CONSTRUCTION-COLOUR CORRECTION

Picture 2- Colour Corrected footage

Picture 1- Raw Footage

Colour correction of our locker stop motion scene adds a more professional twist to the raw footage used, so that it has a high quaility feel and that it would be more eye catchy for those watching. Take the pictures above for example. Picture one consists of an orangy type colour, in which it does not have a professional feel and is not nice to look at. Whereas the colour corrected footage in picture 2 is much more toned down in comparison, is easier on the eyes and holds the professional 'twist' we had hoped to achieve.  

CONSTRUCTION- OPENING LIP SYNCH & STOPMOTION

Opening Lip Sync

 

We have started constructing our music video with initially filming the narrative of Jonny walking to football to meet his friends. He used a close up of him kicking up the ball which we think is a visually inviting shot.

However our group is cautious since we don't want our whole video to be completely narrative and would like in incorporate more visually interesting shot which we though could be achieved effectively through stop motion.

Our group started experimenting in class with making a tower of stuff that Jonny would find on his desk. We then experimented with lining up pens on a desk and through stop motion we would have them moving up the desk to Jonny before the exam.

By incorporating more abstract shots it will give our music video more dimensions and will make people enticed throughout. 

CONSTRUCTION- FILMING OF THE OPENING SCENE

 

October 30th our group got together to film the opening scene shot of the trunk being filled with Jonny's belongings.

We started working with over the shoulder shots of clothing being packed into the trunk. Our group started brainstorming and came up with a new shot idea. We wanted to have Jonny pack pictures of him and his friends in his trunk as a transition from the scene of him and his friends taking pictures. We filmed Jonny taking pictures with his friend on photo booth with all different effects for a shot to add more colour to the shot. We then printed off the pictures and had him pack them in the trunk would we will use as a transition shot from the picture taking scene.

It was useful to all meet up and start actually filming and getting initial shots done, this allows us to get a head start on the editing process of the music video.

Shots Done :
Establishing Shot
Panning Shot
Over the Shoulder Shot
Point of View Shot 

PLANNING-EDITING TECHNIQUES

Les Blues De Ramville

 

We studied the film opening of the movie “LES BLEUS DE RAMVILLE” which is renown for its excellence and I was inspired by the variety of shots that were used within the first minute. The visual texture and delight of the opening along with the continually changing camera shots resulted in a strong interest for us as a group.

In order to make our video just as visually engaging as this particular films opening sequence, our group has decided to take note of the high angle and low angle shots along with the constant extreme close ups, in conbination with fast editing techniques to create a montage effect. The slow motion that was used, I think also had a good effect for the viewers as you get to emerse yourself in the beauty of the shot.  

 

Our group particularly enjoyed the extreme low angle close ups since this could be incorporated in our music video with having this shot used when Jonny is seen doing kick ups with the football. We hope that this shot has the same positive effect as it did in the film opening.

PLANNING-LOACATION REPORTS

Google Maps- Weybridge- location in which we will be shooting much of our music video

Google Maps- Walton On Thames, location

Google Maps- Walton On Thames, The Heart

 The top photograph is the location in which we will shoot many of the shots when constructing our music video. The is also the location in which our main character lives, therefore we will be referring back to this site on many occasions throughout the video. 

The last two photographs of Walton On Thames is another main location in which we will be filming. Walton is a site we can really take advantage of seeing as it is a 10 minute walk from the main site (1st photo) and has a wide range of shops, places to eat and parks we can use for places our character and her friends 'hang out'.   

PLANNING-MOOD BOARD

I made this Mood Board using images that I thought would capture our groups overall approach in how we wish to present our music video 'One More Year'. The pictures all compliment the Indie/ Alternative genre of the song and can be relatable to the bands target audience.

PLANNING-TIME LINE

Once brainstorming our ideas, and tieing of loose ends we then decided it was time to hit the construction stage of our music video 'One More Year'. From this the group and I came up with the idea of producing a timeline to shows us the details of the frame, for instance the camera type, location or editing techniques. From this is furthered our organisation skills and allowed us to dive straight into filming and tackle the construction stage both successfully and effectively. 

PLANNING- PERMISSION TO USE 'ONE MORE YEAR'

 We emailed Nick Fitzgerald, the lead singer of "Fij' in order to see if we could get permission to use the song 'One More Year' for our music video. From this he emailed back saying yes.

PLANNING-CALL SHEET

 

 

CALL SHEET-EXAM SCENE

 

 

Actors Required:

Jonny Fitzgerald as Fij

Props

Single Desk

 

Whiteboard

 

Exam Paper

 

Pencil Case

 

What we want to achieve?

 

Over the shoulder shot of Jonny finishing

 

his exam with the use of time lapse to

 

speed up his writing to create a fast

 

montage feel.

 

Time

16^th October 3:00pm

PLANNING- TEST FOOTAGE

CLICK HERE TO SEE OUR TEST FOOTAGE 

Before the production stage of our music video we had to create test footage to give us an idea of how to edit and how we're going to lip sync. From this a big problem arose, seeing as our song 'One More Year' is a very fast and bouncy sound track.

This led our group to decide that we're only going to lip sync in one area of the song (the chorus), or to break up the lip syncing and fill the majority of the video with visuals adding to both the narrative and the fun, bouncy aspect of the video. 

PLANNING- HOW MY BAND BUILT ITS STAR BRAND

'Fij' has used numerous different social and media platforms to spread the word of their group and to enhance their 'star brand'

The picture on the left shows that 'Fij' have used BBC London Radio to promote the group. 

'Fij' has also created their own Facebook page in order to promote their band even further. Pictures on their Facebook page lets the band expand on their indie star image. Being a small up-coming band the group have followed in the foot steps of more well established bands such as the 'Red Hot Chilli Peppers'. Never the less the band aren't at this level stage, therefore they don't have a recording label and studio to organize this print and video advertisement. 

   Through the use of graphics and iconography the band Fij can deliver the message of their band and establish their style and genre. On their Facebook page in order for this to happen, there should be a stronger visual presence.

The selling of named merchandise serves as a badge of loyalty to the band and signals belonging to a sub-culture. Fij could establish their star image through selling products such as T-shirts promoting their band.

The music can't be purchased through websites such as iTunes however You-tube serves as a platform for people to listen to their music. 

Fij has Gigs to develop their star image however if they posted details about the Gigs on their Facebook page they might turn into performances of a bigger scale. 

PLANNING- PRE-STORY BOARD

After brainstorming with the group, we then sat down again to start to discuss the story board and the things it would entail. We took many if the ideas from the 'brainstorm' into account and put them practice. I ran through many of these montage ideas with others including my teacher to confirm them, and started to base them around our story line of having one more year together before we go our separate ways.    

PLANNING-BRAINSTORMING

Before starting the production stage my group and I ran through some ideas and techniques that could be added into out music video. The ideas range from what teenagers do in their spare time to what editing and filming techniques we would undertake. One of our ideas is to begin the video sequence with an empty 'trunk' which would slowly get filled with clothes using 'stop motion' throughout the video. From this symbolizing that time is slowly passing in which they're going their separate ways. This brain storm allowed us to make a great progress due to us knowing what direction we want to be aiming towards.   

PLANNING- TREATMENT

We have our central character leaving his school days behind for university. We illustrate the lyrics up to the point however we also want to incorporate a series of montages of the student with his friends doing the everyday thing that represent aspects of his life that he is leaving behind.

The overall structure will be formed with cutaway shots of the central figure and his friends placing his belongings in a ‘trunk’. The trunk will be open and empty at the beginning of the song and shut and full with clothes by the end of the video sequence. Throughout the song the trunk gets progressively more packed until it is shut symbolizing  the end of their year together, and the song. 

PLANNING- FINAL SONG CHOICE

As a group we mutually decided on the song choice. We decided on the song 'One more year' by Fij.

An unsigned band composed of a singer/guitarist. The genre is indie/pop and has a rhythmic and fast paced beat, with several repetitions throughout the song. This particular also has a rap like quality. 

We liked this idea of using an unsigned band since that allows us to create a fresh and original take on the song. 

Equally, the lyrics of the song are about the last year without your friends before university. This is easy for our target audience to relate to as they are likely to be either just leaving for college or to have recently left.

PLANNING- DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE SONGS & ARTISTS

Both songs are similar in the respect that they have the same fast, bouncy rhythm and a strong narrative. But differ in a lot of various ways. For example, both songs are different in genres. Jack Johnson's 'Good People' is a light soft rock acoustic song, which entails a negative narrative which may apply to a wide majority of people. Whereas Fij's 'One More Year' is a pop/indie/ electronica band which is about small adolescent problems which involve a small number of people. From this me and my group are stuck in between the two. 

                       

PLANNING- MY TWO SONG DECISIONS

 

 'Good People' Jack Johnson

'One More Year' Fij

These are my two possible song decisions for my music video. I have chosen either 'Good People' by jack Johnson or 'One More Year' by Fij. Both songs are ideal song options seeing as they are fast,bouncy,  have a upbeat rhythm and have a very strong narrative, which is key in what we want to bring to out music video. Another reason for these two songs being ideal is the fact that they aren't well known songs, therefore it will bring a unique and one of a kind feel to it, seeing as there haven't been any official music videos made for these two songs.   

PLANNING- WHY I USE BLOGGER AND ITS USES

I have decided to use 'Blogger' to record the progress I am going to make while working on both my music video and the auxiliary products. 

Blogger has proven to be extremely useful in the past due to the fact it is on a social platform. It is easily linked with numerous other social platforms such as Twitter, Facebook and YouTube and many other forms of new technology in which you can display your work in the most creative ways possible. For example you can embed videos from YouTube, upload presentations from Prezzie and at the same time go looking for inspiration on other people's blogs. Blogger is well laid out and makes collecting your work ten times easier.   

PLANNING- MUSIC VIDEO BRIEF

I have chosen to go along with the music video brief, oppose to the other 14 briefs which involve film trailers and radio. The music video brief involves: 
- A music promo video;
- A digipak for the albums release;
- A magazine advertisement for the digipak. 

After going through a whole range of different ideas of songs such as 'Better Together- Jack Johnson' and 'Spanish Sahara- Foals' my group and I were inspired to peruse the idea of creating a music video. 

I was keen to create a music video long before I knew what the actual brief was. I have previously made a music in my earlier media years, and from this I have the general knowledge to how it works and the processes in which us as a group have to go through.   

This is a previous music video I made, and from this I have gained experience and the set of skills that would help nicely while working through this music video brief. 

RESEARCH- DIRECTORS CUT

 CLICK HERE TO SEE MY YUDU ON DIRECTORS CUT

This is a quick easy way in which you can see my research on some well known music videos, created by well known artists. From this it gave me knowledge of a variety of different videos and the differing elements and conventions that make them stand out and attract their target audiences. 

RESEARCH- AUDIENCE PROFILE

This is my audience profile. This profile represents the target audience for this band and genre. The band genre 'Fij' is pop/indie/elctro. From this this audience profile best represents what the target audience I am aiming for and the things they like and from this interweave these ideas into my video to attract this style of audience. 

RESEARCH- MORAL PANICS

 

Many titles currently on sale but exempt from certification contain violent, distressing and sexually explicit scenes. Many of which origin from heavy metal bands, such as 'Slipknot'.

Girls cheerfully show off their gruesome tribute to heavy metal band Slipknot, Stanley-knifed into their arms or belly. A Belgian army officer demonstrates the most effective way to kill someone with a knife. A Pussycat Doll trainer encourages youngsters working out to take off their clothes.

They are of differing seriousness, but all those scenes can be seen in videos that are freely available to buy on the high street or Amazon by anyone of any age, none of which have gone through any classification.

"The great majority of exempt video works are fine," said the BBFC's head of policy, David Austin. "They are not going to harm anyone, but there are a significant number of titles that are potentially harmful to children.

We know from our postbag that parents are concerned about exempt videos. Usually they write and say, 'Why did you give this video an E classification?' The answer is we didn't as it never came to us – it would not have gone to anyone."

The BBFC estimates that around 200 videos might be caught by a change in the law.

Austin showed the Guardian examples of videos that have claimed exemption but would have been classified. They range in seriousness. One of the more shocking is a documentary about the American heavy metal band Slipknot "which, actually my son bought when he was 10 and I confiscated", said Austin. "He's waiting till he's older to get it back."

 

Slipknot is renowned for its explicit publicity and extreme style of music. Mark Brown further stated the CD 'shows one fan who has carved the word Slipknot in to her forearm and another who has done the same in her belly, to which someone is seen pointing in admiration.'

A music video by the Norwegian black metal band Gorgoroth, which was rated X in Germany but is unrated in the UK, shows topless women being crucified with blood running down their breasts

 Through researching moral panics I now realise that having a small impact on your target audince adds publicty to the song and band and could be seen as the 'key to success'. For instance Madonna showing her private body parts. But from this it adds to awareness and therefore success.   

RESEARCH- MUSIC TRENDS

Young stars such Carly Rae Jepson and One Direction have been at large in the recents couple of years, and are now play a key role in the music industry.

- The music they produce is aimed towards the youn teenagers. The lyrics and subject matter of their songs often are about love and relationships and tend to be simplistic. Pop music is popular today since the beats of the music often encourage dancing which is reflected in the upbeat and choreographed music videos.
 
- The music videos in relation to the song consist of extremly high priced camera work with the combination of high quality editing. There is faced paced editing, which is in time with the 'beat' and a easy to follow narrative for their younger audience.

RESEARCH- STARDOM

 

The star image is a figure seen by the public through the use of music videos, but notably their music on their own. In the music industry, only one in ten people who are signed to a record and making music actually make any money from it, this is partly due to the star image not being big enough for the rest of people. However with the small amount of people who become popular with their music and star image, it is important to present them well and follow a meta-narrative of the path they wish to be portrayed as. With music videos, it is possible to alter a star’s image from being something crude, to being a public figure people inspire to be like. Through a star’s music videos, the stories that they tell can develop the person they are and change their meta-narrative – One example of an artist who uses music videos to change his public perception over the years is Eminem, who started off as what was seen as a gang member rapper, but then later was shown to be a caring father who sings for a passion and believes in what he sings for.

RESEARCH- MUSIC TV CHANNELS

Music television is a type of television programming which focuses predominantly on playing music videos from bands, usually on dedicated television channels broadcasting on satellite or cable. Music TVs may host their own shows charts, award prizes.

 Examples are VIVA, Scuzz, MTV, JBTV, MuchMusic, Kerrang TV, erm, VH1, Fuse TV, and Palladia Wigan Pier.

Case study: VIVA

VIVA a free-to-air German language based music television channel went first on the air on 1. December 1993. A consortium of broadcasters and record companies led by Time Warner, Sony Television, Polygram Records and EMI Music, but notably excluding the German based Bertelsmann Music Group, saw their investment in VIVA as an antidote to the "vain posturing power of MTV Networks executives" according to Germany's Süddeutsche Zeitung. Executives at US media giant Time Warner, keen on increasing their market share of its music repertoire and business in Germany, planned the new TV station in 1992. Eventually they recruited DoRo Productions, producers of music videos for notable acts such as Queen, The Rolling Stones, David Bowie, in the design of the music channel. VIVA became an immediate success with the audience, while ultimately providing German artists with a music channel that could help expose their music to the German audience. After many years of fierce competition for audience share, MTV Networks Europe eventually acquired VIVA on 14. January 2005 after it had outran its own efforts for better ratings. MTV today operates VIVA channels across Europe, in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Poland, Hungary, the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland.

RESEARCH- HOW TO STUDY MUSIC VIDEOS

CLICK HERE TO SEE MY PREZI 

RESEARCH- NARRATIVE IN MUSIC VIDEO

The star is the one that lends the video world its splendour, that give the audiovisual elements their atraction. While the shots may seem discontinous the shots in the music video are highly connected and revolve around the image of the star.
The star promotes the phenomenon of identification, which is a process by which the viewers become attached to the star. The form of identification goes as far as the fans trying to become their idols through imitating their speech, movements and consumer patterns.

RESEARCH- ANALYSIS OF MANIC STREET PREACHERS'S "A DESIGN FOR LIFE"

"A design for life" by the Manic street preachers is a video packed full of the basic and essential conventions of a music video. Journalist Paula Shutkever explains that "The Manics are often associated with the emotional pain of youth".

Tight, restricted and dangerous looking factory. Symbolises

their emotions.

In the music video they have conveyed the message that society is changing, and that the world is falling apart. The band are playing their song in a tight, restricted and dangerous looking factory, which ultimately symbolises the feeling they are going through. While the band are lip syniching to the song expressing the "emotional
pain" they are going through their thoughts and flash backs are being projected on the walls of the factory setting. The projections themselves look damaged, which shows that the past is fading away and the present day is    overwhelming the world with miserary.

The conventions of this music video are typical, due to the fact is has the band performing their song and at the same time their is clear narrative in which they are expressing their feelings about the world and society of today.

'Vintage' projections are damaged, showing the fading away 

of the 'good times' and how the present day is

over whelming the past.

The camera work in the music video is also key in symbolising thier emotions. For example the main camera shot through the video is a 'hand held shot'. From this it makes the audience feel apart of thier pain and almost puts themselves into the video. In my opinion this is vital. It shows us that their is no need for expensive camera shots and equipment. Instead it seems that the Manics wanted us to feel the same emotions they are feeling and from this a hand held shot best fit this.

RESEARCH- THEODOR ADORNO

Theodor Adorno was a German sociologist, philosopher and musicologist known for his critical theory of society.He belived that capitalism fed people with the products of culture industry  the opposite of true art, to keep them passively satisfied and politically apathetic.
Adorno saw that capitalism had not become more precarious or close to collapse, as Marx had predicted. Instead, it had seemingly become more entrenched. Where Marx had focussed on economics, Adorno placed emphasis on the role of culture in securing the status quo.

Popular culture was identified as the reason for people's passive satisfaction and lack of interest in overthrowing the capitalist system.
Adorno suggested that culture industries churn out a debased mass of unsophisticated, sentimental products which have replaced the more 'difficult' and critical art forms which might lead people to actually question social life.
False needs are cultivated in people by the culture industries. These are needs which can be both created and satisfied by the capitalist system, and which replace people's 'true' needs - freedom, full expression of human potential and creativity, genuine creative happiness.
Commodity fetishism (promoted by the marketing, advertising and media industries) means that social relations and cultural experiences are objectified in terms of money. We are delighted by something because of how much it cost.
 
Popular media and music products are characterised by standardisation (they are basically formulaic and similar) and pseudo-individualisation (incidental differences make them seem distinctive, but they're not)
Products of the culture industry may be emotional or apparently moving, but Adorno sees this as cathartic - we might seek some comfort in a sad film or song, have a bit of a cry, and then feel restored again.

Boiled down to its most obvious modern-day application, the argument would be that television leads people away from talking to each other or questioning the oppression in their lives. Instead they get up and go to work (if they are employed), come home and switch on TV, absorb TV's nonsense until bedtime, and then the daily cycle

Click below to find out how Theodor Adorno is relevant to the 21st century

RESEARCH- MUSIC THROUGH THE DECADES

Click here to view my slide share on 'Music through the decades'

RESEARCH- OUR VISIT TO THE BRITISH MUSIC EXPERIENCE

On Tuesday the 20th of June I went to the British Music Experiece at the O2.

We spent several hours exploring the various different exhibits ranging from 1945 to the present day. The different exhibits showed how music evolved, how trends changed and what global event was happening at the time to influence this. 

When getting a background knowledge of the history of music, we then took part in a workshop where we learnt in depth to what happened in each decade, starting from 1945 One thing I found intresting was that each decade had their own style. For instance in the 70s people wore flared trousers and tops. Whereas in the 90s the style revolved around grunge, which was inspired by the 'Sex pistols' and their idea of anarchy.  

Another piece of information i found intresting was the fact that there were no such thing as 'teenagers' before the 1950s. Cliff Richard brought around the idea of dressing different to adults and becoming more 'anti socitey'. From this the steriotypical image of teenagers was born.

Inside the music experience we received smart cards in which we could take information away from the exhibits. I found this very useful in the way they work with new technologies to help people learn.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW US DANCING INSIDE THE DANCE BOOTH