Today we discussed the scenes that need to be re-shot, and brand new scenes that need filming.
Instrument close ups: we are going to film clips of the band members playing their instruments. This adds another interesting layer to the music video, and we will utilise the angles we talked about in our previous meetings. Here is an example of some of the angles we will use:
We also need to re-shoot the postcard scenes, as there are some scenes with distractions in the background. We are hoping to organise the filming of these scenes soon.
Our first official filming session was completed on the 12th of November.
We only had a one hour time slot due to the drama studio being used by members of staff and other students, so we made sure we were adequately prepared.
To set up the studio, we first cleared the floor to make bringing in the instruments easier. We then loaded up the cargo trolley with the drum kit and hardware. Taking the instruments required multiple trips so we were helped by some other students to move the instruments as quickly as possible.
The layout of the room was inspired by bands such as mallory knox
The drum kit was placed on an elevated stand, with a guitarist either side and a singer in the middle.
We referred back to previous posts when choosing angles - here are a few that are similar.
We were not able to fully film the entire song as we only had one hour to film, and the equipment had to be transported back to their respective departments at the end of the day, which cut into our hour.
In today's meeting we discussed the tasks that were to be completed in the week.
We were able to film a large portion of our song, and will use these clips along with our previous footage (the postcards) to form the basis of our video.
The tasks for this week are as follows:
Import the footage onto each of our computers
Download and import the song into our iMovie projects
experiment with the footage we have individually before meeting again next monday and working as a group to discover which videos look best
In our filming process, the most important thing we need to consider is mise-en-scene
The definition of mise-en-scene is "The arrangement of everything that appears in the framing – actors, lighting, décor, props, costume " Actors: We used actors as both extras in the video, and as members of the band. We didn't have a specific look for our actors so we recruited our friends as it was easier to film them. We will ensure the actors are briefed on what is required of them such as turning up on time, wearing the correct costume and acting correctly. Lighting: For our lighting, we will use the lighting rig in the drama studio. The lighting rig is a professional lighting desk, which means that the lights are customisable and we can adjust the intensity and brightness of the lights. Props: The Instruments are ready to take up. We will be using a Drum kit, Electric Guitar, Bass Guitar and Microphone with a mic stand. We will also use amplifiers in our shots so that the band look professional.
This image shows the typical costume we used in our video. The actor is wearing a T-shirt and jeans. The other actors also wore similar costumes.
This image shows our filming space and the setup we used. We used the rostrum to place the drum kit on, and for the guitarists to sit on.
Here is the finished set up. This image was taken from where we had placed the tripod for the filming. The shot frames the actors well, and means that we can easily edit out things in the background because there are no large distractions.
We assessed and evaluated the health and safety risks of the equipment and location we were using.
Transporting the instruments:
The instruments are heavy, so rather than carry them up the stairs and risking injury we decided to use the cargo trolley and the lift. This will allow us to load up the drum kit and transport it in one or two trips.
We ensured that the studio had adequate fire escapes in the unusual event of a fire breaking out
We also made sure that there were no tripping hazards, and we will make sure there are no loose wires when we start to film.
We drafted a small story board in order to work out what scenes we needed to film. We also wrote a list of people who would be featured in our music video and ticked them off as they agreed to participate.
In order to meet deadlines, the group created a filming schedule.
These are the scenes that need filming :
The band performing the song both in the studio and outside.
The promenade scene.
The timelapse of the liverpool skyline
The schedule we created is as follows.
Wednesday 12/11/14:
1.15-3.00pm: Set up the studio in preparation for filming, then film the band.
Location: D2 drama studio. We have ensured that the studio is free to use at this time, and that we will have adequate time to set up our equipment.
Props: Instruments - Drum Kit, Bass Guitar, Electric Guitar, Mic stand and Microphone, Amplifiers.
We have obtained permission to use these instruments, and we will use the cargo trolley to transport them into the studio.
Costume: The band members will bring their costumes to change into before shooting the music video. They know what costumes they will wear as I have briefed them using my previous blog post.
If the shoot goes successfully, the filming should be completed in this time period.
We will focus on this scene first as this is one of the most important scenes in the video. Once this is filmed we will schedule the filming of the other scenes.
We have decided on some other locations for the section of the music video that doesn't include the band playing their instruments.
These are:
The New Brighton Promenade overlooking Liverpool
Central/Vale Park
Various Areas around the school- e.g sports hall, field.
We chose to use the New Brighton promenade because of the iconic Liverpool skyline. It is very recognisable and adds a sense of professionalism to the video.
We chose the two parks because of the wide open spaces they provide. It will be possible to film without being disturbed.
Here is a selection of the postcards we used in one of the scenes in the video. As you can see, the postcards all feature the colour blue heavily. This, coupled with the lyrics from the song link to the name of the song- dark blue.
This particular brief requires our group to be organised - we will be using many extras in our video so we need to organise times when they can all film.
We will use these actors in our video.
The Band
Our Band will consist of me on the drums, Henry on the guitar, Adam on the bass guitar and Will as the singer. We will all need to be free on one day to film the song.
Postcard holders
This group of people will consist of our friends. They will hold up the postcards in our music video.
It will be preferable if they are all free at one time, but this isn't important as they can be taken to film at any time.
Our Band consists of 4 members, a drummer, a bassist, a vocalist and a lead guitarist.
As I was in charge of the costumes featured in the music video, I conducted some research into the costumes wore in various rock music videos, as these were most likely to feature musicians playing instruments.
I discovered that most videos feature the band wearing casual, everyday clothes. This is because the band are usually performing very energetically, so wearing elaborate costumes would be impractical.
For our music video, the vocalist/lead guitarist will be wearing:
A band tee shirt with a Demin jacket over the top
Jeans
Doc Marten Boots.
The Bassist will be wearing:
A plain tee
Jeans
Trainers
The Drummer will be wearing:
A tank top/band tee
Jeans
Trainers.
These choices give our band a casual look, but tie them together through the use of different band tees. It gives us ample opportunity to use unique camera angles to highlight the different clothing of the band.
We had a group meeting on monday, and assigned ourselves these roles
Director: responsible for making artistic decisions about the film. We decided that the group would be more unified if we had an overall leader, although we could all present our ideas and be listened to. We decided to elect Rhya as our director.
Assistant Director: assists the director and organises the film shoot. Max and Kyle assumed the role of assistant directors.
Camera Operator: responsible for recording the shots with the camera. Max and Rhya are the camera operators, as Kyle will be featured in the music video.
Grip and Runners: responsible for carrying heavy camera equipment or tripods and any jobs or errands the director or 1st assistant director needs doing. All of the group are assuming this role, as we can share the load of carrying equipment to shooting locations.
Extra Crew Members
Clapper Loader: responsible for logging completed shots and using the clapper board!
Rhya is taking on this role as she is the Director.
Continuity: Ensuring that there are no errors in costumes from scene to scene, or changes in time. The entire group will fulfill this role.
Art Department: responsible for props and set design. Kyle and Rhya will be responsible for this.
Actors: responsible for performing or appearing in front of the camera. Kyle will be an actor, and different Oldershaw students will be used in the music video.
Extras: responsible for appearing in crowd scenes. Oldershaw students will be used as extras.
Wardrobe: responsible for costumes, hair and make-up. The group will share ideas in regards to wardrobe.
Sound Mixer: responsible for monitoring the sound levels and recording on set if you have an external microphone.
Deciding on where the band would be filmed was an important factor in our decision making process. The band shots will make up around 40-50% of the music video, which means that they need to very well organised and filmed.
We looked again at the video for Mallory Knox's "Oceans". In the section of the video where the band is being filmed, they are stood inside a large grey studio, with lights and equipment surrounding them. We really liked this idea, and decided that we would incorporate it within our video.
We also liked the video for "You won't last long in the desert" by The Blackhand, as it featured the band performing amongst sand dunes near the beach. We thought it would be an interesting idea to film the band outside, and we were going to use the school field for this task.
Organising these locations will require lots of planning. These are the tasks that we need to accomplish.
Gaining permission to use the Studio for filming
Gaining permission to use the Cargo Trolley to transport the instruments
Gaining permission to use the lighting rigs.
Organising a time period for filming and ensuring costume and props are available
We have already ensured that we are able to use the Instruments after we sent a permission slip to the Music department.
In our monday meeting, we brainstormed ideas for the 'story' part of the video.
We came up with an interesting idea inspired by two music videos:
Dirty Little Secret by The All American Rejects
All about the Money by The Blackhand
Both of these videos feature extras holding placards and postcards. The first video has people confess their dirtiest secret on postcards which are held up, and the second video asked members of the public and the band's friends, "what would you do with £1,000,000?"
We liked these ideas because they allowed other people to be involved in the music video, and it was quite a unique Idea.
We chose to develop the idea further by relating the postcards that the extras will be holding with the music video. For example, we will have some lyrics to the song posted on the card. "have you ever felt alone in a crowded room?" All of the cards will also be dark blue to relate to the song name.
we have been planning my
filming and time management, while during lesson's we have been researching for
music suitable for ourMusic Video. After research predominately using iTunes
and YouTube we chose the song "Dark Blue" written by Jack's Mannequin. As the song is copyrighted I had to contact Jack's Mannequin asking for
permission to use the music.
Re:The Oldershaw Academy
Dear Sir or Madam:
I
am constructing a Music
Video for my OCR A2 media coursework
We understand that you
are the owner of the copyright in the musical composition “(Name
Song”and would like your permission to include the
song in the advert.
The song will not be
used for public use and there is no intention to make any profit from the song.
It is simply to support my OCR coursework and the audience is limited for
education purposes only.
Your signature below,
under “confirmed by,”will indicate that you will agree to permit
this use without payment of a fee.Please let us know if you have any questions
concerning this license.Also would you please let us know as soon as
possible if this song cannot be licensed so that artistic changes may be made
in the songs to be included in the production.You can reach us in care of:
Mike Liddell
The Oldershaw Academy ,
Valkyrie Road,
Wallasey,
Wirral
CH45 4RJ
0151 638 2800
or
irwinmedia2@gmail.com
Thank you for your help
with this matter and we look forward to hearing from you.
It is important that we know our target audience in depth, and also that we know how to attract them to buy our product - without this then our product will be a failure.
Our group decided that our target audience would be:
13-19 years old. The indie pop genre is dominated by teenagers, so this will be who we are targeting. Teenagers of all ages can enjoy the song so we have a broader range of ages and maturity.
Predominantly female. Fans of the genre are also mostly female, and targeting them will yield the most popularity for our products. We have used an all male band, which will attract our audience
Interested in popular music. Our song is a typical upbeat pop song, and thus our audience should already have a keen interest in the genre.
I was placed in charge of the costumes and outfits that the band will be wearing in the video.
For our video I decided that our band would be wearing a casual attire, as this reflects the band's age range, and the upbeat, lighthearted tone of the video.
I looked at different music videos to see what outfits popular bands are wearing.
This image of the band mallory knox shows them wearing clothes from the brand "mostly". It is common for small bands to represent clothing brands as this gives both of them recognition. The band does not have a shared costume that is instantly recognisable, but the band's clothing style is similar.
Here is an image of the band "Catfish and The Bottlemen". This shot is interesting because there is a definite theme within the band. All of the band are wearing black clothes which creates an instantly recognisable look.
In this image of blink 182, the band members are wearing their own clothing brands. This is because they are a hugely successful band so they can self promote. This is not possible with our band, but we can promote other local bands by wearing their tee's.
Our group needed to get permission to use the instruments from our music department, so I typed up this permissions slip. It is important that we had permission because we want to share our video on the internet, and without permission this wouldn't be possible.
As a group, we each picked a selection of songs that we thought would work well for our music video.
These are the songs that we chose:
Kyle:
Bohemian like you - The Dandy Warhols
I feel so - Box Car Racer
Going away to college - Blink-182
Rhya:
Dark Blue - Jack's Mannequin
The Mixed Tape - Jack's Mannequin
Concrete Bed - Nada surf
Max:
Oceans - Mallory Knox
Kathleen - Catfish and The Bottlemen
Ghost in the mirror - Mallory Knox
We listened to each of these songs, discussing what we did and didn't like about them.
We then stripped our choices down to one song each.
Going away to college
Dark Blue
Oceans
We decided that we would use the song Dark Blue in our music video because we liked the upbeat rhythm, and we also thought we could use lots of dark blue colours and objects in our video.
Now we are decided on our brief being a music video, we researched a variety of different videos spanning multiple genres and looked at the camera angles they used.
Our group is interested in filming the music video with two parts.
A story featuring extras, other actors and different locations
A performance from a band who are playing the song on their respective instruments
We look first at the band shots, paying close attention to the angles and effects used.
In this video from bar car racer's video for their song "I feel so", we liked this angle.
This shot of the drummer is really interesting because it shows him surrounded by the drums, and he is also in front of the band's logo. We will use this shot in our video.
This lowshot of the guitarist is also interesting because it does not include his head, drawing attention to the guitar itself.
This close up of the singer brings intensity to the video. He is singing very emotionally, and it gives the video attitude and edge.
This close up of the snare drum is excellent because it fills the screen with the snare drum, creating an interesting unique shot. It also allows the crack of the snare to break through the music because the viewer is focused on this instrument.
We really liked this shot because of the atmosphere created by the lighting. We will utilise a mixture of dim and bright lights to create a contrast between the band.
This shot of the bass guitarist with the drummer in the background is interesting because it allows the viewer to focus on the rarely seen bassist, whilst also having the visual stimulus of the drummer.
We will use all of these shots in our music video, and will be especially careful with regards to our lighting.
As a Group we have decided to create a Music Video, Digipak and Magazine advertisement. We felt that this brief would best showcase our skills, and we had a lot of ideas and plans that we wanted to implement.
The brief we agreed upon was the promotion package for an album, with a music video, a website homepage and a digipak for the album's release.
We looked at various music videos spanning multiple genres.
The music video for Nickleback's Rockstar is very simplistic.The video consists of different people singing different lines of the song and dancing. The challenging thing about this video is the sheer number of people involved.
We decided that we wanted the music video to follow two parts: The video will feature the band performing their song, and then a seperate story that will be edited in.
