Animatic

I found doing this animatic very useful as it gave me a view on what my video could possible look like, however not everything turned out to be as i planned it. When putting the still images with the music i realised that some of the cuts didnt match the beat of the song, this meant that i had to change the length of some of the images and even remove some. 

Test Footage

All of the following clips are footage of the first actor (Jess) who I first used to be in my music video. Although I am not using these specific clips I am still using the same shots but for my new actor. I received feedback from these clips therefore I am referring to these as first drafts and now when I re-film I know what to do and what not to do.

This clip is a medium close-up of the actors back; I was going to include this in the 'body shots' sequence of the music video. In the clip I used the tri-pod to pan, showing the full width of her back, the plan is not very smooth and doesn’t stay at a consistent speed so when I re-shoot this with the new actor I will need to make sure i improve on this.

 

This clip is an extreme close-up of the actors face when she was crying; again the pan isn’t very good so I will need to improve on this, especially as it is an extreme close-up so it will need to be slower.

 

This clip is an extreme close-up of the actor’s eyes, then her looking down. I used lighting specifically on the left side of her face to give a shadow to the right side. This is effective so I will definitely be using this technique when I re-shoot. However the camera is slightly slanted so her eyes don’t look in line.

 

This clip is of the actor sat on a chair in her garden on her phone. I think the shot would have been acceptable to use If I was still using this actor. However the camera slightly moves/shakes.

 

This clip is of the actor swirling her hand around in a circular motion, I wanted to include this shot in my video as it links with the lyrics 'they surround in my head every night'. I placed a light below so the shadow of her hand is on the wall and makes the shot look effective. However I will not be using this shot when I re-shoot the video.

This clip is of the actor against a white background singing the song. I wanted to place the actor of the right using the rule of thirds but unfortunately part of her body goes in the centre. On the other hand, I will still be using this idea when I re-shoot this scene but will make sure I place my actor in the correct place.

This clip is a close-up of the tea-stained quote which was one of the props I used to film. I'm not sure whether or not I will be using this exact shot/idea when I re-shoot but I will definitely be re-using the shot.

 

This clip is of Jess using one of the props (the tea stained quote) and placing it on a mirror then looking at it. I did this to fit in with the narrative, showing Jess reading the quote looking sad yet also happy as she is believing in the quote which is 'What doesn't kill you only makes you stronger'. Although the idea I had fits with the narrative, I wont be re-shooting this shot with the new actor.



Prop List

To give my music video a sense of realism I am using several props in the video, these are:

A mobile phone- this will be used to show a photo of Beth & Rob as the background photo of the phone establishing their relationship.

A Laptop- this will also be used to establish Beth & Rob's relationship, however instead of showing a photo it will be showing a 'home video' of the two, and will represent what their relationship was like.

A Bike- this will be used in the 'home video' scene shown on the laptop.

A Guitar- The main instrument used in the song is a guitar; therefore I think it is very important to include at least one shot of it in the music video as well as a shot of Beth playing it too.

Tea stained quote- The actor I previously used (Jess) has a tattoo on her rib cage reading 'what doesn’t kill you only makes you stronger' in latin. I have transcribed this tattoo in English on paper in a script font, I then tea stained the paper and burnt the edges giving the effect of it being a sort of historical document.

Photo of Beth & Rob- I am using a photo of Beth and Rob in a frame at the end of the music video, Rob will then fade from the photo showing Jess alone, connotating that they're no longer in a relationship with each other.

Flowers- I will be using the flowers in several different scenes, the first scene will be a reminiscing scene of Beth and Rob where I will show Rob giving them to Beth as a gift. The second scene will be when Beth is in the field alone and she will drop one of the flowers. And the last scene where I will be showing the flower is when Rob is in the field alone, after Beth and he finds the flower.

Shooting Schedule

Shooting Schedule


Tuesday-15/11/11- Shooting with Beth at her house. Shots 5, 6, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37 & 92.



Thursday-17/11/11- Shooting of Beth against white background. Shots 4, 12, 16, 19, 20, 37, 42, 49, 54, 56, 59 & 61.


Sunday- 27/11/11- Shooting Beth in the field.- (sunset, 15:56)
Shots 1, 2, 60, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76 & 77.


Wednesday 30/11/11-  Beth and Rob shots: 3, 13, 15, 17, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 43, 44, 46, 47, 48, 50, 51, 52, 53, 55, 57, 58, 62, 89, 90 & 91.
Field shots- 25, 26, 27, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84 & 88.
My house- 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 14, 18 & 21.

Shots where no actor is needed (animation)- shots 38, 39, 40, 41, 85, 86, & 87.


Shots already done (previously by Jess)- 30, 31 & 32.

14/11/11-Cast List

Jessica Robinson- the main character, playing Miley Cyrus
I decided to use Jess in my music video, not only because she is a very close friend, but because when I decided i was going to use a Miley Cyrus song for my video, all I could picture was Jess. She's a very confident person and I have no doubts about her letting me down, I know she's willing to do the things i ask of her for the video and I can definitely rely on her.
As previously explained, I have now decided to use someone else to be involved in my music video. So I will now be using Beth Thompson. She has already been helping throughout my previous filming, such as holding lights up and giving me general feed back, so she knows how important the making of this music video is. I explained the circumstances of why I didnt want to use Jess anymore and why i wanted her, and she was more than willing to help and feature as the main character. As I already made the mistake of relying on Jess to film at specific times I made sure I spoke to Beth about when i would need her to film although I did this with Jess too, I have no doubts that beth will stick to the schedule and she is willing to give up some of her spare time for me to film. I have also taken into consideration that Beth also studied Drama at school so she understands and wont get frustrated if I have to re-shoot things.



Daniel Whitbread-because the song is about a relationship I thought it would be a good idea to include a 'partner' for Jess in the music video, even though the song is about giving someone up. Daniel isnt going to be a huge part of the video but he will definitely contribute. I chose him because him and Jess are good friends, so I know they will have no problem with the intimacy of pretending to be in a relationship.
As well as re-casting Jess, i also decided to re-cast Danny. I originally chose him to feature in the music video with Jess because they are friends so they would get along. But obviously as I am not longer using Jess I cant use Danny because him and Beth dont know eachother. Consequently, I have decided to use Rob. He was also more than willing to help out and be in the music video and I am happy with my choice of using him. I also used Rob last year for my music magazine, so he knows the importance of the work, as he now does media and I'm sure I can rely on him.

14/11/11-Locations

As my music video is going to include aspects of narrative as well as performance I need to ensure that i have several different locations to film in, to carry out the narrative in a proceeding way to tell the lyrics of the song clearly, as well several different locations for the performances too so it's not too reaccuring and manages to stay interesting. However, some of the locations to do with the narrative will also be performance locations too, i will refer to these as 'reminiscing scenes' for the actor (Beth).


Wyke green room
I had originally planned to use the green room specifially to use the green screen to edit a background onto, instead I optioned to use the white wall in the room for my actor to be infront of. I had already filmed my actor performing the whole song in this location, the once analysed i will choose which parts of these performances will go into my video.

Hessle Foreshore/ Country Park
I will be using this setting quite a lot as the scenes of narrative of my main actor Beth and Rob who will be portrayed as her boyfriend will be filmed here. Some of the 'reminiscing scenes' will be filmed here too.


Actor's House
To show a true narrative of the actor I decided to use the actors home, it is obviously a place of comfort and shall hopefully help convey meaning. I will also be using the back garden of the house.

Actor's Street


Field

14/11/11 UPDATE!

Unfortunately, due to reasons such as not being able to film at the specific times/days that I need to because of the actors other commitments, I am having to re-shoot the footage I already have, therefore in different locations and using a different actor. The actor I have previously used was also quite unwilling to cooperate a lot of the time, although when I first started to plan and I had decided to use her, I didn’t think this would be a problem whatsoever. Although this is unfortunate I am thankful I have been given the insight to realise how the filming went wrong and where I need to improve. I appreciate the second chance I have been given to re-film as it's not too late to do so and am willing to working even harder to make sure my original ideas and standards are met.

14/11/11-Outfits

To have a sense of continuity and realism of Beth's 'Life' in the music video i need to ensure that all of the different locations she is wearing different clothing as these locations represent different times of her life.


Wyke green room
As the background is white I will be making sure Beth wears dark clothing so to not clash with the wall. I have chosen to put her in a black vest top and jeans, so it looks casual and she looks comfortable.


Hessle Foreshore / Country Park
As the weather will be cold all of the scenes which are outside the actors (Beth and Rob) will always be in coats and other warm clothing such as jeans. In all of the scenes of Beth and Rob together outside Beth will be wearing the same outfit, even though these scenes will be shown throughout the whole video it seems strange to put them in the same clothes as it's as if every time a scene is shown is a different day. However I want these one scene to be continuous and to be Beth reminiscing about one memory of her and Rob.

Actor's House
As the actor house if obviously a place of comfort for her she will always be wearing comfortable clothing in her house which will just be casual. As the rooms where I am filming in her house are very light Beth will be wearing darker clothing, this dark clothing also represents how she is feeling which is sad and to a certain extent, depressed.


Field
At the end of the song where the majority of the shots are in a field I have chosen Beth to be wearing a white dress, which is representing her purity and also connotating her finally letting go of her and Rob's relationship and starting to be happy again. Looking for a specific white dress which I thought would fit the actors persona, as well as looking nice was considerably hard, fortunately I managed to find one which didn’t look 'cheesy' like a wedding sort of dress, but looked 'indie' like Miley Cyrus' style and something she would probably wear.

Tattoo

For one of the scenes in the music video there is shot of the actors tattoo which is on her ribcage and translates as 'What doesnt kill you only makes you stronger'. After this shot is shown i will be using the document shown above which is the tattoo but in english. I have tea stained the papaer to make it look like an old document.

Miley Cyrus-style

In recent years Miley Cyrus has broken away from the 'Hannah Montana' persona, giving the public a different view of her. These days she is known more for her provocative outfits worn on stage and her newly chosen genre of music, which is more dance/rock. I personally value Miley Cyrus' sense of style, not just on stage, but in general too, she is quite 'indie' but still manages to look feminine too. For my music video I want to change Jessica's style to a similar look of Miley Cyrus', although I want my artist to obviously have her own individuality and I don’t want to copy Miley Cyrus exactly, I think it will be interesting to see how much I can change the visual appearance of Jess and her actions for the music video.

Conventions Essay

A convention is something which the audience expect to see within the specific text. This usually leads it to becoming recognised by a certain genre, meaning audiences who aren’t specifically interested in it will still recognise the genre. Generally there are several different conventions of a music video, these are; the cinematography, the editing, the mise-en-scene and the sound.

The purpose of the cinematography to be used is to make the video interesting and keep the audience engaged. For example, close ups are often used to establish someone and their feelings through facial expressions. All different genres of music videos will use this, specifically m y chosen genre, as close-ups are a good way to portray sadness. Many camera movements are used throughout a music video too. Movements such as panning, tilting and tracking  are all used to follow the artist,  the use of these techniques being used means that the video will not be boring, and the different shots help make it more interesting. These movements also help with the realism of the artist featured in the music video, as the audience see more to establish feelings and the setting with these types of shots.

The editing of a music video is very important. Aspects of editing are making sure the footage is edited in time with the music, placing transitions and cuts into the footage, and then making sure these fit in with the tempo and genre of the song is the song is quick and upbeat. The purpose of these things needing to be done is to create a specific atmosphere for the video as well as clearly establish the genre of the song. Within the editing, the transitions and cuts from one shot to another are specifically important as again, it makes sure the video is not boring and shows continuity within the chosen medium. Consequently aspects such as these are not done correctly; the video can look very disorganised.

The mise-en-scene used in all music video’s in generally always the same, depending on the genre, which makes it a much needed and important convention. Things such as lighting, costume, setting and props are also part of the mise-en-scene. The lighting used is very important in setting the right atmosphere in a music video, and obviously in other mediums such as films. For example, if the lighting is very bright it could connotate happiness and liveliness, on the other hand if the lighting is dim it could connotate sadness. Lighting used on specific things and people also help represent feelings too. Props used in a music video are essential. The most often used prop, depending on the genre of the music video, is instruments. The use of using instruments help with establishing the artist and their personality. Specific and usually unusual props are sometimes used as an icon for the artist. For example, the band slipknot all wear different masks in every one of their music videos and also during their live performances, mainly because they don’t want to reveal their true identities, the band explain the use of the masks as ‘wanting the audience to like the band for the music and not what we look like’. The costumes used in different music videos usually have different levels of importance depending on the genre of the artists and what they intend to represent. For example, Lady Gaga is known for her unusual outfits in her music videos therefore she is represented is the media as being unusual herself, meaning her music is seen as this too. On the other hand other artists of different genre’s will usually wear ‘normal clothing’ a main example for this is bands, their music videos tend to just include performance meaning they will be acting as themselves, therefore dressing as themselves and representing their band in what one of their concerts would be like because of the performance aspect. The colours within the music video usually help set the mood of the song, for example dark colours usually connote a sadness, in contrast with the lighting. Whereas if bright colours were used, the connotation of the music video and the song would be the opposite.


The sound used in a music video is the non-diegetic music and vocals, however sometimes dialogue can be involved if the music video involves a narrative. Using speech in a music video is becoming a lot more popular and helps establish and promote the artist as an individual. For example, the band All Time Low have used quite a lot of speech in their most recent music video, ‘I Feel Like Dancing’ the use of this being used definitely helps portray the personalities of each band member and their views.

The genre for my chosen song is considered to be country/pop therefore it doesn’t have specific conventions which need to be involved; it can be a mixture of different aspects of genres. Because the genre of the song I have chosen conveys sadness I need to make sure I use the specific lighting and colours needed to represent this emotion. On the other hand because the genre of Miley Cyrus (my chosen artist) is pop, therefore the song being part of pop, I need to use some of the specific conventions within that genre too. For example, as parts of my music video are going to be scenes of my actor reminiscing on good times, I will be using bright colours which fit within the conventions of pop. My music video is to include a mixture of narrative as well as performance; many genres use this especially pop. However, I don’t want the narrative to be broken, therefore there will be no speech involved in the video. Instead I will make sure that parts of the narrative will be told through the lyrics of the song and the actions of the actor which link to the specific lyrics.