Work in Progress: Risk assessment for filming.

Possible risk that could occur during filming: 
While walking backwards, the actor could walk into something/someone, trip over or generally hurt himself. 
Outcome:
Painful but not serious, could injure someone else - although it would not be a serious injury it could cause a lot of problems if he accidentally hurt a passer by.
Actions to avoid potential outcomes:
Someone will walk with the actor, out of shot and guide him, making sure he avoids walking into anything. 


Potential risk that could occur during filming:
A passer by could trip over the camera equipment/ tripod.
Outcome:
Painful but not serious, might fall over which could result to a slightly more serious injury. 
Actions to avoid potential outcomes:
There will be a sign by the camera warning people to be careful of where they are walking, there will also be a person looking after all the equipment so the will be able to prevent people tripping over things. 


Potential risk that could occur during filming:
When the actor has to lie on the floor for a small period during the video, a passer by could stand on him or trip over him. 
Outcome: 
Painful but not serious, tripping over the actor could cause a fall which could be more serious. 
Actions to avoid potential outcomes: 
The person who will be guiding him when walking backwards will be out of shot making sure people walk around him and are aware that he is on the floor. 

Work in Progress: Focus group feedback on storyboard

I showed my story board to my focus group, this is the feedback that they gave me:

"I really like the idea, I think it works well with the song, it fits with the imagery and style I pictured when I first listened to the song. I think it might be difficult to film bits of it but it will look really good if you do it well"

"I think you could add in some more shots per minute so the pace of editing is a bit quicker, I also think that you could add in a few different ideas of what the actor could be doing, or a few completely different locations. Other then that I think it's a really good idea."

I will take these comments into consideration and try to adjust my video accordingly.

Work in Progress: Shot list

1- Mid shot of actor in costume 1 playing guitar - location 1
2- Extreme close up of guitar being played - location 1
3- Close up of actor in costume 1 lip syncing - location 1
4- Mid shot of actor in costume 1 playing guitar - location 2
5- Extreme close up of guitar being played - location 2
6- Long shot of actor in costume 1 in a crowd of people - location 3
7- Long shot of actor in costume 1 walking away - location 3
8- Long shot of actor playing guitar - location 4
9- Mid shot of actor in costume 1 playing guitar - location 4
10- close up of actor lip syncing - location 4
11- extreme close up of guitar - location 4
12- long shot of actor  in costume 1 stood by road - location 5
13- Mid shot of actor in costume 1 waving - location 5
14- Mid shot, reflection of actor in costume 1 in a shop window - location 6
15- mid shot of actor in costume 1 playing guitar - location 7
16- low angle shot of actor in costume 1 playing guitar - location 7
17- close up of actor in costume 1 lip syncing - location 7
18- extreme close up of actors mouth lip syncing - location 7
19- extreme close up of guitar - location 7
20- low angle shot of buildings and sky - location 8
21- camera tilts down from sky to ground - location 8
22- high angle shot of actor in costume 2 lying on floor with a woman standing over him - location 8
23- high angle shot of actor in costume 2 lying on the floor - location 8
24- high angle shot of actor in costume 2 lying on the floor with eyes shut - location 8
25- mid shot of actor in costume 2 going from standing position to lying down on the floor - location 8
26- mid shot of actor in costume 2 going from lying on the floor to standing up - location 8
27- mid shot of woman on the phone looking scared - location 8
28- extreme close up of woman's lips saying words - location 8
29- two shot of actor in costume 2 reaching out to the woman on the phone - location 8
30- over the shoulder shot of actor in costume 2 watching the woman on the phone - location 8
31- long shot of two other people running over to the woman on the phone - location 8
32- over the shoulder shot of actor in costume 2 walking towards the group of people - location 8
33- low angle shot of people's faces looking down - location 8
34- two shot of actor in costume 2 reaching out to an extra - location 3
35- two shot of actor in costume 2 reaching out to an extra - location 3
36- two shot of actor in costume 2 reaching out to an extra - location 3
37- two shot of actor in costume 2 reaching out to an extra  - location 3
38- close up of actor in costume 2 - location 3
39- close up of actor in costume 2 -location 3

40- low angle shot, camera pans around actor in costume 2 - location 3
41- long shot people walking past actor in costume 2 sat on bench - location 3
42- mid shot of actor in costume 2 sat on bench - location 3

43- long shot of actor in costume 2 walking through a crowd - location 4
44- long shot of actor in costume 2 walking in a crowd - location 5

45- long shot of people walking - location 9
46- long shot of people walking - location 10
47- long shot of people walking - location 11

48- close up of actor in costume 2 -  location 6
49- close up of actor in costume 2 - location 6
50- close up of actor in costume 2 - location 7
51- close up of actor in costume 2 - location 7
52- mid shot of actor in costume 2 looking at reflection in shop window - location 12
53- mid shot of actor in costume 2 - location 12
54- long shot of actor in costume 2 looking at river - location 13
55- close up of actor in costume 2 - location13
56- long shot of river - location 13
57- long shot of actor in costume 2 walking past a bench -location 13

Work in Progress: Storyboard

Work in Progress: Actor, location, costume and props

This is my actor; he will be playing the main character and the performer in my music video. There are several reasons why I chose him: firstly I know he is reliable and as he is a close friend of mine he will be very easy to work with. Secondly he is very confident and will have no problem being filmed and will not feel embarrassed by anything he has to do or feel shy in front of the camera. He is also a very good performer so he should be able to act the part of the character in my video very well. I will also need 5 to 7 extras, I will use friends who available at the time.














This is the general style of costume my actor will be wearing; it fits well with the indie genre and the style of the band. These items of clothing will be easy to obtain as my actor already has similar clothes. I will make sure that he remembers to wear the right clothes when he come to be filmed by reminding him before we meet to do the filming.



This is the location I will be filming in. I chose to film in Worcester for several reasons; firstly it is easily accessible for both me and my actor, as we both live close to the town. Secondly I wanted to film in a busy, public place because I need other people in some of the shots in the video, to make it look more natural it would be best to use people who just happen to be passing the camera. i also wanted to challenge the convention of all indie music videos being filmed in the countryside. I will film the video in different part of town; some in the main shopping are, some in the smaller back streets and some by the river.
 

I will only need an acoustic guitar as a prop as the music is acoustic and everything else I need will be in the setting. As i already own an acoustic guitar I do not need to worry about getting one.

Work in Progress: Audience feedback on the printwork

I uploaded my digipack and advert to facebook and deviantart, these were some of the responses that I got

Final Digipack and Final Advert

Research and Planning: Audience profile

Target audience:
Age: 16 - 21

Gender:
60% male 40% female


Brands:
Converse
Dr Martens
Zippo lighters
Strongbow
Cutters choice

Other Bands:
Bright eyes
Bellamy Brothers
Feist
Gregory and the Hawk
Mumford and Sons

Films and TV

Film: 
Donnie Darko
American History X
Requiem for a Dream
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Pulp Fiction

TV: 
Being Human
Spaced
Blackbooks
The Killing
The Fades

Style:
Sunglasses
Checked shirts
Ripped jeans

Psychographic 
Mainstreamers: people who don’t like to be different but are conventional in their tastes and aspirations

·     Traditionalists: people who don’t like change and are very
 set in their ways

·      Hedonists: people who just want to have a good time

·      Individualists: people who want to stand out from the crowd
 and like to think for themselves

·      Rebels: people who don’t want to conform but challenge the traditional way of doing things.

My music video will be aimed at Individualists

Demographic
A:  higher managerial, administrative or professional
B: intermediate managerial, administrative or professional
C1: supervisory, clerical, junior administrative or professional
C2: skilled manual workers
D: semi- and unskilled manual workers
E: state pensioners with no other income, widows, casual and lowest grade earners


My music video will be aimed at B and C1
  

Research and Planning: Feedback; creating an audience profile

This is the feedback I got from my Facebook group when i asked them what films and bands they liked, what products they used and what their general style was. I also spoke to my focus group and asked them the same questions. I then used this information to create an audience profile.

Research into similar products and style ideas

This video is by the same band who's song I am using to make my music video. There are some aspects of this video that I have taken into account as part of the indie/folk genre and plan to use in my video. For example there are several close up shots of the guitar being played, i will try to incorporate some shots like this into my video. The settings are always slightly shabby but stylish and indie at the same time, I will try and use some setting similar to this in my music video. I will also try and use similar costumes and props as the ones that are used in this video.


This video uses the idea of reverse filming, I want to incorporate some reverse filming into my video and have looked into how this video was created. I think overall it is a very effective idea and creates an interesting video. My video will be different from this as it will only have some parts done in reverse filming and not the whole video.


This shows footage of time lapse, I want to try and use some time lapse footage in my music video. I especially like the way that the camera zooms in on specific points during the time lapse, although this will be technically tricky I will attempt to use this idea in some of my filming.

Research and Planning: Pint research

The images used on this digipack represent the style of music quite well, the band play industrial music so it doesn't really challenge any conventions of the genre that much. It's quite a simple design with the idea of blood  repeated in several of the images, in both picture it's blood and a colourless background, in one the white hands in another the white sheet,  and the theme represented by the colour scheme of red on white. The writing is quite pain but slightly Gothic, this represents the image of the band, not over the top or too fancy. The font works well with the colour scheme and images as well as it doesn't distract people from them. The target audience for this band is most likely individualists; people who like to think they are different and think for themselves, I think that this digipack appeals to the audience quite well, it's not too fancy, it generally sticks the the genre conventions, I think this digipack is fairly redundant as the images, name of the band and colour scheme all convey the same message; that the band is unusual and quite weird and gothic.

The Madrips are and experimental rock band so again this picture doesn't really challenge the conventions of the genre as it is similar to other digipacks by similar bands. The image of the dancing girl in the desert gives an impression of unusualness, this goes well with the style of  music the band creates. I'd say the target audience for this band are likely to be a slightly older generation, this would appeal to this audience as it's quite a simple design, not too over the top and over crowded. I would say that this digipack is quite entropic because the idea of a girl dancing in a desert isn't a usual image, the images don't really convey the same message as the fonts or colours used either.

Tom Teasley is a solo percussionist; the artwork on this digipack is very unusual and doesn't really follow any genre stereotypes, however the unusualness of the artwork could suggest the unusualness of the music; a solo percussionist is quite unusual. The images a very entropic as they are very unusual and don't really have any link between them. I think the target audience for this music is again an older generation, I think that this may appeal to them as the images are quite artistic and interesting but not too flashy and overly colourful. The font used is quite simple but not too boring and quite visually enticing.


 Florence and the Machine are an indie band so the unusual images fit quite well into the stereotypical idea of the indie genre. The writing again fits into the genre well as it is quite simple but not serious or official looking. The background is also stereo-typically indie, the pattern and colour scheme are very common in the indie genre. This advert could be considered as redundant as the image is showing the same thing as the title of the album. This advert is good because it has all the relevant information like the release date, the formats the album is available on and other useful information such as the official band website.


 
This advert for Green Day's album American Idiot fits fairly well into the genre of music (Rock.) It's simple but with a bold, eye catching image and a message behind the image. The colour scheme is simple but effective and attractive. The target audience for this band is teenagers into rock and alternative music.I think that this advert fits well into that genre as it is bold and making a statement, it's also slightly unusual without being too over the top. There are some flaws with this advert however; it doesn't have any useful information like release date, official web address or formats the album is available in.

Research and Planning: Moodboard

Research and Planning: Feedback on the pitch

I showed my pitch to my class and this is some of the feedback that i received:

Comments on suitability for stated target audience: Good idea it suits the indie target audience. Fairly accurate. Very Suitable. Very appropriate. Could be more specific.

Comments on the originality of the idea: Quite original, try to be really adventurous. Like the story line. Could have a twist to make it even more original. Good ideas. Lot's of people are making videos in the same genre. Fairly original; similar to Coldplay's 'The scientist' video.

Comments and thoughts on the logistical arrangements: Worcester is a good location choice as it is easily accessible. Make sure actor is reliable. Weather could be an issue. Very time consuming. People tripping over the camera or trying to steal equipment could be an issue. Could realistically be done.

Comments on the technical aspects of the idea-does it sound achievable with the college equipment?: Yes I think it will work well. Time consuming during editing but can be done. Editing could be difficult. Seems very achievable.

Does the idea sound realistic? - i.e.does it actually sound like an idea for a music video?: Yes, similar ideas have been done before, I think it will work very well. Sounds very realistic. As long as it is edited well I think it will work well. Sounds realistic and well thought through. Yes, I can imagine it on a music channel. Will be effective.

Overall, does this idea sound exciting and achievable?: Very exciting, I love how the genre and star image has been thought of. Yes, I think it is achievable and will look really good. Really like the idea. I think it could be as long as it is done properly.


I also put my pitch on Facebook and got these comments in return:

The main problems identified from my feedback were that my audience profile needed to be more specific, that there are a lot of people making videos in the same genre of music, that the weather could effect my filming, that the filming and editing will be very time consuming, that people may trip over or try to steal the equipment and that the editing will be quite difficult.

I also identified some problems of my own: There could be some safety issues with my filimg, for example my actor will have to walk backwards during some of the filming, this could cause some safety issues as he might walk into something. Also another  issue is that I might need permission to film people.

I intent to overcome these issues:
 One issue was that my audience profile was not detailed enough,I have now made a more detailed audience profile which I will post on my blog.

Although there are a lot of people making video's in the same genre of music the visuals will be completely different to my own idea. I am happy with my choice of song and so were the majority of people that gave me feedback.

 To make sure that I am not filming in bad weather i will check the weather report and base when I film around when the weather will be suitable. If necessary I will film different bit of the video on different days.

Although the filming and editing will be time consuming my actor and I are willing to put in the time needed to complete this project.

It was suggested that people might trip over the equipment or try to steal it, to overcome this i will have a friend with me who will be looking after the equipment and making sure that no one is at risk of tripping over it.

Although the editing will be quite tricky I feel that I am competent when it comes to using the software as I have a lot of experience with it and I am prepared to put a lot of time and effort into making sure that the finished product looks good.

To prevent my actor walking into things when he is walking backwards I will have a friend walking with him just out of shot guiding him and making sure he is safe.

Because my video is for educational purposes only it shouldn't be necessary to obtain permission from people who might be filmed however to be sure I will put a sign by the camera informing people that I am filming and they can walk around the camera if they do not wish to be filmed.

Research and Planning: The Pitch

Research and Planning: Focus group: Creating ideas for a video

I showed my focus group the  song I had chosen to use for my music video and asked them some questions about it:

Q: this is the song i have chosen to use for my music video, do you like it? What images come into your head when you listen to it?

A: I really like this song, I think it's a great choice to make a video out of and I think there's a lot you could do that would work really well with the music.

A: I think it's a great song, the kind of images I think of when I see it are black and white and quite sad, I could imagine someone walking around as a ghost, not realising they were dead.

A: I definitely get a sad feeling from it, I think a ghost or something similar would be a really good idea, he could go up to people but they wouldn't be able to see him.

Q: This is a moodboard I have created based on the style of the song I have chosen for my music video, do you think it is a good representation of you and the kind of things that you like?

A: I think it has a very individual and unique style, I think that represents me well as I try to be individual as well. I think that most of the things that I like are on there and it has captured the general idea of my style very well.

A: I think the images are very visually interesting and eye catching, I definitely think it's a good representation of the genre of the music and the people who follow it.

Q: What technical effects do you think would work well in this video? 


A: I think if you were going to use the idea of a ghost then you should make the rest of the people around him seem strange; maybe you could speed them up or slow the down or make them blurry?

A: Or maybe you could make them black and white and have the person playing the ghost in colour?

Q: What kind of locations do you think would work well for this video?

A: You could do something different to normal indie music video, so you could film somewhere other than in the countryside.

A: I think you should have some bits where the person is all on there own, some where lonely and sad looking.

Research and Planning:Permission

This is the email I sent to ask for permission to use the song 'Body in a Box' by City and Colour

Research and Planning: Andrew Goodwin

Andrew Goodwin identifies 5 key aspects of music videos:

Synaesthesia: This takes into account the structure of the song, the voice of the song and thirdly the artist being a mode of address

Narrative and performance: Songs fail to give us the complete narrative, we only get the general meaning. Goodwin suggests that music videos should ignore the common narrative.  The artist acting as both the narrator and participant helps increase the authenticity. 

Star image: The video forms a broader narrative of the star persona. Major labels will expect lots of close ups of their star.

Relation of visuals to song: there are three ways in which the visual respond to the music; Illustrate, Amplify and Disjuncture. Illustrate means using a set of images to illustrate the meaning of the lyrics and genre. Amplify is when the meanings of the songs are added to by visuals which add an extra layer of meaning.  Disjunctive is where the meaning of the song is completely ignored. 


Technical Aspects: \technical aspects hold the music video together through use of camera work, movement, angle, mise-en-scene, editing sound and special effects. 

Research and Planning: Creativity

Creativity is unique to each different person, creativity means to make something, usually something artistic or interesting.
Being creative is very important when making music videos, if a music video isn't creative it won't be very enjoyable to watch. I have had to be creative at many different times, doing art and design and jewellery making as subjects at school and college meant that I had to be very creative in order to do well in the subjects. Having to design jewellery helped me see different creative aspects of everyday life and art helped me with my general creativity skills.
This week I have gone out around college and taken photos, this will help me get inspiration for my music video. I have taken photos of normal things but I have tried to take them in an interesting way so they are more creative and inspiring. These are some of the photos I have taken.

Research and Planning: Music Video Research

Ok Go - This too shall pass.
Goodwin suggests that the visuals in music videos represent the music, a video that follows this suggestion is Ok Go's This too shall pass. In this music video the visuals represent the style of the music, it's quirky, upbeat and colourful, the video shows a chain reaction starting with dominios causing other random everyday objects to fall and carry the chain on. The images work well with the music; often throughout the video objects move in time with the beat. The colour scheme is bright, bold and colourful which represents the style of music.


OkGo have become famous for their unusual music videos, this has overtook their music and become their main selling point, making them a huge youtube hit. This video shows that the stars are slightly strange and unusual as it ends with them being shot with giant paint guns, however this endears them to the audience because it shows them as fun and  willing to have a joke.

The video uses everyday objects to create something amazing and unusual, this makes it much more enjoyable to watch, the audience is captivated because it is clever and inventive. This video is one continuous shot, although this is unusual for a music video, it works very well in this video because there is so many different things happening the audience interest, this also means that the audience can see the process of the chain reaction, showing them that it is real and not camera tricks and editing, this makes it more impressive.

This video would generally be considered as disjunctive as the events of the video are nothing to do with the song. However it could be considered as amplifying as the events represent the style music and the band is in the video singing along to the lyrics.




Jason Mraz - Wordplay

Goodwin suggests that star image is a vital part of music videos, major labels will have lots of close ups of their star and expect them to portray a certain image. The video forms part of a broader narrative of the star persona. In this video the star is being mocked, the people are throwing rocks at him and acting as though his music is awful, this appeals the star to the audience because people perceive him as funny and willing to make fun of himself.

The general image that the star is giving off is friendly and funny, this fits in with the kind of music that he plays and the overall story of the star.


The story of this video is Jason Mraz sat by the side of a dust track playing guitar and local people walking past and throwing rocks at him, to keep video moving we don't see the crowd growing progressively bigger, they just appear, this means that the audience don't loose interest. this is punctuated by shots of the star playing with the rest of his band, this helps keep the video interesting, so it's not all one shot or one part of a story and doesn't become boring.

Digipack

This is the design for a digi-pack That I made at the end of last year, although it isn't finished, the majority of it is done. The genre I chose to base my design on was Indie, I feel that what I have achieved so far with this design fits well into this genre, the strange pictures, bright colours and upbeat, quirky style fits in well with the general feel of the Indie genre.  

Introduction

For my A2 media studies coursework I will be making a music video. he song I have chosen to make a video of is called 'body in a box' and is by City and Colour. I won't be working as part of a group for this project, I will be working on my own.