Shot list/timeline

•0:00 Tilt up / zoom in to longshot– Car park stairs

•0:07 Crane down / zoom in to longshot– Stage spotlight shot

•0:12 Zoom in to midshot – Car park stairs

•0:14 Zoom in to midshot– Stage spotlight shot (Flashing titles)

•0:16 Arc midshot – Car park roof, lit by car lights

•0:18 Still midshot – Driving

•0:22 Zoom in– Car park roof, lit by car lights (flashing titles)

•0:25 Still midshot– Stage spotlight shot

•0:27 Still midshot– Car park stairs

•0:29 Still mid shot  – Driving, through the windscreen

•0:35 Panning extreme close up – Black studio

•0:38 Still longshot– Stage spotlight

•0:40 Panning extreme close up of artist – Black studio

•0:45 Side track long shot – Projected shadow

•0:50 Still close up zooming out – Driving shot

•0:56 Still midshot – Car park stairs

•0:57 Still close up – Car park stairs

•0:58 Zoom in from longshot – Car park roof

•1:04 Zoom in to mid shot – Projected shadow

•1:11 CHORUS Still extreme longshot – Hall projector

•1:12 Still longshot – Hall projector (quick changes of projected images)

•1:26 Still close up - Driving shot

•1:33 Still midshot – Hall projector

•1:40 Zoom in longshot – Car park stairs

•1:54 Still midshot – Driving

•2:02 Panning long shot – Projected shadow

•2:08 CHORUS Still extreme longshot – Hall projector

•2:16 Still longshot – Hall projector (quick changes of projected images)

•2:20 Still close up - Driving shot

•2:27 Still midshot – Hall projector

•2:34 Zoom in longshot – Car park stairs

•2:40 SONG BRIDGE extreme long zooming in shot – stage spotlight

•2:52 Longshot zooming in – black studio (lowkey lighting)

•2:59 Close up – projected shadow

•3:04 Still longshot – Hall projector (fast paced cuts of projected video)

•3:06 CHORUS Midshot – Car park roof

•3:10 Midshot – Driving (flashing images in the window)

•3:16 Extreme close up – Black studio

•3:20 Still extreme longshot – Hall projector

•3:24 Still longshot – Hall projector (quick changes of projected images)

•3:28 Still close up - Driving shot

•3:31 Still midshot – Hall projector

•3:33 Zoom in longshot – Car park stairs

•3:39 Zoom out from close up – Driving

•3:42 Zoom out from close up – Car park stairs

•3:46 Zoom out from mid shot – Stage spotlight

•3:49 Tilt down from longshot – Car park stairs

•3:56 Zoom out from extreme longshot – Stage spotlight

Digipak drafts

The first design featured the colours used in lots of the videos in the genre; blue and red. They can symbolize the city nightlife as well as violence and masculinity. The border on the cover with a photo of the artist inside is used in a lot of the covers in the genre. It gives the cover a more simplistic look which is very conventional in all the genre's forms. The X on the CD is used a lot in TheWeeknd's clothing line and videos. The back cover is also very simplistic with a red grungy design.

The second design is more monochrome with low key lighting giving a silhouette of the artist in black and white. The artist's name in the centre. The back cover is also in black with white writing but also features low key lighting showing smoke which is very conventional in the genre. The Cd design is as simplistic as possible with nothing but a white border.

Magazine advert drafts

Health and safety risk assessment

Editing plan

For our music video we will be using adobe premier pro and after effects to create are video and apply titles. we will be using Photoshop to design our magazine advert and digipak but may also be used in creation of the raw titles before they go in to after effects.

MoodBoard

Costume planning

These are photos of the costumes we intend to use. They all keep with the theme of all black costumes that are used in all of our artist's videos and a lot of videos in the genre. The black costumes go with the mood of the video we are planning to make but also don't distract the viewer as much from the lyrics of the song and the artist in the spotlight or the lighting and effects. The denim material connotes biker culture and wrongdoing and I think this is why it is appropriate for our video.

Writing is by partner Toby Collis.

Analysis of song lyrics

Letter to record label

John Cabot Academy

Woodside Road

Kingswood

Bristol

BS15 8BD

Dear XO Records,

My name is Aidan Harrison and I’m currently a sixth form student at John Cabot Academy, I am studying media studies for A2 and our project is to make our own music video. I am writing to you in request for permission to use your labels song and logo for the purpose of my video to help me create a video that clearly represents the genre. The songs use is purely for educational purposes and to reflect my chosen genre accurately, there will be no profits or credit generated from the final music video. The logo will be something we use in another part of the task were we have to design a Digipak and Magazine advert, it would really help convey the genre through the use of this logo as it is so highly recognized in the genre. Again neither of these will be produced and no profits or credits generated from the final result.

Yours sincerely

 

Aidan Harrison

Props list

We will be using car headlights as a form of hard lighting as we have been influenced by The weeknds video of Wicked games.

We will be using a spotlight in our shots to highlight the artist.

We will be using jewellery in our video to convey representations of wealth which is something common through the genre.

Depending on locations we may be using smoke bombs to interact with the lighting as well.

Filming and editing schedule

Photos of locations

Initial planning ideas

Task 15 - Research into magazine adverts

This task will really aid me in the design of my own magazine adverts. I noticed in the genre they don't tend to advertise albums in magazines as it being a fairly new genre I assume they mainly advertise on-line. But through out all the advertisements for other promotions of there's I was able to get an understanding for the techniques applied. I learnt that they usually promote their tour using the key themes that they have applied to their album covers and videos, this idea can be applied across all of mine also so I have learnt I need to have a clear theme throughout all the formats I design, I also learnt that their is a lack of words on these adverts as they are designed to be straight to the point or offer a lot of information through the image.

Task 14 - Research into digipaks

Digipaks research

This task will really help me when I am making my own digipak. looking in depth at the covers from my genre has helped me pick out the key themes with in the genre instead of just the key themes with in digipaks. I now understand that in my genre they use black as a dominant colour and white is also very common, this is something I will be looking to replicate. I also noticed that they use effects such as overlay and the lack of direct address to create this idea of them being under the influence of alcohol or drugs, this something I could apply to my digipak as this is clearly a key theme through out the genre not just in digipaks.

Task 13 - Tracking into artist/band through their career

This task has allowed me to look in depth at how an artist represents themselves and how certain aspects can change that. Due to this artist being part of a genre very similar to mine it was good to see how they present themselves in order for me to be able to present my artist in a way that stands out to his artist. He also doesn't represent himself as a traditional rapper which is a way I want to represent my artists so things like the clothing Kanye wears has inspired me for costumes because this will help my artist be distinctly recognized for his genre.

Task 11 - Audience Research

If unheard of the genre I would appreciate if you just viewed one of The Weeknds videos to help you answer the survey:

Create your free online surveys with SurveyMonkey , the world's leading questionnaire tool.

Task 7 - Research into relevant genre

In this task I have learnt the difference between the first rap videos to the ones in my current sub genre. I have learnt that they are focused around performance and portraying the character in a way which makes the audience idolize with the artist, This is something that I want to factor in when planning my video, Also noticing that they still feature conventions of the hip hop genre in the contemporary rap videos is something I would like to feature in my video so that it appeals to viewers that don't have an understanding of the genre.

Task 12 - Music Channels

This task has allowed me to outline the most effective way of distribution and I can use this to state where I would promote my music video to get it the recognition I want. I also now know that the channels featuring genres are quite vague and I can say my artist would most likely just appear on sites like YouTube and Vevo so this will be the best place to promote mine.

Task 9 - Inspiration and Influences - Evidence

This task has allowed me to get more of an understanding on how I want my video to look by seeing it visually. I have outlined some key things from my influences that I want to take and recreate for my own video. These influences will help me match my own up against what I was trying to recreate when it comes to the production stage. It will also really help me plan what I want to shoot for example in my storyboard.

Task 4 - Analysis of music videos

This task has allowed me to look into detail the common things that occur with in the videos from my genre. This will be really handy as I can refer to this in planning and it will give me inspiration in how to structure my video in order for it to fit the conventions. It also helped me understand that the artist is supposed to dominate the shots which is something Carol Vernallis said in her theory no matter if its performance or narrative the artist should dominate the screen.

Task 3 - Research into existing companies that produce and distribute music videos

This task has allowed me to look into companies behind my genre to get a feel for the image that they give out. This will be really useful in looking for inspiration as they record labels may be a great place too look due to their constant involvement with the genre. Looking into the producers aims for drakes video over was really good as well as it gives me an insight to what the producers may want to create for this specific genre. Although the record labels behind the artists are not all exactly the same I can see that the record labels across the genre seem to sign similar artists of this kind that are from black decent and feature as part of the Hip Hop or R&B genre.

Task 8 - Theory

Andrew Goodwin 

'Music videos are simply an extension of the lyrics'

In some examples this theory is proved true by either a literal interpretation or a metaphorical interpretation.

An example of a literal interpretation is;

An example of a metaphorical interpretation is;




In some examples this theory can be proved wrong as artists occasionally take a more abstract approach that is irrelevant to the lyrics, can have a comedy effect or a focusing on the visual aspects like camera and editing.

An example of this is;



In conclusion this theory is not specifically true as videos have developed to be more abstract and tell a story in a different way than a literal interpretation but his theory can be applied to some videos.

Carol Vernallis

Narrative: Carol says 'The visual should be based upon the lyrics'. Whether it is through the performance or narrative or a mix of both she feels as it is always relevant to the lyrics. She also says regardless to the narrative everything will draw you to the performer for example if the song is a literal story the shots of the artist/performer will be more dominant.

Diegesis: 'How a story is created with in a video' ' The world within the music video'. These views can be shown through repetition, gaps in time, performance and narrative.

Camera shots: Music videos try to avoid mid shots. Adopted speed of filming and camera movements. Meaning that the camera movements will be at the speed of the music.

Editing: 'Will be left in a state of disjuncture'. This meaning that the editing is disconnected and can cut back to shots already featured or the used of fast cuts between various shots. 

This task has allowed me to realise that there are different ways to perceive a music video. The information on filming that Carol Vernallis says about the lack of mid shots and how the camera movements should be is really useful as I can use this in my video as I feel it would be effective, 

Task 6 - Influences of style

Task 6 - Influences of style on PhotoPeach

This task will help me outline what type of costume I want to incorporate into my video and will aid me in the planning also. I am heavily influenced by the black and white style and the feature of red and I have seen this through out my research into conventions so this is something that happens a lot in the genre through costume and videos. I also featured the influence of a photographer due to his style of photography featuring dark scenes with a thin strip of lighting isolating the subject. Sin city 2 is a reference to the black and white style featuring red to bring through the connotations of red being violence and love.

Task 10 - Analysis of previous students work

This task has been useful for me to look at the same work I am doing and how well or bad other people have done it. having a look into the criteria whilst doing this will help me understand what I have to do precisely to gain the most amount of marks possible. This has also given me a better insight into what makes a good advert and digipak as I was slightly unsure on them before this task.

Task 5 - Research into an artist

This task has allowed me to look into depth about an artists style, how this is portrayed and what overall image it creates. This is very useful to me as when I have to create my video, poster and digipak I will be able to link them together to create an overall image for the artist all linking to the representation they already have due to my findings.

Task 1 - History of music video

This task has been useful to see how music videos have developed and what the key features are that helped them develop. these key features can be applied to my own to help it be successful. it also helped me understand the principals and what their aim is and how that has changed and having an understanding of that will help me produce and market my own.

Task 2 - Conventions

This task has allowed me to look more deeply into the conventions of the genre I am interested in and understand what are the common things with in them and also music videos in general to help me get an idea how I might go about some aspects of my own. it was good to look at parts of mise en scene I found as I was unsure how I would incorporate that into my own effectively.

Lip Syncing Task

           

     

 

 

In our group these are the things we decided we were good at and need to improve on, personally I think the main things I will need to remember to do when producing my own are the editing side and making sure I film through the whole song to then edit using video lines. Making sure I use differant camera techniques when filming and mixing up the locations in which I film in as it can look boring when you stay in the same location. making sure im confident if im acting for people and when people are acting for me else it can make it look amateur. Making sure I remember the techniques that I can use when composing a shot.

Skills Review

Claude Levi Strauss Theory

Composition Task

REVIEW

In this task we were given a theme to explore by taking pictures, this was a test of our composition skills and how well we could portray a theme through composition and camera techniques. The theme I had was positive vs. negative so I had to look at either of them or combine there meanings. I looked into mise en scene and props that I had that gave of positive and negative connotations to then place together to contrast, e.g. the top right. I took the first shot of the chairs as the colours had positive and negative connotations and tried to get the chairs central to give an even amount of space around the props. I feel the other two photos were bad as there was too much background space on the top left but in the bottom one it could have been taken with a larger aperture to focus in on the subject and exclude some distracting props. I then went out to redo the shot of the chairs without all the background objects, I went for a plain background and made sure the space either side of the chairs was even, I feel this was a far better composition and that it made me think about the background more and how distracting it can be. I can now take this knowledge into filming and shooting as I will be more likely to spot distracting objects in a photo.