always thought of myself as a bit different to the typical Bengali female, a mould-breaker shall we say, and this song pretty much epitomises my attitude to well..life.

Early teens

This song was the anthem of my last and only visit I actually remember to Bangladesh. Those visits usually comprise of imitation Cola, strange flavoured yogurts and bugs. Lots and lots of bugs. If you need the loo in the middle of the night, honestly it's not worth your life. Picture this, pitch black in the dead of night, like WICKED DARK as a certain Lobster in Finding Nemo would say. Two potential routes to take to the bathroom, with only a small battery-powered lantern.

Route A - The short way: The door is locked from the other side. Darn.
Route B - On reaching the door, you spot a gigantic cockroach squatting directly in your path. Note: These are not the tiny little fingernail-sized cockroaches you get here in Britain. They are the size of a golf ball and can fly. The evil creature is blocking your only path to the loo, which you desperately need. So you decide to be brave and leap right over it. Guess what? A SCOUT. Everywhere you look, all the walls, every corner of the hall, there are more of its friends. You're in the corridor, and the bathroom door is all the way at the other end... Halp.

This very song was what gave us the courage to face those FOUL LOATHSOME EVIL LITTLE COCKROACH(es), and finally get to the hole in the ground. Humming or softly whisper-singing it gave us the courage to make our way treacherously through that infested corridor, and has ever since been our "Courage" song. It even kept us safe and protected when the lantern died in our hands, and both other times that night we needed the toilet!  

(^^Ok, I was in a bit of a weird movie mood, so there are some random movie references in bold capitals, sorry bout that!)

Now

So this is a romantic(ish) song, but my reasons for choosing it are not. I actually found one of my best friends who became a very important part of my life because of our mutual love for this song, and the "Jason Mraz hat" as we call it.

It has a really positive feel to it, and is upbeat and happy. The lyrics are quirky with some made-up sounds, and though not  typically/ traditionally romantic, it offers a kind of alternatively sweet message. I also associate this song with that friend, so it's an instant uplifting experience every time I hear it. The multiple times we've attempted karaoke and miserably failed. This songs has a lot of good memories to go with it, so for that reason, it's the most meaningful song to me today.

Music video rough ideas

Track choice

Concept: 4 normal girls (dressed casually) all converge from their normal lives in an elevator, which takes them down, where they become rock/punk chicks. Performance - based video.

Similar tracks:

At a far stretch:

Set-ups

Group shots:

1 - Elevator (3 girls walking in as normal then exiting as punk chicks - flashing between normal vs. punky as they walk slo-mo out)

2 - Beam (example below) (same punk outfit as elevator) - The three girls performing the song, switching places and moving around. Maybe camera arcing round side to side.

3 - Podium/stage block - The girls standing up singing the song (different costumes) posing differently with each "beat" of the music, fully lit while singing, but silhouetted when changing position.

(4 - Outdoor in front of a wire fence maybe (neon/brighter colourful outfits) performing)

Individual shots:

5 - (coloured light 1 -green) Girl 1 in empty doorframe and white BG performing.



Examples of the lighting style



6 - (coloured light 2) Girl 2 ... and white BG performing.

7 -  (coloured light 3) Girl 3 sitting/kneeling in a corner (maybe 2 blocks on the ground either side of her forming the corner behind her) and white BG performing.

8 - Outdoor, fence with a door/ gate - Girl 1 (brighter clothes same as outdoor group shot) performing.

9 - Outdoor metal staircase (building fire escape stairs) - Girl 2

performing (brighter clothes same as outdoor group shot)

10 - Outdoor - underpass/ subway tunnel - Girl 3 performing (brighter clothes same as outdoor group shot)

Music Video remake workshop: Evaluation - Little Mix - Wings

Did you enjoy the workshop day? What were your best bits and why?

The workshop day was a completely new experience for me. It was fascinating to see how a professional shoot worked and it surprised me how busy I was even when not performing in front of the camera. There were always various jobs that needed doing, therefore for the majority of the day, being a runner and helping especially with costume and make-up kept me busy. It was also important that while we kept busy and learnt about the different filming processes and roles, we also encouraged the performers and generally kept spirits up.

The different job roles on set were particularly interesting as everyone's tasks were so different. There was no overlap and everyone knew clearly what they were meant to be doing. The role of Director particularly engages me, as this means creative control. Our director Harrison was very clear in his instructions, and I learnt that excellent communication is essential to make a shoot run smoothly and successfully. For my A2 media project, I plan to have more creative control as I will not be following a template. This will allow me to explore the conventions I already know and also break them and experiment with new things.

I very much enjoyed the preparation for the shoot i.e. costume, hair, make up. Experimenting with the way things looked on camera proved challenging but also rewarding to get the image we wanted. Furthermore, trying to perfect the aesthetics along with Harrison and the camera crew working on framing and composition meant that teamwork was crucial. This has inspired me to try different looks for my own video, as it is something I enjoy.

What have you learnt from participating in each of the prelim task?

Analyse a music video
The key features of a music video were completely alien to me. Having always focused on continuity editing, watching a discontinuous piece seemed abstract and difficult to create. However, after analysing a video, I realised that the overall effect created was engaging and appealing to the audience. Similarly, continuous editing of someone for example, singing a song, would become boring and repetitive. Therefore, mixing up shots makes for better viewing.

Audition video



I filmed and edited my audition video alone. Going solo meant that I could go as crazy as I wanted without feeling embarrassed  It was surprisingly difficult to keep up the energy though, and after a while, it felt like I was repeating the same sorts of movements for each lyric and the music. This taught me that improvising was more difficult than I'd originally thought, especially after playing the same song multiple times. Editing was quite fun as I was free to do it however I wanted, without considering continuity too much. On the other hand, sometimes I found that there was not enough footage to edit how I wanted so compromise had to be made. For my own music video, I know that I have to give more than I think I'll need as the footage usually seems like less.

Learn your performance
Learning the dance routine was one of the most fun parts. It was hilarious to see people who you'd thought were sensible and shy to let loose and really go for it. The dance itself was more challenging than it has been in previous years, but we were all up for the challenge. I enjoyed learning and working with other students to practice the routine and commit it to memory. We all became used to the idea of dancing in front of each other. It showed me that enthusiasm and effort is key in producing a good piece of work. Moreover, working closely with others contributes to the on- screen aesthetics and chemistry. Also helping the main cats with their movements was crucial. It becomes tedious and quite difficult to keep moving for an entire song, therefore enthusiasm and energy was key.

Plan/organise costume
This part took much organisation. Systematic wardrobe-checks and bringing clothes back and forth to and from media meant that things could easily be misplaced. With clothes everywhere, we had to trust each other with our belongings, and also be accepting of others. We learnt also to make the most of what we had, and work with whatever was available. Costume was important, thus had to looks similar to the actual video. At the same time, we accepted that not everything would be exactly the same, so we learnt to improvise and nicely fix what we had. Without organisation, we would not have had the correct things required, therefore the whole remake would have been affected.

The one-day workshop
This day was completely packed with new things to learn. Shadowing the crew proved informative and having a go at for example, cable-bashing, scared me a little bit before, but now seems normal. Being a runner meant that I was up on my feet and doing things. I had to understand that people would constantly be asking for something, and I asked them if they needed anything too. Working closely with Olivia for hair and make-up was a different experience, especially making up the boys. They were surprisingly accommodating  which displayed the trust and willingness required to perform to our best abilities, and to create a wonderful final product.

Are you pleased with the footage and your edit? Is it how you expected it to look?

The footage is of high quality and the performances are realistic, match the actual video, and very convincing. The actors are attractive and all perform to a high standard. All the cast together work well and I am very happy with the video overall. There was enough footage for each and every shot, and we had a choice of which to choose. At points, there may have been one or two hard to find or seemingly missing, but we were able to resolve such issues. and the piece is an accurate but also very personal re-make.

I thought that it would be difficult to edit the jump-cuts and the effects e.g. the slow-mo and split screens, but eventually after editing them in, the finished product looks good.The sets look fantastic, sometimes even better than the actual video, in my opinion. This was the same for the costumes, and the girls, though in real life, were VERY made up, on screen look glamorous. It also shocked me how good the group scenes were; I was not expecting it to be so close to the real video. 

How do you think your prelim exercise will impact on your approach to next term's music video coursework?

From this prelim, I've learnt that pre- and post-production, as well as the actual shoot are equally important. Without careful planning, the shoot will not be successful. Each aspect including actual camera/filming, but also performers, costume, props and shot lists and schedules etc. all takes very careful and critical planning. It is important to know what you're doing and when in order to save time and maximise possible usable footage. Therefore, I will try my best to be as organised and efficient as I can for my own music video.

In regard to performing, learning the moves and song by heart were crucial. Confidence will come across on camera, therefore we had to know what we were doing. Also, every detail that will be visible on screen must be planned in advance. This saves time and gives everyone else an idea of what you want to achieve. This may include the mise-en-scene of a shot, or the actual actor.

During the shoot-day, we must stay focused on the task, and remain in role throughout. Practising over the day helps memory and builds confidence. I realised that we had to be very supportive of each other and help out wherever we could. This could be doing odd jobs that need doing, encouraging the main cast, or even helping other less confident dancers to rehearse the routine. Working well with my team with excellent communication and teamwork skills would mean the music video result would go as planned, and produce a good result.

In post-production, sometimes it can be difficult to get enough editing time, especially when in large groups as we were. In this case I've learnt the importance of asserting myself so that I can get a go. Similarly, it is important to acknowledge that not everyone is as confident in this particular part of the process, thus may need longer to adjust and/or take longer. For this, we have to stay supportive and understand that everyone needs the opportunity to edit. In future, I will try to organise an editing schedule better so that everyone has equal opportunities to edit.

Altogether, I have learnt that people may be strong in one or more of these aspects, and that we have to be accepting of this. It is not appropriate or useful to lose focus during any of these, and/or not co-operate with the team. Having seen that it can be difficult to communicate with the group, especially regarding editing, I will make every effort to in future, so that I actually get a chance, and my team knows that I want or need to.Working well as a team results in a very worthwhile product, therefore I am motivated to work hard throughout my coursework next year, both creatively and technically.

Music Video analysis - The Script - Six Degrees of Separation

This performance music video is a clear example of a musical, lyrical and visual collaboration. With a  convincing lip-sync throughout, the performance is the main driving factor. The Script band identity and style is evident through the cuts to each memeber e.g. guitarist/backing singer Mark Sheehan and Drummer Glen Power, therefore attributing them each equal importance in the band. Even so, lead vocalist Danny may demand more screen time as the lyrics, lip-sync and overall plausibilty are reliant on his singing performance.

Each of the members is unique in their costume, and appearance e.g. Danny's Tee and Mark's jacket. Various beauty shots are used to play to fans of The Script as the band is aesthetically appealing. For some members of the audience, this may be an attraction to the good looking males, or could be an aspirational relationship also. Moreover, the staging is intriguing, with high key lighting behind the band shots creating harsh shadows and many dimly lit CUs of Danny. Although the light remains low key for most of the video, it is high key or daylight in cutaways to others scenes such as the crying. This creates binary opposites which engage the audience.

Similarly, there is a contrast between the colour narrative shots and the monochrome performance shots, which also creates the idea of difference.We get a sense of progression when the monochrome also changes to colour, through both this and the narrative elements of each relationship portrayed. The stark variations between the perfomrance and normality of the lives we see in the video provide alternative forms of engagement for the audience, therefore while focusing primarily on the performance, we may also relate to the characters, thus enjoy the song more. This in turn promotes the band as relatable and in tune with the contemporary audience. Moreover, the changing colours and sets seem to mirror the developing musical bridges and chorus. This sense of symmetry is again highlighted in firstly the fact that 2 "universes": The performance universe and the real universe, are presented; and secondly in the split-screens when displaying the 2 simultaneously i.e. in symmetry.

Again, the lyrics are relatable, drawing the theory of "Six degrees of separation" which is quite well known:

"Six degrees of separation is the theory that everyone and everything is six or fewer steps away, by way of introduction, from any other person in the world, so that a chain of 'a friend of a friend' statements can be made to connect any two people in a maximum of six steps." - Wikipedia

We may find many layers of meaning in the lyrics e.g. the themes of isolation are addressed, and human relationships. Likewise, the video portrays different relationships, and with the lyrics overlaying especially a breakup and a woman crying, we might see the hints of both loss and of hope (looking at the theory) of meeting new people. This makes the song/ video universal to all people on top of an entertaining performance. Thus, the band impact on their audience either relatably or in a purely enjoyable way, however this does mean that the video has fulfilled its purpose in promoting The Script and this song. Audiences may be encouraged to listen to other songs or watch other videos.

Overall, the music video is successful in promoting the band because it is an enjoyable performance with aspects of narrative and conceptual ideas. The themes addressed by the lyrics and imagery are broad and common in the consumer's daily life. Altogether a wholly enjoyable and meaningful video to the audience.

Prelim task - Evaluation

Who did I work with and how did we manage the task between us?
My group consisted of Anjana, Mila and me. ('consisted' makes it sound like a  cake) Anjana did most of the filming as Mila and I were actors in a lot of the shots. As for editing, we split 20 minutes on editing each, and cycled round like that. It worked well, because while we could all work and develop our skills, none of us got bored while waiting.

How did we plan our sequence?  
After receiving the task, we sat down and brainstormed potential sequences- starting off by genre, or famous movie sequences we could recreate. Eventually we ended up with a list of a few ideas we liked, then narrowed it down to the one we though would be most fun to act and film. Once we have decided on the idea of a James Bond scenarios of spy and employer, each of us took responsibitly for a role: I was in charge of the storyboard, Mila costume and script, while Anjana did the shot list and managed props.

What processes did we use?
After the brainstorm and final idea, it was time to storyboard, followed by script. We met up during a lunchtime and came up with everything, including when we would shoot everything and how.

What theories did we try to take into account?
Although at the time of coming up with ideas, we didn't majorly discuss theories and so on, later on, during storyboarding, we put together all the knowledge we'd gained about continuity to try and make our sequence as realistic and plausible as possible. We decided to have quite a few continuity techniques

What technology did we use to complete the task, and how?
Obviously we used cameras. But as well as those, we used Adobe Premier Pro to edit together our footage. Each of us had the same amount of time editing and we worked closely with each other to cut as closely as we could to achieve a flowing sequence. We didn't use an extravagant effects or transitions as this would not suit our sequence, so editing was simple and quick.

What factors did we have to take into account when planning, shooting and editing?
Firstly we had to follow the brief and demonstrate the shot-reverse-shot, match on actions and 180 degree rule. We had to carefully construct each shot to make sure they would complement each other. It was crucial to have a convincing and engaging narrative, with believable characters, while at the same time focusing on technical detail and varying our shots. When filming, lighting had to stay constant, so shooting all of our outdoors shots at the same time was a good idea. Indoors, we were using electrical lighting anyway, so it wouldn't make a difference. For this reason, we filmed everything outdoor quickly and then moved indoors.

On top of all this, we had to consider what was realistically possible in the time we had. In 2 hours, we couldn't really go all out, so keeping it simple was probably the best way forward -  less is more! When shooting, Mila and I wore costumes that suited our genre, but it was important to make sure that the clothes were the same in each shot (duh) and accessories etc. Additionally, filming too much was better as it can easily be cut, whereas if we filmed too little, we'd be stuck, so we ended up with loads of unnecessary footage.

While editing, we couldn't cut too much of shots, while at the same time, we had to be very tight with the cutting, so that the sequence would fit together and flow. For example, the clonking of the high heels in the first 2 shots were difficult to match up to make it seem like continuous walking.

How successful was our sequence?
Overall, we stuck well to the brief, managing to demonstrate all the required techniques: MOA - Whren Mila walks throughe the door, SRS- The conversation, 180DR - the conversation also, the camera did not cross the invisible line between Mila and me.

Improvements:
The unintentional reflection in the door of Anjana filming (It's very noticeable) would have to go. But no just this, I may also change the shot types at the beginning- from a CU of Mila's feet, it goes to a LA LS, which may feel a bit of a big jump.

During the conversation, we could've had a master shot, as opposed to the SRS repeated, to establish a sense of place and not confuse the audience.

At the end of the sequence, the final shot would have been better suited as a CU but not a LA - Mila ended up looking quite distorted, which was not the desired effect, we wanted her to look belittled and vulnerable.

What have I learnt? How could this be significant when completing the rest of the foundation coursework?
During this task, I have learnt how to best shoot to minimise time taken and maximise the amount of footage we gain. We were able to shoot only changing setups rarely, thus able to complete the task even within the short amount of time we had.

It was important when trying to make a SRS that the conversation is filmed from both POVs and then with clever editing cut together. We were able to use the razor tool to cut between to create a conversation that flowed. This is significant for the film sequence we will be creating later this year as that will involve many continuity techniques.

The Bourne Continuity Analysis

Hi there! For my cotinuity analysis, I decided as soon as we got set the task, that I would use a clip from one of the Bourne movies. I am a HUGE fan of all 3, so it was an easy pick :D

Continuity principles:

Match on action - the guard walking through the door / jason climbing the stairs

Establishing shot - the opening shot gives a view of the entire room

Eye level shots- Jason looks around the room at all the people

30 degree rule - Jason holds the gun and the camera takes this shot from multipe angles

Cutaways/Elipses - We fill in Jason climbing the stairs when it cuts to men in armoury

Shot reverse shot: The guard, then Jason

Steps: Shows Jason standing MS, then Guards hand (camera position further back)

Cutaway - parallel time - the guards scouring the building, while Jason escapes.