BLOG STREAM

 

Evaluation

Our project represents toxic relationships through the portrayal of a middle-class couple at a dinner party. We used the song ‘Under the Table’ by Fiona Apple, and interpreted the lyrics “kick me under the table all you want, I won’t shut up’ as a woman being put down to keep quiet. This includes elements of misogyny, reflecting the old belief that women should be seen and not heard. This inspired the idea of a dinner party, where our star is neglected by her partner. This is reinforced by footage of the couple arguing in the kitchen under cold blue lighting, symbolizing the tension in their relationship. Additional imagery, such as projected images reflecting the anger of our artist, helped portray the toxic relationship. We used cold lighting and blue tones to represent the coldness between the characters. However, we chose to break the fourth wall, with the artist singing directly to the camera, to represent her growing confidence. This was reflected within the narrative, as she looked at herself in the mirror and let herself express her anger. We chose to leave the ending of the music video undetermined, finishing with the Lucy sitting down at the table. Although we didn’t reveal what happens next, she looks directly into the camera as she sits making it clear that the confident persona that she adopts while lip-syncing has spread, and she has regained her power in the situation. This follows our interpretation of the lyrics, while also being a clear representation of a toxic and unbalanced relationship.

We used consistent imagery across all our projects to establish a branding identity. Our artist is portrayed as hesitant to be in the spotlight but willing to be emotionally vulnerable and discuss important issues, including misogyny and toxic relationships. Our repetitive imagery was created with the use of projection, as it allowed us to experiment with colour and lighting while still creating the same look. After using the projector to represent emotions in our music video, we used it to create a sense of mystery surrounding the artist in our digipak. We then proceeded to use the same images we projected onto Lucy’s face, on our Instagram page to tie together the products. Despite being used in a different way each time, the repetitive use of imagery throughout our coursework contributed to the branding identity. The ink effect was taken from royalty-free sensory videos online, but we purposely chose videos with a black background so that our artist was in the shadows. This helped represent Lucy as withdrawn but also powerful, with the spreading of ink matching her spreading anger. Despite appearing mysterious, the music video clearly shows Lucy’s emotional vulnerability, which she must overcome to stand up for herself. This is also shown on her social media page, through heartfelt messages dedicated to her fans detailing her emotional connection with the album. For example, while announcing the tour Lucy reveals that the album was written during a “very vulnerable and lonely point” and that the support from her fans has given her the courage to share her experiences. This is further reinforced by Lucy’s face often being obscured in shadows, to represent her hesitancy to share this vulnerable side with her audience. The representation of the artist remains consistent, and consumers know exactly what they are getting when they purchase the album.

We wanted to engage with our audience by including imagery that requires some interpretation. Although we deliver the narrative almost like a short film, we also used imagery to convey emotions and to keep the audiences attention. Our music video requires participation from the audience to interpret the true message, drawing their attention and building a connection to the song. Consumers have to connect the different strands of the narrative to understand that they are connected and represent the artist's internal conflict. Using consistent visual styles across all our products creates a branding identity that increases engagement, helps build a connection between the album and the artist, and encourages consumer loyalty. This is achieved by being consistent with visual elements and messaging, it creates familiarity and trust between listeners and the artist. We also aimed to create empathy with the audience, as through the social media page Lucy reveals she is emotionally connected to the experiences she is singing about. This makes her more relatable but also portrays her as more like a ‘real person’, who is not untouchable. My social media page was also designed to promote engagement by creating a sense of anticipation for the release of the album and music video, encouraging discussion amongst fans and interaction in the comment section. 

While drawing on conventions observed from the alternative pop/rock genre, we also chose to challenge some of these conventions. For example, in a lot of the videos we observed, such as Mazzy Star’s song ‘Fade Into You’ and Regina Spektor’s song ‘Us’, very muted colour palettes were used or even just black and white. We decided not to follow this and instead went for bright bold colours through the use of projection. We chose to do this as we felt that the song had a powerful message of the artist expressing her frustration towards those who try to silence or control her, and as it reaches the climax of the song her anger becomes clearer. We believed that intense colours should be used to match the strong emotions expressed in the song, reflecting the intensity of the artist's emotions.

We also chose to deviate from the convention of solely using imagery and lip-syncing. Instead, we pursued a narrative that we hoped to convey in conjunction with the lyrics. Although this is unconventional for the ‘alternative’ genre, this does match Andrew Goodwin’s theory of music videos, which states that conventionally, music videos have a link between the lyrics of the song and the visuals being displayed. We achieved this by use of lip-syncing, but also matching some of the actions to the lyrics. For example, as Luci sings “I won’t shut up”, those words are repeated across the screen to reinforce the message that she will not allow herself to be silenced.

Despite choosing to challenge some conventions from the alternative genre, we also made sure to keep the focus on the artist and focus on her representation by including a lot of close-ups. Although we chose to implement a narrative, the whole music video still revolves around Lucy, and she receives the majority of the screen time. We also made sure that the narrative didn’t distract from the song or representation of the artist. This is conventional for the ‘alternative’ genre as typically lyrics are meaningful and artists want the consumers to focus on the message being put across.

In conclusion, this project provided me with an opportunity to learn about and challenge some of the conventional norms within the ‘alternative’ genre through my music video, social media page, and digipak. Through the creation of a consistent brand image across all three products, I was able to establish a clear and coherent identity of my artist, which effectively communicated the overall message of the song we picked. The music video specifically addressed social issues such as toxic relationships, and by doing so, I was able to demonstrate the power of media to engage audiences and establish communication between artists and consumers. I now have a better understanding of the process to research target audiences, and producing a product that fits their expectations, while also establishing an identity for an artist and getting their message across to audiences.

Social Media Page

Introduction

Clementine and I decided to make Instagram pages, as it is a modern media form that artists use frequently to connect with fans. We created 9 posts to promote the release of our album, and for the music video we created for one of the songs. Before creating the page, I created a list of things I wanted to include, and intentions for each of the posts.

1. I wanted to include at least 1 post building anticipation for an announcement, to encourage engagement with fans and to create curiosity so they would return to the social media page
2. Create a post announcing the drop of the album
3. Create a post announcing the early release of a song from the album - I wanted to differentiate the song we created a music video for by doing a surprise release a little earlier than the album
4. Create a preview of the music video to generate excitement
5. Show a preview of the digipak design to encourage sales
6. Announce tour dates to connect with fans

This left space for a few extra posts, which I could use to further promote the products. With this list of intentions, I was able to plan out the posts I wanted to create. To create a sense of branding, I decided to stick to the main colour schemes present in the music video, predominantly red with a little bit of blue. I wanted the theme to be quite dark, to create a sense of mystery surrounding the artist and her announcements. To link the social media page, digipak and music video, I used the projector images we had taken for the photoshoot for the digipak. The profile picture is a variation of the picture used for the front cover of the digipak, and in the bio I put a lyric from the song and a link to the music video.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Taylor Swift (@taylorswift)

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Taylor Swift (@taylorswift)

For inspiration I looked at Taylor Swift's Instagram page, and how she created anticipation for the release of her most recent album Midnights. Although she posted a lot more, I followed a similar pattern to how she announced her album, music videos, and tour dates. On the left is Taylor Swift's feed, and on the right you can see my Instagram feed. Similar to her, I revealed a track from the album, released a teaser trailer for the music video, and did a post counting down until the release of the album. Additionally I also encouraged fans to buy the CD by hinting at surprise inside - in Taylor Swift's CD version of the album she included an extra song that isn't available anywhere else. However I chose to post in slightly different order, and I created more of a build up before announcing the album.

Creation

Similar to the digipak, I used Canva to add text to all of the posts and format the images.

Final Product

Link to Instagram page: click here

   I wanted to make sure the page looked aesthetic in both dark and light mode, to accommodate for all followers who might view the content, so I edited two versions to show both variations.

Representation and Branding

The first three posts are meant to build anticipation by announcing a new project, and revealing the date it will be released. At this point fans don't know what is being announced, so it encourages discussion around the topic and leads to increased engagement on the social media page. The sense of mystery is carried across in the imagery of the posts, as the artists face isn't fully revealed and she is obscured in shadows. The use of projection is a hint towards the upcoming project, as this imagery is continued in the album cover and music video for Under The Table. Another hint is the blue picture posted, as it is a reversed version of the back of the album cover. This is an easter egg that fans will later be able to pick up on once the album is released, and this once again encourages fan discussion which helps create a community around the artist.

The next three posts were focused on new releases. First, the artist announced their album, saying "So excited to announce that my new album Projection, the story of regaining our power, will be out on March 31st". Not only does she tell fans the name of the album, show the cover design and reveal the date it will be released, but also gives a short explanation of what it is about tp help fans relate to the album before they even hear it. This is also the first time the artists face is in the light, her face is revealed as she reveals her album. The next post announces an early release of a song. The caption expresses gratitude to fans, and gives a message relating to the theme of the song. This further establishes a connection to fans, and builds their sense of loyalty towards her.

This is followed by a video, which is a preview for the music video of Under The Table. This announces the date of the early release of the song. The post helps build anticipation for the song and the album, while giving insight into representation of the artist. I made the video a loop, so that when is watched in reel format (a recent feature introduced by Instagram), it is a smooth transition when the video restarts. Although this is a minor detail, it adds to the presentation of the artists work and when new listeners watch a polished product, it is more likely to attract their attention. The section of the song repeats the lyrics "I would beg to disagree but begging disagrees with me", which matches the lyrics in the artists bio. This further ties together the posts with the rest of the page.

The last 3 posts were about encouraging sales of the album. First, I posted a slide with the words "I won't shut up" repeated across it. The caption references this, saying "Ask anyone, I won't shut up about my new album... Only a week to go!". This is a countdown to the album release to create anticipation, but also references the words on the slide. Unbeknownst to the fans this is also a lyric from the song Under The Table, which is another easter egg for them to uncover once the song is released (2 days before the album drops). I got this idea from Taylor Swift, who has been known to use the lyrics of her songs in the captions of posts as clues. Next was a post announcing the release of the album. This post reveals the digipak design to the fans, whilst also disclosing there was a surprise if fans bought the special edition CD. This was meant to encourage sales of the physical copy of the album. Finally, the artist announced tour dates. The announcement was delivered with a heartfelt message to fans, to further develop the connection between consumers and the artist. Tours are generally announced after the release of new music, and help to generate loyalty to the artist as people tend to feel a connection when watching someone perform, as they are in the same room and having the same experiences.

Finally, I made use of Instagram stories to generate more excitement for the album. Stories are a way to constantly appear on followers pages, and there is a sense of urgency to view them as they disappear after 24 hours. The countdown is a feature that can be reposted and shared, and people can also save them so it sends a reminder when it runs out. This means that people can keep track of the time left before the album drops. The repetitive projector imagery reinforces the fans association of the colour scheme and imagery with the album, creating a clear identity of the music and portraying the artist as mysterious. This representation creates curiosity, so that fans are eager to listen to the album and watch the music video to discover more about the artist.

Digipak - Final Product

Final Product

To create the final product we combined all the edited pages and placed it onto a digipak template, as if it were for an actual product and we were going to print it out. On the left is the template I used, and on the right is the final product.

In order  to show off the final product, I also edited the images to show what the final digipak would look like if it was printed off. This was done using an app called sketchbook, which is intended for digital drawing but I discovered it is also very useful for manipulating images.

 

Digipak - Adding Text

Selecting Photos and Editing 

From the photos taken during the photoshoot, we selected our favourite pictures and imported them into a website called Canva. Although photoshop also would have worked for this task, I am much more familiar with Canva and it can also perform a variety of tasks that we used for the creation of our digipak.

Front cover Having already decided the name of our artist and album, making the front cover was quite simple. We also already had an idea of where we wanted to place the text due to the creation of a mock-up of our digipak. The only decision we had to make was on the font of our text, we ended up going for a simple but bold font that didn't take away from the rest of the cover.

Inside cover Clementine and I wanted to take a lyric from the song that conveyed the message of our music video, and place it on the inside cover of our digipak. We chose the lyrics 'I would beg to disagree but begging disagrees with me' as it represents the anger the artist feels, and the moment she realises that she doesn't want to accept the way she has been treated anymore. It also matched the red them on the front cover, which we also carried across onto the inside cover by incorporating more of the red ink spreading. We placed it on the bottom of the page to reference fire, which is also associated with anger. One change we made from our mock-up is that we chose to repeat the sentence along the whole page. This is because it looked too empty before, and we wanted it to be more of a point of interest.

Disc Location On this page we transitioned to a blue cover page. This was to match the back cover, but also as a reference to our music video. Towards the end of the music video it quickly flicks between blue and red lighting, to reflect Lucy's anger but also her vulnerability. We used a white circle to indicate the slot where the disc is kept. On this page we kept to a very simple design as were thinking of the digipak as a whole product - so that when looking at the inside, it wasn't too distracting next to the inside cover.

Back cover On the back cover we stuck to the blue theme, creating a balance within our digipak. Half of Lucy is concealed in darkness, and this was designed so that it created a sense of mystery around the artist and would create interest in a potential consumer. It also reflects the sense of resolution to the our music video, as our star regains control of her feelings and returns to the dinner table determined not to put up with the way she has been treated. We came up with song titles based off the lyrics in the song we chose, but also wanted to stick with the theme of conflicting emotions. This can be seen in the titles 'Collision' and 'Peace and Quiet' - representing anger/violence and calm.

Barcodes, Record Labels and Copyright Credentials 

Clementine and I looked at examples of back covers of albums, and made note of key features we needed to include. Conventionally, back covers give a list of songs in the album, and many had imagery that linked to either the album or the star. All of them had barcodes, a logo of their record labels and copyright credentials. This is to clearly display the licensing and legal information. To help the improve the validity and realism of our album, Clementine and I created our own record label with a unique logo, as well as including a barcode and copyright credentials. Below is our final product which we put on the back of our digipak.

To create the logo of our record company, I used Canva and another website called LunaPic. We decided to name the company OC records, named after Clementine and Olivia. I used the first letters of our names and joint them, making the background a distinctly different colour. This was so I could use LunaPic to select the background and turn it transparent, so that it was a round logo and didn't cover up too much of our back cover.

Digipak - Photoshoot

Test Shoot

Initially, Clementine and I created a padlet to map out ideas of what we wanted our digipak to look like. We started with brainstorming for the front cover, as this is the most important in terms of representing our artist.

In order to coordinate our ideas, Clementine and I did a test shoot to experiment with what worked and what didn't, and to get an idea of what background we wanted to use. This also meant we knew what we wanted to accomplish going into the photoshoot, so we didn't waste Lucy's time.

We used these test photographs to also do a mock-up of our digipak. Clementine and I sat down and discussed what we wanted to include, and how we should format our text and other features. This really helped us as it also gave us some ideas for adjustments to make when taking the official photographs. 

We used the initial planning stage to come up with a name for our artist and album. For the artist's name we wanted it to be short and simple and to keep focus on the star. We used our actress's name, Lucy, but decided to replace the 'y' to an 'i'. This was intentionally done as a nod to Lucifer, referencing the fact that Lucy is demonized in the music video by her partner, and to the red projection that appears towards the end of the music video (seen in clip below). We named the album projection as a reference to the imagery we included throughout all our products, but also because our character projects a false image of herself to conform to her environments. We thought this title would be fitting as it matches our music video, digipak, and our interpretation of the lyrics to the song we chose.

Photoshoot

We completed the photoshoot in under an hour, due to our prior planning. Clementine and I had already chosen the backgrounds that we wanted, and Lucy was very cooperative with our instructions. We were very happy with our end results, and after we exported them onto a computer we flagged our favourite shots so that they would be easy to find later. We also imported them onto google drive so that we could both access the photos from any device. This would make the creation of the digipak easier, and also helped us cooperate.

Digipak Research

Introduction

Album covers are used to add to the representation of the artist, and also to help build an expectation for the contents of the album. Often they are quite minimalistic, with portrait photos of the star to build on their identity and to clearly associate their presence with the music being listened to. Clementine and I looked at a range of album covers from within our genre, along with some other examples to gain some inspiration for our own digipak, and to see what was conventional. Below are some examples of portrait album covers, that reflect the the music contained in the albums.

General Album Research

The examples below show how the music match the emotions depicted on the album cover, giving the listeners insight into the album.

Billie Eilish's album is a medium close-up of the artist, as she stares off into the distance. The album is described as 'subdued pop', and reflects on Eilish's career, depicting the downsides of stardom. On the album cover she has a tear trailing down her face. The album cover represents the element of self-reflection within Eilish's music.

Taylor swift's reputation album was the opportunity for her to rebrand, after taking a break from the public eye. The more confident pose and expression on the cover reflects the change in her music, and marked a further step away from the country music genre. Although she had previously released the pop album '1989', this was a much more noticeable change as she reclaimed her image. Similar to Billie Eilish's album cover, the album cover is mid-shot of Taylor, as this helps build a stronger star identity.

Taylor swift has gone for similar style covers for each album, generally opting for a medium close up with features that relate to the atmosphere created by the music (such as the colour of the background). However Taylor swift has also created colour schemes that are associated with each album, which she reinforces on her social media and while on tour (through performance outfits and details such as the colour of confetti). She uses her covers to create an identity associated which each album. She recently extended this through her 'Eras tour' - associating each album with a different stage of her life and highlighting her different identities at each point of time.

Genre Specific Research

Artists who produce alternative pop/rock music typically use a similar format to their album covers. From the examples below you can see that they mostly chose to close-ups and mid shots of the artists, however they were slightly more experimental with their designs. In most cases the artists are still featured, so the albums are still connected to their identity. However, the covers tend to be a little more experimental with elements such as lighting or props. Although album covers in the alternative genre can vary depending on their sub-genre and the context of the album, they often include symbolism and abstract or surreal imagery.

In the cover of 'Be the Cowboy', Mitski is pictured staring at the camera through a close up shot, wearing a swim cap while getting her makeup done. She revealed that the album is about a repressed woman who is unravelling, trying to keep hold of her control. The swim cap paired with the makeup being applied, represents having control over her own image, as she applies it despite knowing that if she goes in the water it could all be washed off. This also reflects the fact that a single action can wash away her constructed image. The pose leaves Mitski quite vulnerable to the audience, as if we are looking in at a private moment as she prepares her mask. However, the cover requires some interpretation to understand her emotions, making it conventional of the alternative genre.

There are two variations of this cover, one with a white background and one with a yellow. The photograph is take from a slight high angle shot, and Regina Spektor looks into the the camera as if she is regarding the audience. The overexposed effect creates a sense of imperfection, and adds to the vulnerability that Regina seems to be displaying. However there is also a sense of curiosity in her pose. This all matches the title of the album 'Begin to Hope', as if Regina is analysing the position she is in and determining whether it is a hopeful situation. There is a sense of intimacy in the album cover, which helps establish a connection with consumers.

Hozier's debut album has a surrealist, painting-like quality which makes his portrait unique. His face is replaced with a scenic image of the sea, which matches the blue of his shirt and the blue seen through the window. It also adds a quality of introspection, with the sea representing a complexity of emotions which is also carried across in Hozier's music. Despite the blue shirt standing out, Hozier's 'face' blends into the rest of the background, obscuring the identity of the artist. The self-titled album name is understated and relatively small in the corner. Hozier presents himself as an understated artist, encouraging focus on the music instead.

In Fiona Apple's album 'When the Pawn...', the use of red creates an intensity to the emotion on her face. As she is looking off into the distance with a smile on her face, it creates a sense of mystery which draws the audience in, as it creates a desire to know what she is looking at. Fiona is represented as eager to engage with the audience, whilst also maintaining a playful look. The red could also be representative of her passion for music and excitement to share her second album. However the contrast in light, with her face being brightly illuminated but darker shadows behind her, could represent a complexity to her emotions.

Purpose of Digipak

For our digipak, Clementine and I will look to use imagery to represent the emotions of our artist, rather than clearly displaying it. Analyzing the album covers of the alternative genre has shows how including abstract features can increase the emotional intensity that is presented to the audience. Throughout these examples lighting was used effectively, and as this was a main feature throughout our music video (such as the projector scenes) it may be effective to use this, or something similar, for our digipak.

Music Video - Final Product

Final Product

This is Clementine and my final music video for the song 'Under The Table' by Fiona Apple. It features our artist Luci, from our album 'Projection', and stars Lucy Churcher and Vedaant Jean Paul.

 

Costumes

Introduction

Clementine and I wanted to use costumes to consolidate the portrayal of our characters. Initially we wanted to play into traditional gender roles, to reflect how Lucy's opinion isn't valued as she sits at the table, and to add to the toxic nature of the relationship portrayed. Similarly, we wanted the female extras to also wear feminine costumes. In order to fit the dinner party scene that we imagined, the clothing also had to be relatively formal. We allowed the extras to choose their own clothing, and they sent us pictures before the day of filming so that we could approve them.

Lucy's Outfit

Lucy's outfit was a floral blue dress, fulfilling the feminine representation. We also emphasised her femininity by starting out the video with her applying makeup. This creates a persona that Lucy adopts during the dinner party. However as she is mistreated, and her anger grows, she is stripped of the persona. Along with using the projector imagery to represent her spreading anger, Lucy also wore a plain white shirt to symbolise the fact she has stripped back her persona and she is just being herself. 

Inspiration and Conventions

Music within the alternative rock/pop genre varies, and so does costumes worn by the artists. A lot of female artists in this genre choose to present themselves as less feminine, whilst others choose to embrace their femininity. What they all have in common is that they present themselves as powerful to their audiences. Although there is a societal perception of masculinity as 'powerful' and femininity as 'weak', artists such as Florence Welch from 'Florence + The Machine' embrace feminine clothing whilst still maintaining autonomy over her image and representation.

Vedaant's Outfit

To fit the theme of the dinner party, we asked him to wear smart clothing. However we specified that we would like him to wear black, to represent how he is closed off in the relationship. Colour psychology shows that black can be symbolic of mystery and power, however it can also evoke emotions such as sadness and anger. This links to the anger felt by Lucy's character, as he puts her down in front of others. There weren't any conventions to follow for his costume, as music videos in our genre don't often follow a narrative structure, so the representation mainly revolves around the artist. 

Extras' Outfit

We gave the extras choice over the outfits, with the instruction to wear relatively formal clothing. However, once we saw Lucy's outfit, we decided to embrace stereotypical gender roles to emphasise the message as Lucy gains back her power. Therefore we instructed our female extras to wear clothes with an element of flowers, to match Lucy's dress. 

Casting

Characters

Female lead Male partner  Extras

Options

Because we decided to include the performance within the narrative, our casting choice was important as our female lead would also adopt the role of our artist. Originally we were considering one of Clementine's friends, Miyuki, who had expressed interest in being in our video. This worked well for us, as they had the right look we wanted our artist to have. They also study fashion design, so this would have been an advantage with costume planning and makeup. As they don't go to the same school as us, it was harder to communicate and we had to rely on messaging online. This meant there was a delay when we checked if they were free for filming, and led to having to postpone shooting quite a few times. Eventually, we found that we had conflicting schedules and had to find another actress to be our performer. 

Lucy Churcher and Vedaant Jean Paul

Lucy is in our Media Studies class, but also does Drama making her a perfect option for our music video. Luckily, she was willing to act for us. She has recently performed in the school production of West Side Story, so has plenty of acting experience.

 Vedaant was also in West Side Story, with a main role. He is also a Media and Drama student, and has a starring role in other music videos this year. The two of them have performed in similar roles, and Vedaant has had practice lip-syncing so Clementine and I were very happy with our casting choices.

 

Production Log #4

Editing

Clementine and I began editing as we filmed, so that any complications with filming wouldn't hold up the process of putting together the final product. After each shoot, we reviewed the footage, marking our favourite clips. This made it easy to come back to the best shots, and drop them in. As we had created a rough plan for what footage should go at each point of the song, organising the clips was easier.

Once we filmed the projector clips we dropped them in approximately where we planned, aligning the lip-syncing with the correct parts of the song. This meant that even if we replaced the clips with a shot from another scene, we could at least see both options and wouldn't have to spend time aligning the lip-syncing later on if we chose to use the footage.

As we dropped in footage from other scenes, we left the projector clips where they were. Instead of replacing what was already there, we layered the clips so that we could easily switch back to how it was before without having to search for the right shots.

Once we inserted all our coverage, we began thinking about cutting back and forth between scenes, and cutting to the beat of the music. Once again, we chose to layer clips rather than replacing the original footage, so that we could experiment without risk of losing our earlier work.

We exported our rough cut, before making any further adjustments. Clementine and I then continued on working with the timing of the transitions and the placement of certain shots. Once we were relatively happy with the placement of our footage, we began colour correcting.

Clementine and I found colour correcting quite difficult. As we had used coloured lighting, in some shots the hue of the lights were slightly different and we found it very difficult to compare and match the colouring of certain shots. We made use of scopes to make the colour correcting more accurate.

Rough Cut Feedback

Introduction

After finishing our rough cut, Clementine and I asked the class for feedback. We had a group showing of the music video before listening to their ideas to further improve our product. While we were listening, I noted down some of the key suggestions so that Clementine and I can come back to them. Some of the points of improvement were things we had already noted down and plan to improve, but overall receiving an outside opinion was very helpful - because sometimes it can be hard to recognise small details that need to be fixed in your own work.

Areas for improvement

In order to show the rough cut we had to decide on a point to stop editing, although the product is still incomplete. Once we had dropped all the clips in and no longer had any gaps, we chose to ask for feedback before doing any further editing, despite still having areas of improvement. Listed below are some of main areas of development that we are aware of, although there are many more small adjustments we plan to make with regards to timing of the clips and number of cuts between shots to maintain audience interest.

Spin Transition At the moment, this spin transition is acting as a placeholder, as we have yet to attempt the actual transition. We have experimented on Final Cut Pro and Adobe Premier Pro, however we are not happy with the results yet and have not dedicated time to completing the transition, so have not put it into the rough cut.

Colour Correcting Clementine and I have only focused on putting the clips into Final Cut Pro, and haven't moved on to colour correcting yet. We knew that this is an area we have to develop. Not only do clips from the same scene not match each other, but the dinner table was supposed to take place in the evening, so we plan to see if we can try make the scene darker.

Projector  After looking through our footage, we realised that there was an arrow displayed by Lucy's head. We liked the colours displayed so we will either have to film that clip again or try crop the arrow out of the frame.

Class Feedback

As we received feedback from the class, I wrote out their suggestions so that Clementine and I could refer to them later.

Teacher Feedback

Positives

• Clear link between music and lyrics
• Thematically the narrative clearly fits with the lyrics and sentiment of the song
• The camerawork for the dinner scene cleverly centers the protagonist in the frame but places in the background
• Very controlled camera work for the final scene
• Mirror non-edit works really well

Suggestions

• Areas where lip-syncing could be tighter
• It would be better if you could introduce the performance, therefore the character, earlier
• If you re-shoot the projection bits - if you could get more coverage the range of distance in terms of the camera (maybe camera angles), to give you more editing choices when the temp of the music changes (becomes more layered) near the end
• Would overlaying the images be interesting (bringing together narrative and performance spaces)?
• Get the table swish nailed - it would look incredible and could be repeated at different speeds for different effects

Rough Cut

Introduction

Clementine and I have finished filming a majority of our music video, and were able to use the shots to produce a rough cut of our music video. Seeing the footage in order has allowed us to reflect on the footage, and pick out parts that need to be reshot. It also helped us visualise the final product, and we have realised that it would benefit the video to change some of our original ideas. Although we still have some editing to complete, such as colour correcting and reshooting some clips to fill time or replace shots we weren't happy with, we have a product (although half-finished), that we can show our class and ask for feedback. Another advantage of finishing the rough cut, is that we have a better idea of our artists identity, and we can start thinking about ideas for our digipack and social media page.

 

Health and Safety

Introduction

There are a few elements of health and safety we had to think about, from keeping equipment safe to making sure our actors were comfortable and safe. Prior to filming, Clementine and I worked out some potential risks that would have to be addressed while filming. As we worked in three different locations, we had to work out the risks associated with each of them. We used a template to plot out anything that may endanger our actors or equipment, and how to minimise those risks on the day. Additionally, we asked our actors to sign talent release forms.

Safety Forms

Talent Release Forms

Production Log #3

Dinner Party Scene

10th December 2022

Today Clementine and I finished off our filming, by shooting the dining room scene. Alongside filming with Lucy and Vedaant, we also needed at least 3 extras to give the impression of a dinner party, hosted by our two main characters. We invited some of our friends, and also used Clementine's brother to act as an additional guest. Once again, we used the curtains to block out some light, however the lighting was slightly different to last week, which is something we will have to correct in post-production. 

This week we used a gimbal, so make our tracking shots more stable. Our final shot of the video is a continuous tracking shot, which made the gimbal especially important. It took some time to balance the equipment, but I used the DJI Ronan app to conduct a balance test and make sure that everything was set up properly, to minimize the risk of damaging anything. It was quite heavy after holding it for a while, so we attempted to film everything efficiently. It took a while to get the final tracking shot right, especially as we had to get the timing right so that the song reached its end as Lucy sat down at the table and lip-synced the last few lines. It took a few tries, but eventually we filmed a successful shot.

Clip taken from our rough cut

Another challenge we encountered, was avoiding the extras taking up too much of the frame as Lucy sat down in the final shot (shown above). When practicing the shot, we found that the extra sitting across from Lucy got in the way as the camera was following her sitting down. To avoid his head being in the shot, we had to coordinate his exit from the scene. As we filmed walking out of the kitchen, the extra was in frame so he had to be sitting at the table, however as soon as I rounded the edge of the table I gave a signal and he quickly moved out the way along with his chair to clear the way for the rest of the shot. This took a few attempts so that we didn't catch him leaving the table, but it worked out well in the end.

Bathroom Scene

After reflecting on our footage from the week before, Clementine and I had decided we wanted to film some extra shots in the bathroom as we hadn't perfected the shot we wanted and it was out of focus. We used the same red blanket to block out the light from the window, and were more mindful to not catch the our additional light in the reflection of the mirror. Instead of placing the small light on a surface, which we found had been too bright in the mirror last week, I crouched on the floor and held it at an angle so it would not be in the shot. Having practiced last week, our shots were timed much better, and in focus. This week the footage was much better so it is what we will use in the music video.

Today concluded our filming for the music video. Now that we have collected enough footage to start editing, we will drop it into the editing software we are using, Final Cut Pro. We plan to create a rough cut which we will use to gather feedback, before creating a final product. This will help us gain a better idea of how we want to structure the video, before focusing on correcting smaller issues. From there we can also gather if we need to reshoot any material, or gather more coverage.

 

Production Log #2

Kitchen Scene

4th December 2022

The next stage of shooting, we filmed the kitchen argument shots between our main actors, Lucy and Vedaant. Our actors weren't available in the evening, which was a challenge as we had planned the scene to be in a dark room. To overcome this, we hung blankets over the windows in the kitchen, which proved to be quite effective. In the end the room was quite dark, but still light enough that the quality of footage wasn't compromised. The blankets did add another challenge, as we had to make sure they weren't in the frame when filming.

We decided to film handheld, to give more intimacy to the scene and to match the instability in their relationship. We filmed in one long continuous shot, panning between Lucy and Vedaant, so we could just insert sections of the argument into the final cut of the music video. This was quite difficult, as we had to make sure the actors were in focus, while using both hands to hold the camera for stability. This was quite challenging and took a few tried until we got a take we were happy with. Another challenge was making sure to avoid our shadow being in the shot, as we were also using a small Apurture light to cast a cold, bluish light on the characters.

Clementine and I have used this light consistently throughout our filming process. It is very useful, as it is small but powerful, and you have the ability to change the hue, saturation and intensity of the light.

Dinner Scene

Although we didn't invite any extras so were limited with our filming of the dinner scene, we made a start by shooting some close ups of Lucy and Vedaant. This proved to be quite effective, and helped us picture the shots we would film when we shot the dinner scene in full. We also used this opportunity to test out some of our ideas. One example of this was using Ribena in the place of red wine. Most of our actors are underage, so we wanted to ensure their safety by giving them an alternative. We used today as a chance to see if Ribena would work, and this proved to be successful and had the same appearance effect as using red wine.

Like with the kitchen scene, we had to try to darken the room. Luckily it had started to rain, so it naturally became a little darker, but not enough to imitate the evening. My dining room has curtains, which made the process easier. We decided that the curtains we sufficient, and that we would darken the scene a little more in post-production. As we have to reshoot the dinner scene with extras, we got the shots done quite quickly and mostly used it as a chance to experiment and prepare for the next time we would be filming the scene. It still proved to be useful, as it gave coverage we can use if we need more footage to cover gaps in the music video.

Bathroom Scene

This was more challenging to film, due to the confined space. My bathroom had a large mirror, so Clementine and I had to be mindful not to get caught in the reflection while filming. My bathroom also had a window, which we had to block out. We tried to create a different effect by using a red blanket, which filtered the light to create red lighting. We used an additional light to create a contrasting blue from the other side of Lucy's face.

 

Production Log #1

Projector Scenes

1st November 2022

We decided to start off by filming the projector scenes, as we had the clearest idea of what we wanted to film. Clementine and I chose to use one of the projectors at school, as the film classrooms also have blackout blinds which would maximise the effect of the projector. As we had some difficulties finding availability with our original actress, we had to switch last minute and luckily our classmate Lucy was willing to help. To stay on top of our schedule, we decided to film at lunchtime during the school-day. 

As we had experimented with on production day, Clementine and I decided we liked the ink spilling effect, so we stuck with the same video. We made sure to check that the video was copyright free, which was slightly difficult as the video we liked was a repost from another account. We managed to track down the original footage, and luckily it was royalty free footage. 

This is the original clip we used, made up of compiled footage from the Youtube Account SVF TV. We particularly liked this footage as the black background made the colours of the spilling ink more effective.

Before filming the ink imagery, we filmed Lucy with the words 'I won't shut up' displayed across her face. We had experimented with this on production day and liked the effect, but discovered an additional light source was required to show the person lip-syncing. We were prepared on the day of filming, and booked out an Aputure light. Clementine and I discovered that the light looked best when coming from a low angle, so we made use of the magnetic back of the light and created a makeshift stand. This meant no one had to hold the light and we were able to direct our focus towards filming.

Next we moved on to using the sensory videos, which turned out to be very successful. We played around with the speed of the footage, to get the effects we desired. For example, there was a clip we really liked of red ink spilling down, but it was much too slow. We used YouTube settings to speed it up, and it turned out exactly how we had invisioned it. Lucy was very good at learning the lyrics, so was able to successfully lip-sync while looking directly into the camera. We managed to get all the footage we needed, with enough coverage for the music video.

Overall this shoot was very successful. After filming, we uploaded all the footage to the computer and marked the best clips, so they would be easier to find when dropping them in to the editing software. We found the process quite simple to set up, meaning if we need to reshoot anything then it should be quite quick and easy.

Star Theory

 Introduction

Our task was to pick a well known musician and analyse their public image. We compared our chosen artist to Richard Dyer's star theory, which believes that the star image is often manufactured for the sake of building a 'brand'. They do this by constructing a unique selling point based around brand values, that help attract certain audiences. One way of doing this is by making the star relatable, to represent 'real people'. This helps the audience relate to them so that its easier to sell their brand and products. I decided to look at British singer and songwriter Sam Smith.

 Unique Selling Point

Sam Smith's unique selling point adapted after a few years, shifting to appeal to the LGBTQ+ community once they came out as queer. Their brand is based around around simplistic imagery, instead choosing to focus on their unique and distinctive voice. Since coming out as non-binary and changing their pronouns to They/Them, it has created an additional unique selling point that appeals to non binary individuals.

Target Audience

Sam Smith's sexuality comes across through their lyrics, and they are one of the first openly queer artists to achieve continued mainstream success. Despite conversations suggesting that 'coming out' would alienate parts of their audience, their continuous ability to reach the billboard top 100s suggest that it has only expanded their success and widened their target audience.

 Ideologies

Using the website "Look To The Stars", I was able to look at the charities and organisations endorsed by Sam Smith. Through the website, I learnt that Sam Smith supports charities such as Children in Need, Comic Relief, GRAMMY Foundation, and MusiCares. I also found articles talking about a foundation they formed to support gay youth. It is clear they are a strong advocate for the LGBTQ+ community, and this is reflected in their foundation and the incorporation of their sexuality into their brand and unique selling point. Furthermore, Sam Smith is also a global ambassador for War Child UK, and in 2017 they visited the programmes in Iraq and Jordon. They talked about this experience inspired songs on their new album, "The Thrill Of It All" - including the song "Pray" which was released as a single. For their 26th birthday, Sam Smith asked for fans to donate to War Child through a FaceBook link, raising over $17,000 before his birthday. Smith's ideologies have influence the development of their music and they have used their social media platforms to spread support. This is also part of their brand, as an unproblematic figure who connects with fans through their lyrics and impressive vocals.

 

Location Scouting

Introduction

Clementine and I were looking for two key locations for the music video to take place in. We drew inspiration from scenes in Fleabag (2016) and Taylor Swift's music video All Too Well: The Short Film (2021). We decided on filming the two parts to our film in a kitchen and dining room, and in order to film a shot we had in mind they would have to be connected. At first we considered using the school cafeteria as a location for the dining room, as it could be made to look like a restaurant setting, however we realised that in order to have the characters arguing in the kitchen it would have to be filmed in a home environment. Our main requirements was somewhere dark with warm lighting, so we could create an intimate dinner party scene. The clear next step was to evaluate the rooms in our houses.

Inspiration

Kitchen

Clementine's Kitchen	My Kitchen

Open space - easy to film in Sink is central, easy to use as a spot for the camera to revolve around, as the plan was for the main character to be washing dishes at the start of the scene Narrow hallway leading to the dining room, which could be a problem when filming the tracking shot of the main character from the kitchen to the table (a shot Clementine and I had previously discussed and want to at least attempt for our music video)

Darker lighting, which would be better for creating the moody atmosphere Connects directly to the dining room, so easy to film the tracking shot from the kitchen to the table The skylight could cause an issue if we have to film while it's light as it would be hard to cover up, however the space in the back (picture on the right) would be easier to cover the windows to block the light

Dining Room

Clementine's Dining Room	My Dining Room	Outside Table

Darker lighting, which would be good for setting the atmosphere of the scene The décor is suitable for a formal dinner party - there are shelves of glasses and drink cabinets The room is quite narrow, so we would be unable to use the crane for a shot we had planned and practiced on production day As mentioned before, the corridor from the dining room to the kitchen is quite narrow, which would make filming the tracking shot difficult	There is more space in the room, so it would be easier to film camera movements and be more creative with framing and camera angles As there is more space around the chairs, it would be easier for our main actor, Lucy, to get in and out of her chair when filming The lamps behind the table have digitally controlled LED lightbulbs, which can be controlled by an app and change colour. This would give us more control over the lighting and mood of the scene, without having to use lots of The room is brighter, however the curtains would block out some of the light	Lots of space around the table for filming More atmospheric, especially if using candles as a source of lighting No easy access to the kitchen without walking through the house Restrictive filming times, as there would be no way to shield the light during the day

Decision

Ultimately Clementine and I decided to film at my house, as the extra space would allow us some more freedom for experimenting with shots. The coloured lamps would allow us to play with lighting in different shots, and with the dining room being outside the kitchen the tracking shot would be much easier. After some consideration, we also thought that the extra space between the chairs would reflect the distance in the relationship, and the lack of communication.

 

Genre Research

Introduction

In order to understand our target audience and the conventions of our genre, we did some research to better prepare us for the task of creating our music video. With the help of interviews conducted to discover our target audience, along with sources online, Clementine and I determined that the song we selected fits into the 'alternative genre'. This a broad definition with various sub-genres, despite online sources varying, 'Under the Table' more specifically fits in to 'alternative pop/rock'.

Origins

Above are some artists that are considered alternative. The alternative pop/rock genre was originally influenced by late 1970's punk-rock, and is a term used to refer to music that is distinctive from mainstream or commercial pop or rock music. Merriam-Webster defines alternative music as "music that is produced by performers who are outside the musical mainstream, that is typically regarded as more eclectic, original or challenging than most popular music (such as conventional rock, pop, or country), and that is often distributed by independent record labels". It originated in the 1960's, and was heavily influenced by the band The Velvet Underground. 

Around the 1970s, the genre began to gain more attention, becoming popular in the 1990's. 'Alternative' artists tended to work with independent labels as they were less mainstream, however in the '90s their music became more commercially successful due to bands such as Nirvana, who were also deemed as alternative. Before it was known as alternative, the term 'indie' was used to refer to this kind of music. However in the US, it was also referred to as 'college rock' as it aligned with youth culture and was often heard on college radio circuits. The term alternative originated during the 1980s, but was only really used around the time this music became widespread in the '90s. Due to its origins, the genre has a wide demographic, generally ranging from students in their teens to adults up to their late 50s. The internet has played a major role in promoting 'underground' artists, which has led to a blurring of lines between alternative and mainstream artists.

Alternative rock/pop places an emphasis on guitars, which are often accompanied by bass and drums. Keyboards have also become more popular within 21st century bands, although they were not originally associated with the genre.

Fashion

Similar to the definition of alternative music, alternative fashion referred to any fashion outside of the mainstream. It is commonly associated with punk or grunge styles, due to the popularity of bands such as Nirvana and The Cranberries carrying this fashion in the '80s and '90s. However, alternative style is inclusive and is now more linked to the identity of the artist, rather than the genre of the music. For example, artists such as Lana Del Ray incorporate a range of styles.

Within the community of alternative music listeners, alternative fashion is still associated with grunge-style clothing. As the genre is about non-mainstream music, and discovering 'underground' artists, the fashion tends to reflect this with people supporting small businesses or buying clothes on places like Etsy. DIY clothing and thrifting are also common in alternative fashion.

Communities

There are many communities that celebrate alternative music, and these have only grown with the help of the internet. While I was looking at alternative rock/pop communities, I found a website called Meetup. This network helps connect people with similar interests, and organise events for people to attend. It was very easy to find people interested in alternative rock, and there were numerous events to attend. These spread worldwide, giving people a variety of options to attend no matter where they are located.

Additionally, there is a page on reddit dedicated to alternative rock, which is in the top 1% of largest communities on reddit. People use the platform to share music they have been listening to recently, hold discussions about artists and discover new songs. More online communities revolve around blogs and music forums, such as the forums available on a website called Music Banter. However smaller groups exist within local communities, such as in university societies. Universities such as Oxford, Cambridge, Cardiff, Southampton and Essex all have alternative music societies for students to join. Most have them have Facebook pages to help coordinate events.

TV and Film

Looking at examples of alternative music in film and television, I tried to find a correlation between the music and the imagery on screen. Alternative songs are often chosen for their emotional impact, and to enhance storytelling. Lyrics are often more meaningful, and symbolism within the music is often used to add significance to a scene by reinforcing the story or message being told.

'(500) Days of Summer' - 2009

This scene in '(500) Days of Summer' uses a song by Regina Spektor, an alternative/indie artist. The scene it is used in is a turning point in the movie, as it marks the definitive end of the characters relationship. The song has a sense of reflection, and Spektor's voice has a note of vulnerability. The alternative genre is often used in films to add emotional depth, and this is the case in this scene. (500) Days of Summer is an unconventional movie, that uses a non-linear narrative structure and interesting techniques such as the split screen in the scene above. This matches the unique qualities of Spektor's music, and the use of other alternative songs throughout the film. The film uses music from a lot of alternative artists such as The Smiths, The Temper Trap and Black Lips.

'The Perks of Being a Wallflower' - 2012

In this film Charlie struggles to find his place in the world, and deals with bad mental health. The song helps create a sense of self-expression, as his friend Sam stands at the back of the truck. It is also repeated at the end of the film, as Charlie is finally learning how to express himself and he shares the same moment, standing on the truck and describing the moment as feeling 'infinite'. In the scene above the song helps represent determination to overcome the challenges they have faced, while providing an emotional release. The character's stand out from societal norms, and this is reflected in the experimental nature of David Bowie's music, ultimately being defined as alternative rock. In this moment, Charlie begins to feel accepted, and the music heightens the emotional impact of the scene. When the song is repeated at the end of the film, with Charlie standing in Sam's place, it marks a moment of acceptance and liberation.

More Example

Radio and TV Stations

Alternative music can be found on a variety of radio stations, which can easily be found online. For example, Online Radio Box has a list of Singapore-based radio stations, and includes which genre of music they play. This makes it easy for listeners to find the right station for them, including fans of alternative, indie or alt-rock music. The main Singapore channel for alternative music is 973FM, while other stations such as Indie Radio play indie rock and pop music. In the UK, BBC Radio 6 is a well known station that primarily plays alternative music. In 2018 it was the most listened to digital-only radio station, and had an average weekly audience of around 2.53 million.

Originally this music was also found on college radio circuits, and this is still the case. Due to licensing requirements, campus radio stations generally broadcast music that are not classified as commercial hits. This leads to a tendency to play genres such as alt-rock, indie rock, new wave, punk and hip hop. Campus radio stations are often viewed as a way to give exposure to new and emerging local artists. This is originally why they were used as a route to give exposure to 'underground' music, before these genres became part of the musical mainstream.

Streaming is also an extremely popular method of listening to music. It is very easy to find playlists filled with music from the alternative genre, by searching it on services such as Spotify.

Magazines and Fanzines

There are a lot of magazines based in Los Angeles that focus on this genre of music. Under the Radar is a magazine based in the LA that keeps readers up to date with alternative and indie music. It also includes reviews on books, DVDs and albums, and holds interviews with artists. Alternative press is another LA based entertainment magazine, that also publishes alt-rock content, with interviews with artists and news to do with music world. Some other well known publications include Rolling Stone magazine, which has a focus on rock and alt-rock music, and The Wire. 

The Wire originated in the UK in 1982 and initially focused on jazz music, however it in the late '80s is began to include any experimental or non-mainstream music. This led to them adopting alternative music. Each month they post numerous album reviews, and connect with readers by giving out CDs called The Wire Tapper with compilations of new music. In 2003 the magazine introduced a weekly radio programme in London, and is hosted by members of the wire. The radio station is called 'Adventure in Sound and Music', named after the magazines strapline.

Club Nights and Gigs

There are plenty of venues across the UK that host alternative music nights, to appeal to more people. These are generally advertised online. There are also locations that advertise themselves as 'Indie clubs', that play alternative and 'underground' music. Clubs tend to use the terms 'alternative' and 'indie' interchangeably, referring to non-mainstream music. There are also many places that have dedicated indie nights, such as Propaganda at O2 Academy Islington. This is known as "the UK's biggest indie night". The club has been known to attract around 25,000 people each week, which gives a sense of the large audience still interested in indie/alternative music. KOKO is another indie and alternative venue, that hosts both live music events, and club nights.

Labels

As alternative music started out non-mainstream, very few artists were picked up by bigger labels. This led to an increase in independent record labels, that picked up these Indie artists. They still continue today, as there is less risk associated with failed albums as they operate on much smaller budgets. In the United Stats, they still account for 1/3 of music sales. They are much more adaptable, and typically adjust to new technology quicker (such as streaming services, and using social media as a means of promotion). Arguably one of the most successful independent record labels is XL Recordings, which have signed artists such as Radiohead and Adele. 4AD is another independent label which is known for its interest in 'underground rock', and has signed artists such as Pixies, Bon Iver, Grimes and St. Vincent. Domino Records started out as a UK-based label, it has become a major player in the US. They are mostly involved in indie-rock music, and have signed bands such as Arctic Monkeys and The Killers. Independent record labels are still popular amongst alternative artists as they typically keep ownership of their music, and they have more negotiating power for their contracts.

Activities and Lifestyle

One study conducted in Sri Lanka showed that alternative music has an effect of the perspective of university undergraduates. The music seemed to change their views on drug usage, sex and even political views.

Alternative music is listened to by a large demographic, and is not confined to particular groups of people. However as it tends to reject mainstream culture and ideas, it does target youth audiences that fit into a lower socio-economic demographic as they may find lyrics more relatable. Alternative music often touches on real-life issues to connect with their listeners, and this can include discussion around drug use, violence or political debates. A study conducted on another group of undergraduate students found that "those who had positive preferences for alternative music also had positive attitudes towards drug use". However, this study did not indicate whether rates of drug consumption correlated with preferences for alternative music. Due to various sub-genres, there isn't a definite topic that artists sing about, however common themes include sexuality, and social issues such as gun violence and economic inequality.

'Smells Like Teen Spirit' led to a wave of popularity for alt-rock music, and many people credit Nirvana with the success of the alternative genre.

Q&A with Leena

Introduction

As a class we submitted a Q&A with Bangkok-based filmmaker Leena Tangtermsirikul. Leena has been working with Thai singer-songwriter Alann8h, to create music videos for her songs. Some of Leena's work is linked below.

Burger King Bathroom

Damsel n Distress

We took the opportunity to ask Leena about her creative process, focusing on how she came up with her ideas, working with the artist, and how she went about the filming process.

 

Schedule

Introduction

   In order to stay organised, Clementine and I made a schedule to realistically plan out our work so we can get everything done before the deadline. It will also help us set our own deadlines to stay organised.

Music Video Technical Analysis

Introduction

Before filming our music video, we looked at an example. We chose Adele's 'Rolling in the Deep', and conducted a technical analysis of how it was filmed. In order to understand how much coverage to film, we looked at how many scenes were shot for this music video. This will help us understand how much footage we need to fill the time frame of the song.

 

Pre-Visualisation

Introduction

Rather than creating a storyboard, Clementine and I decided to analyse the song lyrics and come up with key frames to allow for more flexibility while editing. We started out by analysing the lyrics of our song - 'Under The Table' by Fiona Apple - so we could come up with some ideas and a potential narrative inspired by the themes already within the song. We wrote down potential ideas and included them at this stage in case we could incorporate them later on. We already had some scene in mind, inspired Taylor Swift's music video for 'All Too Well', and 'I, Tonya' (2017).

Lyrics Analysis

Key Frames

Production Day

Introduction

This week, Clementine and I were given a Production Day to experiment with different techniques and concepts we had for our music video. We took the feedback we received from the class and used it to decide which shots we should try out before filming. We planned out a structure for the day to ensure we used our time effectively, splitting our time up into five 1 hour periods. We dedicated each slot to a different shot or technique we wanted to try.

Experiment 1

Clementine and I plan to project images and words onto our character to reflect inner conflict. This was inspired by projector photography that we had seen online.

We used one of the film studios and a normal classroom projector, and we took it in turns to stand on a chair so we were the correct height. We first attempted to project text onto Clementine. We chose a lyric from the song and I typed out the words so that it was repeated across the screen. This worked quite well however we discovered that there wasn't enough lighting to see the character lip-syncing, so we would have to set up an alternative light source with soft lighting so as not to affect the imagery of the projected image.

We then wanted to try out different imagery, so we projected an image of prison bars to reflect how the character feels trapped in her relationship and by the pressure to remain perfect. We had the same issue with the lip-syncing being visible, especially with the empty space between bars.

Finally we experimented with using sensory videos, to reflect the changing and conflicting emotions within the character. This was our favourite and most successful experiment as the colours turned out really nicely and the images moving across the screen reflected the different tones within the song. Another success was that the display was bright enough to make out the characters features, so when we tried out lip syncing you could clearly see it. We saved the videos we used as we really liked the imagery, and we plan to use it in our final product as the footage is not copyrighted. There is a feature on YouTube that allows you to change the speed of the video, so we may play around with this so it matches the changing pace of the song. I especially liked the clips of ink spreading through water, and this could look quite effective sped up. The lava lamp effect was still successful, but less effective as the shapes didn't interact and it didn't carry the same impact.

Experiment 2

Our next idea required a mirror, as we wanted to try editing the footage so that the reflection didn't match the characters movements. We tried doing this through two different techniques. In our first attempt we took a handheld shot that swung between the character and the mirror. In order for this to be successful the actress had to switch acting styles to reflect the difference between the character and the reflection. In our attempts, I held the camera and would signal to Clementine when the camera had turned off them and they would switch expressions. This worked quite well, however we also tried using a tripod so the composition of the shots were the same, then we filmed two different versions of the same shot - one where the character was confident and the other where they were upset. Later we used Final Cut Pro to edit the confident reflection on top of the other shot to have the same effect. However the lighting in each shot was slightly different and the cut wasn't so smooth, so this would be something to work on if we chose to carry out the scene this way.

When we uploaded the footage we discovered that the shots were quite grainy, and after looking at the camera setting we realised that we had forgotten to adjust the ISO. Lucky we had enough time to refilm the scenes, and it turned out much better quality.

Experiment 3

For our next experiment, we chose to try out a new equipment - the crane. Clementine and I had visualised a potential shot for our music video that we both wanted to try out, and the crane allowed us to do this with much smoother camera movements. Another option would be to use a gimbal - which we will most likely use due to the inconvenience of transporting the crane - however we wanted to compare the two. We used the crane to record under the table (the main character is kicked by her partner as a signal to stop talking), before rising to capture the other characters oblivious to the conflict. This will potentially be our opening shot to the music video, to introduce the characters and conflict.

This experiment was successful as we still plan to use the shot, and we now have a rough version of what it will look like. We practiced aligning the camera movements with moments in the song, which will be useful for when we shoot it on the day.

Experiment 4

For our last experiment we tried out a technique that was suggested during our pitch to the class. We poured some water on the floor to try film the characters reflection. We positioned the puddle by the window as we hoped the light would make the water more reflective. We were only successful in capturing a silhouette, making this the least successful out of our experiments. Our idea for the music video would be to use red wine, which may have a better reflection. However this we would have to figure out a surface to use that wouldn't stain, as well as a cost effective way of spilling wine - one potential solution would be to use Ribena. We will keep the idea of puddles as an option, however it is not currently on our shot list. As we figured out quite quickly this wasn't a successful experiment, we used the rest of the time in the venue to try out silhouette shots, which had a dramatic effect and we are now considering using it in the music video.

Evaluation

Overall, this production day was successful as we are more confident in our ideas for our music video, and we were able to rehearse the more complex shots so it will be easier to film on the day. We were able to work out which shots we want to include and which don't work so well with our idea, and the day of experimentation also helped inspire some shot sequences and build more of a narrative around the song we chose. We achieved everything we had planned, and had some extra time to try some editing and review the footage from the day. We were able to identify some problems we may encounter when filming, which will give us some time to come up with solutions so we are prepared on the day.

Montage

 

Production Day Plan

Introduction

On the 30th September we were given a day off timetable in school, and were allowed to book equipment to experiment with techniques and technology we plan to use in our coursework. To make sure we used our time effectively and tried out all our essential shots, Clementine and I made a plan on how to spend the day. Typically a school day is made up of 5 lessons, so we dedicated each of these hour long periods to a different technique. 

We had a few shots that we knew we wanted to try out:

• A spinning transition to represent the characters two personalities
• Capturing a reflection in a puddle
• Using editing to make the reflection in a mirror not match the movement of the character
• Using a projector to display images over the character for dramatic effect

Keeping these techniques in mind, we made a structured plan for the day, designating an hour for each shot. For shots that would take less time, we designated time to review the footage or reshoot anything that wasn't successful. We left the final hour to begin editing, so we could try out the mirror shot. We also planned to use the opportunity to try out equipment we hadn't used before, such as the crane.

Inspiration

We used certain pieces of inspiration to choose which effects we wanted to try out for our music video, and prioritise them within our schedule. Several of these ideas were used within our pitch, and were shots or techniques we wanted to try recreate within our video.

Schedule

Codes and Conventions

Introduction

In order to start planning for our music video, Clementine and I identified the music genre of the track we have chosen, and did some research into the codes and conventions of the genre. We had placed the song "Under The Table" in the alternative genre, perhaps alt-rock or alternative/indie. When we conducted our target audience research , our participants came to a similar conclusion with most placing it as alternative pop/rock. We used this to look through music videos of similar artists and tracks, so we could decide from there whether we wanted to make a conventional music video or try something more eclectic.

Research

Clementine and I decided to start with artists similar to Fiona Apple. Conveniently, on the digital music service Spotify, there is a feature that allows you to explore different artists. Under Fiona Apple's profile, there is a section labelled "Fans also like", which provided some related artists. We used this to find performers who would have a similar style.

 

Additionally I found a website "All Music" which had a page on Fiona Apple and listed similar artists. Using a combination of these resources I picked a few singers to compare with Fiona Apple and looked at some of their well known songs and selected a few to analyse their music videos.

For each music video I selected, I looked at the representation of the artist, what clothes they wore, how they were lit, and whether they were objectified. I then looked at the narratives of each music video, whether they had plots, and whether the imagery matched the music. I then looked at mis-en-scene, Iconography, and camerawork. To compare the lighting and colours used in each video, I made colour palettes for each.

Mazzy Star - 'Fade Into You'

This music video made use of slow motion shots and slow cross fades to match the relax pace of the music. This creates a nostalgic effect, as if looking back at memories. This is also created by the soft, warm lighting that is consistent throughout most of the video, apart from the shots of the musicians, who are performing under blue lighting.

 It creates the effect that the artist, Mazzy Star, is looking back on memories of a happier, relaxed time. The music video also makes use of hand held shots, and a lot of close ups, which also adds to the intimacy of the 'memory scenes'. This is further reinforced by the quality of the footage which seems like it has been filmed on an old video camera. The mis-en-scene is kept quite basic throughout the video. There are only two locations, the space in which Mazzy Star is performing, and a desert-like open space in which a couple are driving. The props are very simple, with just the car, a train which is featured in the video, and the instruments for the musicians. Similarly, the clothes worn generally have muted colours and are kept quite simple. The one exception to this is a female standing in the desert wearing a red shirt, who appears to be reflecting on the memories being shown. The warm tones of the desert are also muted, and throughout most of the music video the scenes have a low saturation, as if the memories are faded with time. Overall the impression created by the video is that performance is quite personal and nostalgic. 

Regina Spektor - 'Us'

Regina Spektor is the main focus of the music video, delivering a performance while singing along to her song. The video makes use of interesting effects, mimicking a stop motion film at time.

 Similar to Mazzy Star's video, very muted colours are used with a low saturation, so the colours are flat and quite close to grey (apart from her red lipstick, which stands out despite being faded). The main colours used are greys, dark blues and beiges. Throughout the whole video, a vignette effect is used. This, combined with the outfit chose, creates a vintage look. Unlike the other examples I looked at, this music video was more experimental with its techniques and settings. Although the song is performed in one room, Regina Spektor is also filmed in an imaginative and unusual surrounding that seems to be made of newspaper cut-outs, which match the lyrics "rummaging for answers in the pages".

The music video alternates between long shots, medium close ups and extreme close ups. The camera movements are also quite dynamic at parts, to match certain parts of the song. The video relates to the lyrics of the song. One example of this is when Spektor sings "They'll name a city after us", as a city grows out of the floorboards. Another example is when the words appear on screen in time with the music, as shown below.

There isn't a clear narrative to the music video, however it turns the simple act of unpacking an decorating a room into an abstract concept that matches the seemingly unrelated lyrics of the song. Rather than having a narrative, the whole music video seems to be a performance for the audience, as Regina Spektor spends a of time singing directly to the camera. There are a lot of props involved, but the main object which she interacts with is the piano, which remains a recurring theme within the video.

Mitski - 'Washing Machine Heart'

Unlike in the other music videos, this one is devoid of colour, and is purely greyscale. The background is very plain, and only simple props are used. The focus of the video is on Mitski, making it more of a performance for the audience. There is no clear narrative, however lyrics are related to the actions to some extent. One example of this is when Mitski sings "Baby, though I've closed my eyes",  and she closes her eyes in the video. 

The imagery within the music video is quite elegant, an impression created by Mistki's clothing, the black and white colouring and the simple and plain props.  This contrasts the alternative/rock genre of the music and the sexual connotations of her movements.

 Most of the video is made up of footage of Mitski singing along to the song, however there is also interesting imagery to draw in the audience's attention, such as a match being blown out.

Fiona Apple - 'Across the Universe'

The music video opens with a slow zoom on a colourful mural, which is soon broken. From there on the whole video is in black and white. The bold opening captures the audience, and the theme of violence continues throughout the video in the background, while Fiona Apple calmly sings to the relaxed pace of the song. Similar to the other music videos I analysed, there isn't a complicated plot to the video, there is just an action (the destruction of a soda shop) that is carried out without any context. However there are points of the interest to maintain the audiences attention, such as an interesting camera movement, or the slow motion shattering of glass. 

What is also interesting, is that the men destroying the shop are moving in slow motion, while Fiona Apple continues to sing at normal speed. Her actions also seem to remain independent from the narrative of ransacking the store, which once again makes it more of a performance for the audience.

Observations

Overall, all the music videos I analysed stuck to muted colour tones that were consistent throughout the video, there were no bright or vibrant colours. Generally, they had quite simplistic props and backgrounds so the focus was on the artist singing, however this did vary, as in the case with 'Us' by Regina Spektor. This video was a lot more experimental, and was more complex to match the faster tempo of the music. Each of the music videos didn't have a clear or complicated plot, and they chose to have a narrative that was conveyed through imagery and the lyrics of the song. The performances were directed towards the audience, as the artists all chose to sing directly at the camera. They also all wore simplistic clothing that didn't draw much attention. There were also similarities in the shot types. There were a lot of close ups of the artists in each video, once again keeping the audience focused on them and their lyrics.

From my observations, I plan to carry across some of conventions into the filming of my music video. I would like to experiment with a more varied use of colour, which seems to be unconventional, and also implement a basic plot. However, I will keep the camera focused on our artist so that their identity is clear. I also plan for the actions in my video to relate to the lyrics, so that the song is still the main focus rather than the narrative. To keep in line with the performance being for the audience's benefit, I will incorporate scenes when the artist is singing directly to the camera.

Target Audiences

Introduction

To help determine our target audience, Clementine and I interviewed various people from our school, ages 17-18. We aimed to gather data on how people consume music, where they discover new songs, and what sort of music they enjoy. We did this to discover what sort of people would consume our product, and gouge whether our ideas for the music video were conventional or not.

Method

We started by gathering a random selection of people who did not take media studies and had no prior knowledge of our project to avoid biased answers. Using a prepared set of questions, we recorded their responses. First, we asked them the following questions:

1. How do you consume music - (Stream, purchase etc). When do you listen to it?
3.  What sort of music are you into?
4. How do you hear about new music - how does it enter your life?

We then played them a clip from our song. For different groups of people we played different parts of the song, so we could observe how this effected their answers. Following the clip. we asked them another set of questions based on the extract from the song.

1. What genre do you think this song is?
2. What type of audience do you think it would attract?
3. What expectations would you have for a music video - what would you imagine the video to look like?

We then compiled our results into a video.

Interview

Conclusion

From the answers we received, we were able to conclude that our main target audience would be of a younger age - mostly fitting within Generation Z (born between 1997-2012). Most people placed the song within grunge and alternative pop/rock, which fit with our predictions. This has directed us towards songs of a similar genre that we can analyse for idea to place within our own music video. When asked to picture a music video, our participants produced ideas that were quite similar to ours, with related themes and imagery. This suggests that our ideas are within conventional expectations for music videos within this genre. Overall, Clementine and I have a better understanding of our target audience and expectations of the music video that would accompany this song.

Music Video Pitch

Introduction

Clementine and I prepared a pitch, presenting our ideas for our music video to the class. By the time we made our pitch, we had decided on a song by Fiona Apple, called 'Under the Table' from the album 'Fetch The Bolt Cutters'. We decided on this song as the lyrics left some interpretation for an interesting narrative, and we both liked the pace and sound of the song. We used our padlet full of initial ideas to create a slide showing our inspiration. We also made a mood board to show some of our concepts for imagery. Clementine and I also made a slide dedicated to 'our vision', so that the class could understand what we were trying to create. The purpose of the pitch was so that we could get feedback and constructive criticism before we started in-depth pre-production.

Pitch

We based our ideas on the lyrics featured in the chorus, "Kick me under the table all you want, I won't shut up". This inspired the concept of a relationship where the man is using his girlfriend/wife as a trophy partner, and does not value her opinion. One concept, was that the opening shot should be on the couple at a dinner party, and the husband tries to get her to stop talking by kicking her under the table.

From the start, Clementine and I wanted to experiment with different visuals, and we had been inspired by a few different clips. One source of inspiration was from TikToks produced by the influencer Anna Sitar. She has posted music-video style Tiktoks which we linked on our padlet.

Building on our initial idea, we wanted to incorporate the effect of a reflection in a mirror not matching the characters movements. This inspired the idea of two realities, one where the female protagonist stands up for herself, and one where she follows her husbands ques to be quiet.

Another piece of interesting imagery we wanted to experiment with was the use of a projector, inspired by projector photography. One idea we will potentially use is using the projector to display the inner thoughts of the character which would run across her face.

Class Feedback

Once we presented our pitch to the class, we got some useful feedback. We were told that our narrative idea was good and matched the lyrics of the song well. Some of our classmates had some ideas on how to film the more creative shots we had imagined, which was extremely useful as it gives us something to try out on production day which is coming up soon. They expressed some concern over filming the spinning camera transition, inspired by the music video for another Fiona Apple song, 'Across the Universe'. However we did receive some ideas on how we could achieve the shot.

We also were given some ideas that could build on our theme of using reflection, such as trying to film the reflections in a puddle. To link it with the rest of the footage, a classmate suggested filming the reflection of red wine, which had been spilled on the table. Clementine and I liked this idea, as it would represent self-reflection on the characters emotions, but also the conflict in their relationship.

Teacher Feedback

Alongside some feedback on our ideas, our teacher gave us some examples of similar work to look at for inspiration.

Similar work

The Beautiful South - 'A Little Time'

PJ Harvey - 'Good Fortune'

PJ Harvey - 'Down By The Water'

PJ Harvey's work can be looked at while considering the representation of our star.

  Beyonce - 'If I Were A Boy' 

Beyonce's music video contains scenes that are similar in its representation of the relationship.

How to Pitch

Introduction

In order to improve our pitch, Clementine and I looked at professional examples before we began work on our own. We also looked at articles and helpful guides on how to prepare a music video pitch, such as the video below, so that we could put one together effectively. We also used a blog which had some good tips.

Tips

While reading and watching these guides, we made use of the most common and useful tips so that we could refer to this list while we created our own pitch.

 

Andrew Goodwin's Music Video Theory

Introduction

Andrew Goodwin was a theorist who came up with codes and conventions of music videos after analysing and comparing a variety of examples. He is most well known for the concept of the visuals within music visuals linking up with the music and the beat, and that music videos demonstrate genre characteristics. His work is something to bear in mind while creating my own music video.

Music Video Theory

Andrew Goodwin's theory consists of five key points that combine to create an successful music video. The points listed below form a base on which to start filming, making his work relevant to our coursework.

Example

Lady Gaga - Telephone ft. Beyonce

Lyrics and Visuals Throughout the music video it is clear that the visuals do match the lyrics and the beat of the music. One example is the gif on the left, showing Lady Gaga singing about a phone call while acting with a phone prop. The lyrics in the scene say "Wha-wha-what did you say? Oh, you're breaking up on me", which clearly relates to the visuals.

Music and Visuals The music in the song does correlate to the visuals. One example of this is during Beyonce's segment of the song. You can see from the gif on the right, that the video makes use of fast paced editing to match the tempo of the music.

Genre Characteristics Fitting into the pop genre, the music video features locations such as a prison and a café. The costumes are dramatic, contrasting bright and dark colours. The characters are sexualised (through their outfits and actions), which is also typical for pop songs.

Star Image The music video features a lot of close up shots of both Lady Gaga and Beyonce, while they are singing, driving, dancing etc. It is made clear who the main artists are.

Voyeurism One aspect of voyeurism in this video is the setting. Prisons are often private and shut off places, with lots of security cameras. This reflects the notion of looking.

Intertextual references In the scene when Beyonce picks up Lady Gaga from prison and drives her to the diner, there is an intertextual reference to the "Pussy Wagon" from Quentin Tarantino's film Kill Bill (2003).

 

Narrative Structures

Introduction

In order to understand how to structure a short film we looked at conventional narrative structures. The main structure we looked at was Tzveten Todorov's 'linear narrative', which divides the narrative into 5 different stages.

Another popular structure is the three act narrative structure. This follows the theory that every story has a clear beginning, middle and end. Similar to Todorov's theory, it shows that there must be a confrontation during the story, before ending with a resolution.

After looking at these theories, we applied them to both short films and music videos, so we could see how it applied in both scenarios. 

The Lunch Date (1990)

The Lunch Date is an academy award winning short film directed by Adam Davidson. This was one of the short films that we looked at when applying narrative structures.

Arctic Monkeys - 'Leave Before The Lights Come On'

Leave Before The Lights Come On is a song performed by the band Arctic Monkeys. The music video was released in 2006, and was directed by John Hardwick.

 As a class we watched an additional selection of short films, and selected one to do an in-depth analysis of. We had a choice of 4 films:

• The Ellington Kid (2012)
• Over (2015)
• The Arrival (2016)
• The Fly (2015)

I decided to select Over, a short film based on a true story, directed by Jorn Threlfall. It follows a crime scene, and plays in reverse chronological order by showing the street at night, and working its way backwards hour by hour until it ends by showing the crime.

Uptown Funk Recreation

Introduction

In class we were given the task of recreating the first minute of Bruno Mars' music video for his popular song 'Uptown Funk'. We were given a few lessons on this task, spending a total of 4 hours on the project, filming and editing. We completed the recreation in groups, however there were some challenges we needed to overcome. One problem was our group size, as we didn't have enough people to create some of the dancing scenes. Another problem was our limited time-frame, so had to be very organised with sticking to our plan for filming and editing. 

Overall, I am pretty happy with the results and I think that we were quite successful with matching camera movements. To help line up the timing between our shots and the actual video, I put a small version of the original in the top left corner while editing and this really helped when I was putting together the final cut (this can be seen in the video above). Although having the original to compare to helped when editing, I encountered a slight problem when finding some of the footage. On one of the days we had designated for filming, I was sick and wasn't present in the lesson. We also struggled with time management, and I ended up editing the final product in my own time after school. Having missed some of the process, I was unable to find some of the footage, resulting in a blank screen during points of our recreation. It was also hard to keep track of what parts we had completed and what was left un-filmed, which contributed to the missing footage at the end. Another aspect of filming that we found quite challenging, was lip-syncing. Not only would the actors have to have their timing right when acting out the lip-syncing scenes, but while editing you would have to make sure their mouths were moving in time with the music. It took a lot of takes to perfect the technique of lip-syncing, which contributed to our difficulty with time-management. Despite these setbacks I am happy with the product produced in the time given, however I feel that we would have been able to increase the accuracy with a stronger plan and more time.

Decision Time

Introduction

Over the last couple of weeks we have done research into music videos and short films, so that we could make an informed decision on which we wanted to do for our coursework. Today we had to make a decision on which project to pursue. Since I am working with a partner, Clementine, we made the decision together.

Decision

Clementine and I decided to work on the Music Promotion Packet project. This was predominantly because we have worked on short films in the past, and wanted to try something new. Music videos don't have a defined narrative structure which most short films follow, which allows for more creative freedom. Music videos are short and engaging, often to help promote a song. They can be more liberal with their use of imagery and cinematography, which will allow Clementine and me to be more experimental. This will also provide a good opportunity to try out different techniques that aren't conventionally used in short films. Additionally, I found the task of building a social media page for an artist appealing as I haven't had the chance to promote an individual, and I am interested in how social media can be used as a promotional tool.

We have been considering multiple options for our song, but our top choice so far is 'Under The Table' by Fiona Apple.

 

Autuers

Introduction

In order to understand different styles and influences within the filming of music videos, we looked at examples from some well known autuers, such as Chris Cunningham, Spike Jonze, Michel Gondry and Paul Thomas Anderson. I chose to look at more of Michel Gondry's work, as I liked his style within the music video for 'How Are You Doing?' by The Living Sisters. Along with directing music videos, he also has experience with directing short films which is especially useful as I haven't made a final decision on whether to create a music video or short film for my coursework.

Michel Gondry

Michel Gondry is a French Filmmaker, who won an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for his role in writing and directing the film Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004). His career took off after directing the music video 'Human Behaviour'  by Björk. The techniques he experimented with in his music videos, later reappeared in his films. He has directed feature films, short films, documentaries, music videos and advertisements, making him an excellent example to analyse. Gondry has worked with well known artists, such as Kanye West, Rolling Stones and Radiohead. His career started with creating music videos for a French rock band, before he was noticed by Bjork and his career took off. He has said that one his main sources of inspiration was the film le voyage en ballon (1960), however he has also drawn inspiration from the work of Spanish filmmaker Luis Buñuel. Gondry specialises in emphasising emotion in his work, which is credited for making his career so successful.

Artists Work

The music video was nominated for 4 awards at the 2002 MTV Video Music Awards and won 3 of them - Best Visual Effects, Best Editing and Breakthrough Video	The video drew inspiration from Starmaker (1975), and received a lot of media attention for its groundbreaking effects
Many magazines and reviews, including Rolling Stone magazine, placed the video in their 'Top 100 Music Videos'. Pitchfork Media placed the video at number 14 on their list, The Top 50 Music Videos of the 2000's	Nominated for Best Music Video at the Grammy Awards, the entire music video was shot in one take

Visual Styles

Michel Gondry is well known for his experimentation with image manipulation, and his music videos contain techniques such as stop motion and video cloning. However, a lot of the effects are also created using stagecraft. For example, the music video for 'Lucas with the lid off' was shot in one take, and there was no post production involved in the transitions. Because of Gondry's tendency to experiment with mise-en-scene, although he reuses similar techniques in different videos (such as stop motion), the visuals styles can vary throughout the videos.

Music Video - Initial Ideas

Padlet

For my coursework I have decided to work with a partner. Clementine and I worked together last year, and found that our skillsets complimented each other so this year we have decided to collaborate again. We decided that we wanted to keep track of ideas we had in our initial discussions, so we used a website called 'Padlet' to keep track and link our inspiration.

There were a few concepts we discussed:

• Pieces of inspiration we had come across
• Whether we wanted to do a short film or music video
• Basic concepts for visuals and imagery
• Song choice in the event we choose a music video

From quite early on we decided that we wanted to choose a music video as neither of us had experience in that area and wanted to challenge ourselves by trying something new. Therefore most of the ideas on the padlet are orientated around music. 

 

Purpose of Music Videos

I decided to look at the general purpose of music videos so that I can fully understand my aim if I choose to film my own. I made a mind map to refer to in the future when analysing music videos, and as something to bear in mind if I choose to go down the route of creating a music video.

Q&A with Charlie Budden

 Introduction

Charlie Budden is a graduate of Arts University of Bournemouth, and an alumni of Tanglin Trust School. He studied Film Production, and directed the short film "Oh, Little Spark!" which was released in 2021. The short won best film of the month at the Independent Short Awards. On the 16th of August 2022, he came to speak about his experience in directing, his freelance work and the challenges he faced while filming his short film.

"Oh, Little Spark" is a short film inspired by a Polish lullaby. The story follows a young man and his grandmother, played by Rula Lenska. Lenska is a well know actress in Britain, mostly known for her role in 'Coronation Street'. This was a big success for Charlie Budden as it likely gave his film more credibility and exposure.

Crowdfunding

Although Charlie was given a budget by Arts University of Bournemouth, he used a website called 'Crowdfunder' to raise more money for filming. The website is a platform where independent productions can pitch their project, and try to convince people to contribute towards the budget. Often projects offer rewards in return for donations, to help encourage contributors. Through the website, 'Oh, Little Spark!' gained 117 supporters in 28 days, raising £9,160. His overall budget was around £10,000. Despite this, Charlie told us that budgeting was still a challenge, and that the money went very quickly. On the website, Charlie included a synopsis for the film and a short explanation on why people should support the production. Additionally he included character descriptions, a production plan and a budget breakdown.

Charlie's presentation emphasized how important planning is before filming. His explanation about his budget going quickly taught me that I need to think ahead and account for challenges I will encounter when filming my coursework.