Friday, 19 December 2014
Narrative Structure
After discussing my storyboard with my teacher, we felt it was appropriate to experiment with different narrative structures and the possibilities of rearranging certain shots/scenes and the impact it would have on the narrative. Therefore, I have decided to rearrange my storyboard numerous times to gauge exactly how it will effect the perception of my music video. This is relevant to Todorov's narrative theory. The narrative will be though provoking, it will present the struggles of a young girl (around the age of 8-9). I will also be analysing some popular narrative videos to help me collate research and further understand the importance of narrative structure taking into account Todorov's theory.
Monday, 8 December 2014
Costumes/Props
In order to create a sense of verisimilitude in my production I have had to organise some costumes/props to make the video as a whole seem more believable. Therein, as I have chosen my younger sister to star in the production. I have been researching music video extensively, and, as Pete Fraser alludes to in "Teaching Music Video", the Mise en Scene is of much importance as it is "the combined effect of a series of visual elements within the frame of a visual text, such as costume, props, decor, figure placement."
Therein, in order to further help me and be more incisive in creating the production, I have photographed the costume that will be worn by my younger sister with a photo of a prop that I will use in my video. This planning will allow me to be more concrete in the actual production of the video and so by collating my thoughts now it will allow me to foresee how it will pan out.
This is the coat that will be worn by my younger sister who is nine, I intend her to wear it fully zipped up with the hood up to connote a lack of identity and insignificance - just like the girl who wore a large jacket and a hooded top in the A Team which created the effect of her seeming inferior physically and conceptually. Luckily the colour of the jacket is quite dull which will work well in conjunction with video effects on Premiere Pro such as black and white and colour correct (which isn't technically an effect but it may still have to be altered). The fur hood will go far in obscuring her face in some of the video and creating ambiguity. The coat also denotes that the weather outside is pretty unpleasant which does well in creating the effect of pathetic fallacy, essentially echoing the emotions of the girl wearing the coat who needs to be made to look smaller and more vulnerable - this parka style jacket does exactly that. I knew as soon as I was using a young actor that I would need them to wear a coat of this sort of style, it would be useless if she was wearing a fluorescent cardigan in the sunshine, the narrative/visuals need to go some way in matching the audio/lyrics.
Depicted above - a mid shot from Ed Sheeran's "The A Team" with the girl sporting hooded jumper and large coat with the hood up - this denotes that she is obscured from society and also that he is generally trying to keep warm in cold weather and is suffering from a lack of shelter.
Another photo of the coat from the front.
During the inaugural scenes of the video, the girl will be reading a note she has found in her school bag, and so in order to match this and bring an essence of verisimilitude to the text she will be wearing school uniform attire to connote a sense of realism. The cardigan is a maroon/burgundy shade and quite an autumn like colour, it is not too bright and so it will not look ridiculous when black and white effects are applied to the piece, it also bears her school's logo/badge on the left side of the chest which clearly shows that it is a school/educational institution of some sort and not a fashionable piece of attire - this also goes a long way in establishing that she is very young and is not even in secondary school yet. This does well in embodying the lyrics of my chosen song: "the youth you've strangled in us it brings me to disgust". This is also why it is a good idea to ensure it is made clear through the Mise en Scene that she is very young, because it can help me reinforce Andrew Goodwin's theory of music videos - the visuals should match some of the lyrical content in the song. A good coincidence is that this cardigan is actually slightly too big for my sister, which will only make her appear more diminutive especially when filming her encompassed by large fields and in long distance shots.
This is another component of my sister's school uniform which I felt was important in continuity and verisimilitude - there would be no point in having her wear her school cardigan and coat if she was wearing jeans or jogging bottoms, it would lose the text credibility and people would most likely become confused by the mise en scene which would impact my production negatively. My actor will be wearing black tights underneath the skirt just to further reinforce the idea of youth to construct meaning and evoke a sense of empathy from the audience. It also connotes innocence and youth, the fact they are grey makes the whole outfit look more dull and miserable - which reflects the way in which the actor will be behaving in the video.
My video will feature this large teddybear at one point or another, I intend to have my actor clutch onto this in a moment of extreme depression (excessive crying) in order to build further meaning by creating another binary opposition - I like the idea of a young girl, who should really be carefree and enjoying the best years of her life, being depressed and clutching onto a teddybear - something that signifies youth, joy and compassion. However, this is not the case, the girl will be clutching onto the teddybear in desperation and in utter sadness (she has read a note containing an abusive message - I am unsure whether I will disclose the message on the note or not yet) and so she has been psychologically damaged by this. In addition to this, the teddybear is white, which in semiotics connotes a youthfulness, a purity and an innocence which is why it will be so effective in helping create a binary opposite. In addition to this, again, the teddybear is very large which will help create the illusion that my sister is incredibly small (which she is) but this will go some way in making her look even more vulnerable.
The residual effect of this prop is that it will elicit a sadness in the audience, therefore evoking a sense of empathy from them as they will be feeling what the protagonist is feeling.
Therein, in order to further help me and be more incisive in creating the production, I have photographed the costume that will be worn by my younger sister with a photo of a prop that I will use in my video. This planning will allow me to be more concrete in the actual production of the video and so by collating my thoughts now it will allow me to foresee how it will pan out.
Depicted above - a mid shot from Ed Sheeran's "The A Team" with the girl sporting hooded jumper and large coat with the hood up - this denotes that she is obscured from society and also that he is generally trying to keep warm in cold weather and is suffering from a lack of shelter.
During the inaugural scenes of the video, the girl will be reading a note she has found in her school bag, and so in order to match this and bring an essence of verisimilitude to the text she will be wearing school uniform attire to connote a sense of realism. The cardigan is a maroon/burgundy shade and quite an autumn like colour, it is not too bright and so it will not look ridiculous when black and white effects are applied to the piece, it also bears her school's logo/badge on the left side of the chest which clearly shows that it is a school/educational institution of some sort and not a fashionable piece of attire - this also goes a long way in establishing that she is very young and is not even in secondary school yet. This does well in embodying the lyrics of my chosen song: "the youth you've strangled in us it brings me to disgust". This is also why it is a good idea to ensure it is made clear through the Mise en Scene that she is very young, because it can help me reinforce Andrew Goodwin's theory of music videos - the visuals should match some of the lyrical content in the song. A good coincidence is that this cardigan is actually slightly too big for my sister, which will only make her appear more diminutive especially when filming her encompassed by large fields and in long distance shots.
This is another component of my sister's school uniform which I felt was important in continuity and verisimilitude - there would be no point in having her wear her school cardigan and coat if she was wearing jeans or jogging bottoms, it would lose the text credibility and people would most likely become confused by the mise en scene which would impact my production negatively. My actor will be wearing black tights underneath the skirt just to further reinforce the idea of youth to construct meaning and evoke a sense of empathy from the audience. It also connotes innocence and youth, the fact they are grey makes the whole outfit look more dull and miserable - which reflects the way in which the actor will be behaving in the video.
My video will feature this large teddybear at one point or another, I intend to have my actor clutch onto this in a moment of extreme depression (excessive crying) in order to build further meaning by creating another binary opposition - I like the idea of a young girl, who should really be carefree and enjoying the best years of her life, being depressed and clutching onto a teddybear - something that signifies youth, joy and compassion. However, this is not the case, the girl will be clutching onto the teddybear in desperation and in utter sadness (she has read a note containing an abusive message - I am unsure whether I will disclose the message on the note or not yet) and so she has been psychologically damaged by this. In addition to this, the teddybear is white, which in semiotics connotes a youthfulness, a purity and an innocence which is why it will be so effective in helping create a binary opposite. In addition to this, again, the teddybear is very large which will help create the illusion that my sister is incredibly small (which she is) but this will go some way in making her look even more vulnerable.
The residual effect of this prop is that it will elicit a sadness in the audience, therefore evoking a sense of empathy from them as they will be feeling what the protagonist is feeling.
Friday, 5 December 2014
Digipak Analysis: Lil Wayne - "Rebirth"
Rebirth does not use monochrome features like those that are seen on an array of indie albums (Artic Monkeys, The Kooks etc.). However, the difference in genre is one of the key reasons that the mise en scene and colour scheme on Lil Wayne's album manifest significant differences: he is trying to appeal to a completely different audience/demographic. The album cover poses some form of juxtaposition: rap music is renowned for utilising materials such as 'synth' sounds using computer programmes such as logik, fruitloops and maybe even cock garage band depending on the stature of the artist, however, Wayne poses with a guitar placed across his lap - this causes us to question why he would have a guitar on his person as a rap artist whos songs use no guitars whatsoever. This could essentially be considered somewhat of a binary opposition - rappers who maintain a very macho image and remain loyal to hip hop (almost hip hop/rap 'purists') and guitars that are usually considered 'rock n roll' or 'indie' do not go hand in hand, which is what makes this a very intriguing digipak cover.
As it can be expected a bold and very modern typography is used and centralized within the confines of the frame, this is a commonality I have noticed on an array of different digipaks. The colour of the typography (which features no serifs due to it's more modern look) contrasts the colour of the background image. This is important in catching the eye of potential consumers so that they are immediately aware who the artist is (also due to the image on the anterior of the digipak).
The gold colours used in the image are clear connotations of high status and wealth, which are the exact words that hip hop artists want associated with them. It is also clear that the lethargic position the artist is laying in suggests a certain nonchalance about his personality, as if he is of a high status but almost 'isn't bothered' about it as if to say that being successful is easy. The artist himself is also centralised, and when taking into account the rule of thirds in the mise en scene, this denotes that he is important and the pinnacle of the album - as it is his album. In addition to this, the artist is wearing a white t shirt - white, the colour that represents purity is an interesting choice of colour, and it only adds to the artists lavish look.
As it can be expected a bold and very modern typography is used and centralized within the confines of the frame, this is a commonality I have noticed on an array of different digipaks. The colour of the typography (which features no serifs due to it's more modern look) contrasts the colour of the background image. This is important in catching the eye of potential consumers so that they are immediately aware who the artist is (also due to the image on the anterior of the digipak).
The gold colours used in the image are clear connotations of high status and wealth, which are the exact words that hip hop artists want associated with them. It is also clear that the lethargic position the artist is laying in suggests a certain nonchalance about his personality, as if he is of a high status but almost 'isn't bothered' about it as if to say that being successful is easy. The artist himself is also centralised, and when taking into account the rule of thirds in the mise en scene, this denotes that he is important and the pinnacle of the album - as it is his album. In addition to this, the artist is wearing a white t shirt - white, the colour that represents purity is an interesting choice of colour, and it only adds to the artists lavish look.
Saturday, 22 November 2014
Storyboard: "The Fight"
Enclosed is my storyboard which I will refer to when filming and also creating my animatic. The artwork itself is incredibly lax, however, this gives me a reference point to work with when going out and filming my video so that I can have a solid foundation to work from. It will help me decipher what shots I will use in my project and also provide some help when working out timings and transitions in the video. Depicted below are my final storyboards complete with annotations which give me a solid reference point to work from when filming.
Tuesday, 18 November 2014
Initial Shot List/Script
I have decided that in order to help the execution of filming be more concrete and incisive (so that I can go and film as soon as my ancillary texts are completed and I have all my other required materials such as storyboard, animatic etc.) I should produce a provisional shot list to give me a good idea of how the video will be shot and to take a more pragmatic approach to making the film.
It is important to note that this is merely a provisional shot list and that these shots/timings are at the moment a guideline and are subject to change in the future, whilst my animatic may also differ should I choose to change the narrative structure of my product.
Below is a synopsis of the scene/shot and the duration of time it will feature for.
My shot list will be as follows:
ECU of eyes moving laterally in conjunction with slow opening guitar riff 00:10 - 00:15
Shot of title screen featuring band name and title of the song along with "directed, edited and produced by Joe Grogan" 00:15 - 00:20
ECU revert back to original ECU of girls eyes moving laterally 00:20 - 00:25
Mid Shot/Possibly Establishing Shot of house girl is in kitchen reading note containing abuse 00:25 - 00:34
Close Up to focus more clearly on the girls face to reflect her emotions and how she is feeling 00:34 - 00:39
ECU of girl's eyes moving laterally to denote she is reading the letter 00:39 - 00:45
Mid Shot of girl in lobby putting her coat on 00:45 - 00:52
Intercut to mid shot of girl crying and clutching teddybear whilst sitting on bed 00:52 - 00:54
Back to mid shot (high angle shot to connote inferiority) of girl putting her coat on (from behind to emphasise her insignificance) 00:54 - 00:58
Mid shot of girl reaching for door handle 00:58 - 01:01
Match on Action to maintain continuity
Cut to ECU of girl's hand on the door handle, her opening the door and proceeding to leave the house and shut the door 01:01 - 01:08
Long Shot of girl walking away from house and then a cut to her walking past (away from camera) 01:08 - 01:19
POV Shot of girls feet that denotes she is looking at the floor (emphasising that she is emotionally hurt - melancholy) 01:19 - 01:24
Close Up Tracking Shot of girls face whilst walking through cul de sac - capturing facial expression 01:24 - 01:28
Mid/Long Shot of girl walking past camera 01:28 - 01:32
Close Up/Canted Angle - girl unearths an alleyway she has not seen before - looks past the camera 01:32 - 01:35
POV Shot of alleyway from the girls point of view - evokes empathy from the audience 01:35 - 01:39
High angle shot of girl walking past camera through the alleyway (slow motion for dramatic effect) 01:39 - 01:42
Cutaway to high angle close up of girl staring vacantly by a telephone post whilst music stops this creates a sudden change in tempo and allows the visuals to work in conjunction with the music 01:42 - 01:46
High Angle Mid Shot of girl looking curiously into what lays at the end of the alleyway (which she is already standing in) and edging closer into the alleyway past the camera 01:46 - 01:50
POV Shot of field 01:50 - 01:57
Cut to Mid Shot of girl who is mesmerised by the open field she finds herself encompassed in 01:57 - 02:01
Cutaway to girl crying clutching oversized teddybear in a mid shot and then cut back to Mid Shot of girl in the field smiling whilst removing her hood 02:01 - 02:08
Girl experiencing happy cathartic release by running in the field (whilst intercutting footage of close up of the girl sitting in her room ripping up the note angrily and bursting into tears). The shot of the girl running will be a mid shot that documents her incrementally moving further and further away from the camera until it eventually becomes a long shot with the omission of a tracking shot which connotes insignificance and neglect 02:08 - 02:15
Cut to black screen 2:08 - 02:12
Wide shot of field with time lapse effect on Premiere (adjusting speed/duration setting to speed up footage) 02:12 - 02:16
Cut to black screen 02:16 - 02:20 - these cuts to black are to connote a lapse in time in conjunction with the time lapse itself, if these fail to achieve the desired effect then I will make adjustments and may omit them altogether if they break the continuity of my production.
Long Shot of girl in very open field walking towards camera, staring vacantly but also looking melancholy, she will walk slowly towards the camera until it is more of a mid shot, intercuts of the girls hands in a mid shot/close up tearing up the note will be apparent but this must happen in time with the beat of the drum, this will create a sense of foreboding so that the visuals match the audio 02:20 - 02:30
Eventually this will culminate in the chorus where guitars are amplified and feature more distortion, which the vocalist screams "I've got to run away!!" which is why I will adhere to Goodwin's thesis and add a clip of the girl in a long/mid shot running from behind the camera (so that the visuals match the lyrics) with a slow motion effect, despite the fact this is where the song culminates a slow motion effect would actually work incredibly well to create dramatic effect.
I will then intercut this with footage of the girl throwing the ripped note around in a mid shot, probably tipping it out of a bin before tossing the bin (still using a mid shot to capture her body language) and retreating to her bed to hold the teddybear and cry - this is another binary opposition of her being happy/sad. I also intend to have cutaways of the girl on playground rides such as swings and possibly rocking horses looking pensive and upset in mid shots to establish that she is on a swing, before using close ups to capture facial expressions/emotions, creating another opposition between the rides which we usually associate with joy and innocence (children on rides are usually enjoying the best years of their life) and the girl who is clearly very depressed and carrying emotional baggage. 02:30 - 02:50
After this I intend to use footage of the note that has been sellotaped back together: with a close up of the girls face (intercut with the ECU of the eyes moving laterally) re-reading the note and then cutting back to the close up to capture her giving a brief smirk - she will then place the note on the table and run off - at this point I intend to blur the background (whilst she runs away) but keep the note on the table in focus. I will then cut to a close up of the note which can be read saying "YOUR NOT MY FRIEND I HATE YOU NA NA NA NA NA!!!!!" or something very similar - this will probably disturb the audience to see a girl so young psychologically tortured and will shock the audience. I then intend to use footage of the girl running away again whilst intercutting this with slow motion clips of her genuinely smiling and enjoying herself in either the playground or another location in which she was previously featured looking miserable. A mid shot will be used so that she does not look as insignificant and a close up will elaborate on her facial expression and capture her happy expression.
I am undecided as to whether I will feature a black screen with text saying "The End" or whether just to fade the video to black. 02:50 - 03:37
It is important to note that this is merely a provisional shot list and that these shots/timings are at the moment a guideline and are subject to change in the future, whilst my animatic may also differ should I choose to change the narrative structure of my product.
Below is a synopsis of the scene/shot and the duration of time it will feature for.
My shot list will be as follows:
ECU of eyes moving laterally in conjunction with slow opening guitar riff 00:10 - 00:15
Shot of title screen featuring band name and title of the song along with "directed, edited and produced by Joe Grogan" 00:15 - 00:20
ECU revert back to original ECU of girls eyes moving laterally 00:20 - 00:25
Mid Shot/Possibly Establishing Shot of house girl is in kitchen reading note containing abuse 00:25 - 00:34
Close Up to focus more clearly on the girls face to reflect her emotions and how she is feeling 00:34 - 00:39
ECU of girl's eyes moving laterally to denote she is reading the letter 00:39 - 00:45
Mid Shot of girl in lobby putting her coat on 00:45 - 00:52
Intercut to mid shot of girl crying and clutching teddybear whilst sitting on bed 00:52 - 00:54
Back to mid shot (high angle shot to connote inferiority) of girl putting her coat on (from behind to emphasise her insignificance) 00:54 - 00:58
Mid shot of girl reaching for door handle 00:58 - 01:01
Match on Action to maintain continuity
Cut to ECU of girl's hand on the door handle, her opening the door and proceeding to leave the house and shut the door 01:01 - 01:08
Long Shot of girl walking away from house and then a cut to her walking past (away from camera) 01:08 - 01:19
POV Shot of girls feet that denotes she is looking at the floor (emphasising that she is emotionally hurt - melancholy) 01:19 - 01:24
Close Up Tracking Shot of girls face whilst walking through cul de sac - capturing facial expression 01:24 - 01:28
Mid/Long Shot of girl walking past camera 01:28 - 01:32
Close Up/Canted Angle - girl unearths an alleyway she has not seen before - looks past the camera 01:32 - 01:35
POV Shot of alleyway from the girls point of view - evokes empathy from the audience 01:35 - 01:39
High angle shot of girl walking past camera through the alleyway (slow motion for dramatic effect) 01:39 - 01:42
Cutaway to high angle close up of girl staring vacantly by a telephone post whilst music stops this creates a sudden change in tempo and allows the visuals to work in conjunction with the music 01:42 - 01:46
High Angle Mid Shot of girl looking curiously into what lays at the end of the alleyway (which she is already standing in) and edging closer into the alleyway past the camera 01:46 - 01:50
POV Shot of field 01:50 - 01:57
Cut to Mid Shot of girl who is mesmerised by the open field she finds herself encompassed in 01:57 - 02:01
Cutaway to girl crying clutching oversized teddybear in a mid shot and then cut back to Mid Shot of girl in the field smiling whilst removing her hood 02:01 - 02:08
Girl experiencing happy cathartic release by running in the field (whilst intercutting footage of close up of the girl sitting in her room ripping up the note angrily and bursting into tears). The shot of the girl running will be a mid shot that documents her incrementally moving further and further away from the camera until it eventually becomes a long shot with the omission of a tracking shot which connotes insignificance and neglect 02:08 - 02:15
Cut to black screen 2:08 - 02:12
Wide shot of field with time lapse effect on Premiere (adjusting speed/duration setting to speed up footage) 02:12 - 02:16
Cut to black screen 02:16 - 02:20 - these cuts to black are to connote a lapse in time in conjunction with the time lapse itself, if these fail to achieve the desired effect then I will make adjustments and may omit them altogether if they break the continuity of my production.
Long Shot of girl in very open field walking towards camera, staring vacantly but also looking melancholy, she will walk slowly towards the camera until it is more of a mid shot, intercuts of the girls hands in a mid shot/close up tearing up the note will be apparent but this must happen in time with the beat of the drum, this will create a sense of foreboding so that the visuals match the audio 02:20 - 02:30
Eventually this will culminate in the chorus where guitars are amplified and feature more distortion, which the vocalist screams "I've got to run away!!" which is why I will adhere to Goodwin's thesis and add a clip of the girl in a long/mid shot running from behind the camera (so that the visuals match the lyrics) with a slow motion effect, despite the fact this is where the song culminates a slow motion effect would actually work incredibly well to create dramatic effect.
I will then intercut this with footage of the girl throwing the ripped note around in a mid shot, probably tipping it out of a bin before tossing the bin (still using a mid shot to capture her body language) and retreating to her bed to hold the teddybear and cry - this is another binary opposition of her being happy/sad. I also intend to have cutaways of the girl on playground rides such as swings and possibly rocking horses looking pensive and upset in mid shots to establish that she is on a swing, before using close ups to capture facial expressions/emotions, creating another opposition between the rides which we usually associate with joy and innocence (children on rides are usually enjoying the best years of their life) and the girl who is clearly very depressed and carrying emotional baggage. 02:30 - 02:50
After this I intend to use footage of the note that has been sellotaped back together: with a close up of the girls face (intercut with the ECU of the eyes moving laterally) re-reading the note and then cutting back to the close up to capture her giving a brief smirk - she will then place the note on the table and run off - at this point I intend to blur the background (whilst she runs away) but keep the note on the table in focus. I will then cut to a close up of the note which can be read saying "YOUR NOT MY FRIEND I HATE YOU NA NA NA NA NA!!!!!" or something very similar - this will probably disturb the audience to see a girl so young psychologically tortured and will shock the audience. I then intend to use footage of the girl running away again whilst intercutting this with slow motion clips of her genuinely smiling and enjoying herself in either the playground or another location in which she was previously featured looking miserable. A mid shot will be used so that she does not look as insignificant and a close up will elaborate on her facial expression and capture her happy expression.
I am undecided as to whether I will feature a black screen with text saying "The End" or whether just to fade the video to black. 02:50 - 03:37
Saturday, 15 November 2014
Mock Up Plan
Over the rest of the academic year I intend to complete a number of tasks in order to ensure that I have a more vivid idea of what I want to create, this will involve planning and researching pre-existing texts similar of that that I intend to emulate - some of my research has been conducted on an eclectic range of music, however, I now hope to focus on collating research and mock ups of ideas that relate more to the style of music I will be producing for (Indie Rock/Rock). The tasks will be as follows:
Ideas for digipak inspiration
Ideas for magazine advert/poster inspiration
Initial ideas and perceptions - Spider diagrams
First draft of digipak
First draft of magazine advert/poster
Analysis of 4 magazine adverts
Analysis of album covers/digipaks of a similar genre to mine (at least 4)
Initial script of video
Shot list
Shooting schedule
Codes and conventions of rock/indie rock music videos
Conventions of music videos that feature children
Produce a list of equipment/resources I will need
Rough storyboard
Actors
Locations
Props
Produce an animatic with feedback
Final designs for digipak and magazine advert/poster
Hopefully I should have all of this completed near the end of term which would allow me to commence with the filming of my video and also post-production, all of these will have been inspired/informed by my research which will allow me to gain even more of an idea into the codes and conventions of my music video and how it will pan out.
Ideas for digipak inspiration
Ideas for magazine advert/poster inspiration
Initial ideas and perceptions - Spider diagrams
First draft of digipak
First draft of magazine advert/poster
Analysis of 4 magazine adverts
Analysis of album covers/digipaks of a similar genre to mine (at least 4)
Initial script of video
Shot list
Shooting schedule
Codes and conventions of rock/indie rock music videos
Conventions of music videos that feature children
Produce a list of equipment/resources I will need
Rough storyboard
Actors
Locations
Props
Produce an animatic with feedback
Final designs for digipak and magazine advert/poster
Hopefully I should have all of this completed near the end of term which would allow me to commence with the filming of my video and also post-production, all of these will have been inspired/informed by my research which will allow me to gain even more of an idea into the codes and conventions of my music video and how it will pan out.
Initial Ideas and Perceptions
Due to the name of the song - "The Fight" - My initial thoughts were to create a video featuring an array of martial arts sequences to embody the metaphor of the song, however, due to practicalities I decided to take a more pragmatic approach and use some actors
Ideas
Combat montage: I thought that in order to body the metaphor of the song, I could use some martial art/combat specialists to emphasize the frustration of the singer, I would preferably use a martial arts specialist or a boxer, this would adhere to the songs message and convey the struggles of the protagonist. One of the most recent examples of a music video like this would be Maroon 5 - One More Night in which lead singer Adam Levine is shown in a number of shots training intensely in a boxing gym for a number of scenes/shots until the video culminates in a big fight. This video serves as a useful reference point on which to base some of my ideas should I choose to use this idea. This idea would have to involve a series of close - ups and extreme close ups to capture the emotions of the protagonist. In addition to this, the most intense scenes should be used as the song is in the chorus, as this is when the song is at it's loudest. If I were to apply this idea to my video, the fight scene would have to happen towards the end of the video to keep the audience in suspense. During the fight, a shot reverse shot must be used (whilst adhering to the 180 degree rule) to convey to the audience that the two parties are very much against each other, however, when the protagonist and coach are training together they must be presented through the use of a two shot to connote unity. The environment in which this video is set is of paramount importance: it would require a boxing gym to stage training sessions and give the video a sense of verisimilitude, therefore having more of an effect on the audience as the text will have more cinematic credibility.
Performance video: I would also like to explore the idea of having a performance video for the band, as my research has informed me that many bands similar to the band I am creating for have taken this approach to music videos. For example, Guns N' Roses have made two very successful performance videos with hits "Sweet Child O' Mine" and "Paradise City". One commonality among these videos is the use of monochrome effects that connote a very vintage and minimalist approach to music and reflect the artist's musical ideologies. Also, a band performing in a video for which they have quite a lot of creative freedom reinforces the minimalist approach to music, as it shows them doing what they have done for there entire career - performing their songs for the fans - with the omission of any drastic special effects. This video would require the use of some wide shots to represent the band as a cohesive whole, before using close-ups/extreme close-ups on each member of the band individually, placing special emphasis on certain members of the band depending on the juncture of the song i.e. if there is a guitar solo, emphasis will be placed on the guitarist. I have also contemplated the idea of using a number of extras to pose as fans, however, I felt this would be too difficult as it would be incredibly difficult to organise such a plethora of actors and it could also incur unnecessary costs for actors/extras who are not needed.
Development from adolescence ( narrative video): Whilst the song encapsulates many of the negatives elements of an intimate relationship, it also describes how relationships can elicit immaturity but also become mundane, hence the line "Our youth you've strangled from us has brought me to this state" - commenting on how love can constrict our personalities. Therein, I plan to construct a video that revolves around younger actors in order to get an idea across - the idea that our behaviour in relationships does not differ much regardless of our age, that we manifest similar characteristics whether in the midst of a silly playground romance or a long-term relationship. This is why I may use younger actors, is it almost simplifies the problems we face in loving relationships. This will use a series of shot-reverse-shots to emphasise the burgeoning animosity between the two, rather than presenting them in a two-shot, which would connote that they are together and there is no discord between them. As per usual, it will also have to include an array of close-ups/extreme close-ups to capture the expressions of the actors in order for the audience to empathize. I believe the binary opposition between young and old and love and hate really encapsulates the meaning of the song.
Ideas
Combat montage: I thought that in order to body the metaphor of the song, I could use some martial art/combat specialists to emphasize the frustration of the singer, I would preferably use a martial arts specialist or a boxer, this would adhere to the songs message and convey the struggles of the protagonist. One of the most recent examples of a music video like this would be Maroon 5 - One More Night in which lead singer Adam Levine is shown in a number of shots training intensely in a boxing gym for a number of scenes/shots until the video culminates in a big fight. This video serves as a useful reference point on which to base some of my ideas should I choose to use this idea. This idea would have to involve a series of close - ups and extreme close ups to capture the emotions of the protagonist. In addition to this, the most intense scenes should be used as the song is in the chorus, as this is when the song is at it's loudest. If I were to apply this idea to my video, the fight scene would have to happen towards the end of the video to keep the audience in suspense. During the fight, a shot reverse shot must be used (whilst adhering to the 180 degree rule) to convey to the audience that the two parties are very much against each other, however, when the protagonist and coach are training together they must be presented through the use of a two shot to connote unity. The environment in which this video is set is of paramount importance: it would require a boxing gym to stage training sessions and give the video a sense of verisimilitude, therefore having more of an effect on the audience as the text will have more cinematic credibility.
Performance video: I would also like to explore the idea of having a performance video for the band, as my research has informed me that many bands similar to the band I am creating for have taken this approach to music videos. For example, Guns N' Roses have made two very successful performance videos with hits "Sweet Child O' Mine" and "Paradise City". One commonality among these videos is the use of monochrome effects that connote a very vintage and minimalist approach to music and reflect the artist's musical ideologies. Also, a band performing in a video for which they have quite a lot of creative freedom reinforces the minimalist approach to music, as it shows them doing what they have done for there entire career - performing their songs for the fans - with the omission of any drastic special effects. This video would require the use of some wide shots to represent the band as a cohesive whole, before using close-ups/extreme close-ups on each member of the band individually, placing special emphasis on certain members of the band depending on the juncture of the song i.e. if there is a guitar solo, emphasis will be placed on the guitarist. I have also contemplated the idea of using a number of extras to pose as fans, however, I felt this would be too difficult as it would be incredibly difficult to organise such a plethora of actors and it could also incur unnecessary costs for actors/extras who are not needed.
Development from adolescence ( narrative video): Whilst the song encapsulates many of the negatives elements of an intimate relationship, it also describes how relationships can elicit immaturity but also become mundane, hence the line "Our youth you've strangled from us has brought me to this state" - commenting on how love can constrict our personalities. Therein, I plan to construct a video that revolves around younger actors in order to get an idea across - the idea that our behaviour in relationships does not differ much regardless of our age, that we manifest similar characteristics whether in the midst of a silly playground romance or a long-term relationship. This is why I may use younger actors, is it almost simplifies the problems we face in loving relationships. This will use a series of shot-reverse-shots to emphasise the burgeoning animosity between the two, rather than presenting them in a two-shot, which would connote that they are together and there is no discord between them. As per usual, it will also have to include an array of close-ups/extreme close-ups to capture the expressions of the actors in order for the audience to empathize. I believe the binary opposition between young and old and love and hate really encapsulates the meaning of the song.
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