FIRST MUSIC VIDEO DRAFT

This is the first draft of my music video. I am no where near happy with it yet, as I have only filmed in one location so far. Therefore, the style of this video is very different from how I plan the outcome of my music video. I do plan on adding more special effects and editing effects to the post-production of these clips also. However this was a good opportunity for me to gain some experience in the filming and editing process and enable me to learn from and advance on my skills.

Fiming Diary - Day One

03/11/14
Woods near my house

Shots filmed:
8, 9, 13, 14

Complications:

• Although the weather was good, I did not take into consideration how muddy the tracks to the forest would be, due to the previous bad weather. This led to me and the actress having to arrive to our destination later then planned, as it took us so long to walk through the mud.
• In addition, as well due to the time of the year and the weather, the temperature on the day was very cold and I had to take into consideration that with my original costume idea of my actress just wearing a dress, it would be too cold for her and it could cause risk of her becoming ill. Therefore, on the day I adapted her costume so that she also was wearing tights and a coat. However I was still pleased with her look and it still appeared effective.

However despite these, I was still successful in film all of the shots that I had planned in my storyboard which featured in the location of the forest. I made this decision to film these shots first, as around one third of my video I planned to film in this location, therefore it was a priority for me to get these scenes filmed first.

First me and my actress drove to the woods which are near my house, which is convenient that she can drive as I was able to take my camera and the tripod that I had borrowed from college with us. Then when we got to woods, I set up the equipment and began practise test shots to make sure everything will be set up, including the right manual settings and focus.

I began explaining to my model what I aimed to film and took upon the role of director, as I even demonstrated the actions for her, to get it as close to my storyboard and how I envisioned it as possible. Then all of the shots which I filmed went mostly to plan and I was extremely happy with the result. One thing I feel would of improved my music video would of been if I could of accessed a dolly track to use on the day of filming. However, not only were there very limited tracks provided by college, but the ground of the location we were filming on were extremely bumpy, due to the roots of the tree trunks, therefore the dolly track would not have been set up effectively. However I feel that I tackled the problem well, as I held the camera steady when moving backwards and forwards.

Overall, I feel the filming day went well and I am happy with the shots that I produced.

Behind the scenes photos:

HEALTH AND SAFETY PRECAUTIONS

Before filming in these different locations, I need to be fully aware of the hazards and risks that could occur and make sure I know the action that needs to be taken in the case of one of these incidents takng place.

(Click on the image to enlarge)

TEST SHOTS

Here I am playing around with the focus on my camera to try and produce the best quality available. Also I am aiming to create some distorted effects throughout my video, and the variation in focus in this shot demonstrates what will hopefully feature throughout my piece.

PLANNING DAY ONE FILMING

This wednesday I am going to film shots 8, 13 and 14 of my music video.

I made the decision to film on this day as I researched into the weather forecast and found that wednesday was the best day weather wise, as it was dry and had sun, therefore this would allow me to film outside in the best conditions and there would be no health and safety risks, such as slipping on the wet ground.

Location -
The location will be my third location, in the woods near my house.

Time -
I have scehduled the shoot to last around two hours, so that it fits around both mine and my actress' scehduels.

People -
The only person I need with me on the day is my actress, as I do not need any help filming in the location we are. Also, my actress can drive which is very beneficial as we do not need to rely on anyone to take us to the location.

Equipment -

• Canon 550D
• Tripod
• 18-55mm lens
• Camera bag

Props -
There will be no props involved in these shots that I will film.

VIDEO TECHNIQUES AND INFLUENCES

When researching several exisiting music videos, I came across some music videos which inspired me and influcened me to incorporate elements into my own music video.

SECOND LOOK, MISE-EN-SCENE MOODBOARD

 

Compared to the actress' first look, this look is dramatically different and the contrast between the two appearances will emphasise the two different sides to the character of the music video. I would like her hair to be scraped back and out of her face in this look, as it could suhggest that she is stressed and has been scraping her hands through her hair. In addition, it appears harsh, compared to the soft angelic waves of the actress' first look. Furthermore, with the actress' hair out of her face, is draws attention to to her make-up and mascara down her face. Throughout the majority of the video, I would like the actress to have black mascara smudged down her face as this will emphasise the fact that she has been crying will create her to appear quite scary, compared to the angelic first look. Again I would like the actress to be wearing black clothing to connote her depression, but also in the extreme close-up shots of her crying I would like her to have bare shoulders, creating the image of her being stripped down and emotionally bare.

FIRST LOOK, MISE-EN-SCENE MOODBOARD

 

 

 

 

The first look that I would like my actress to have would be very similar to these images. I want her to appear very natural, therefore the sue of minmal makeup and wavy hair shoud create this impression. I intended for this look as it will later show juxtaposition with the artists's second look and will connote the two different sides to her character, which the music video is conveying. In addition, I would like her outfit to mainly consist of the colour black, as this has connotations of struggle and depression. Furthermore it suggests that she is a charater who does not want to stand out and hides her inner feelings.

CAST

Throughout the music video, there will only be one actress present the whole time, as this represents the isolation that she feels and connects to the lyrics.

My actress for my music video is Lucy Thompson, she is a singer from Howden, and is also covering the track for me, for my actual music video. The video is focused on Lucy, and her thought process and emotions will be presented through the use of cinematography and lyrics of the song. I chose to have Lucy as my actress due to her charisma and acting ability, but also because I think that she is very  interesting to look at. She is very unique in her style and looks and therefore this is perfect for the character that I want to create.

Moreover, I also made the decision to have Lucy performing the song for my video, as she has a very beautiful, soulful and powerful voice, with an amazing range capability. I found that by using her for both acting and the song would be effective, as she would be able to connect and perform to the song easier, and the conventional feature of lip-synching the words would be a perfect match.

LOCATIONS

LOCATION ONE:

I will produce a lot of my filming here as it allows me to film my actress in a range of lighting, with the use of the professional lighting equipment. Furthermore, the use of the plain white background is very useful for my music video for the close up shots of my artist crying and lip-synching. i have set up the lights and the positioning of them so they will allow me to produce footage of the best quality.

LOCATION TWO:

(cliff)
I made the decision to include this cliff top and the sea into my music video, as it is very picturesque and will again to the solidarity of mu music video. Furthermore, I knew that in this location there will probably be high winds, which will look effective when filming my actress, as her hair will blow with the wind.


LOCATION THREE:

This scenery is only ten minutes away from my house therefore it is very easy to access and is hidden deep in the woods. I find it a very peaceful and beautiful place which would appear effective to the solidarity of my music video and therefore will emphasise the artistic quality of it.

WHERE MY VIDEO WILL FEATURE

I want to be able to provide my audience with the easiest accesability as possible, therefore I carried out research into very popular social media sites that are easy to access, so that they would be familiar with the media and use it often. I knew that by using social media it will encourage my music video to be passed on and would hopefully get noticed by a mass audience, with the use of web 2.0. Below is some of the research I carried out into what the most popular social media sites are and thus I will be publishing my videos on.

In particular, Youtube will be the first place I publish my music video as it has 790 million per month unique visitors and 100 billion page views, therefore it would ensure that my video would be viewed by a mass audience. Furthemore, it is also a very easy process to upload the video and easy for audience members to view and comment on, thus hopefully the majority of my target audience would be familiar with how to use the site. In addition, there is a programme on Youtube called 'Vevo' which has the purpose of promoting artists new music videos, along with other videos of the artists. Consequently, I would sign my artist to a Vevo account, so that audience members can not only view the channels music videos, but also be able to see extra videos of the artist and conncect to her better.

Convergence takes place amongst many of these socila media sites, such as Youtube with Facebook and Twitter, therefore it is a very effective way of connecting my promotion for the video together.

These are evidently very popular socilal media sites that would appeal to an extreme mass audience, due to the media sites also being international. Therefore, by publishing my music videos via web 2.0 and social media, it is very effective as it is easy but also cheap to reach an audience of millions. With the social media sites, I would create an account on each one of the artist and publish their music videos on there, by linking them to Youtube, demonstarting convergence. As well, Instagram is a social media site which publishes short video clips and images, therefore I could promote the music video by including demo videos of the music video before it is released, so that it would preprare and make the audience aware when the official music video is published, raising awareness. Moreover, it is an effective media site to publish my anciliary texts on too.

 

 Social media will encourage people to discuss my music video and will hopefully catch the attention of other people, even fans of another music genre who would not usually watch a music video of a different genre.

 

Another media area which I will publish and display my music video will be on the popular music channel 'MTV' which is an international music channel. MTV has transformed into a huge conglomerate, transition from one channel to now eight different subsidiaries, including: MTV Hits, MTV base etc. This is effective as it then appeals to a wide range of audeinces, who are fans of different music genres. Furthermore, the target audeince of MTV is suited for teenagers and young adults which matches the same target audience that my music video is aimed at. MTV is a very succesful brand and hopefully will publish my video to a mass audience.