Initial Screening.

I showed my initial screening to my media class, who gave me feedback using a system of creative commentary to explain what I have done well and creative suggestions to advise me about what I need to film/refilm.



Some common features that were on my creative commentary were:

• Good locations.
• Some good techniques such as foot tapping or close up of guitar strings.

Some common features on my creative suggestions were:

• Hood should be down, looks too harsh.
• More energy and upbeat to match song beat and pace. Faster edits etc.
• More literal to show lyrics as it is quite a literal song.
• Camera movements to match songs.
• Livelier performer.
• More narrative.

Digipak and advert for digipak practise.

I have practised working on Photoshop before actually creating my final digipak and advert for digipak. This has proved to be useful as it has made me feel more comfortable with this piece of software. Although I have not got complete images for these yet, I have been able to try out my rough ideas.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Audience feedback/evaluation.

Through my previous audience research task as part of the research stage, I was able to establish that my target audience are males and females aged 16-24. I therefore want ask people from within this category to look at my initial screening and final promotional package to gain their opinions of both.


For the initial screening, I want to ask at least two males and two females to provide me with feedback for my promotional package at that time. I will possibly be able to gain more response than this, as the majority of the viewers will fit my criteria. Most importantly, I want to achieve an unbiased gender ratio.

Shot list.

Below is my shot list. Many of the shots are similar to those in my timelines and storyboard and I am aware that I may remove or add some shots when in the construction stage.

Screenshots/developments along the way.

I initially created a mind map where my ideas for my digipak can be shown. This includes my ideas for the name of the CD and the possible track list for it. I then created some rough sketches of the initial ideas that I had at that time.

 

I then turned these into sketches where I have illustrated my ideas, and labelled these.

 

 

I similarly created a few very rough sketches of my magazine poster ideas. This was more with the intention to collect my ideas together than to make professional images.





 



 

My next step now will take place when I am in the construction stage. I will need to attempt these designs in Photoshop to see which ones work well and which one I want to use as the final design.

Storyboard.

I divided my images into two Photopeach presentations. The first shows the initial office scene and the cutaways that I am planning to use.

 
The second shows the performance shots that I want to use.



Both of these are explained further in my shot list and timelines.

Timeline of music video.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Magazine advert plan.

 

 

Above are some rough sketches that I have produced which show some of the ideas that I have for my magazine adverts’ design.  These are a little vague at the moment, but they will be a useful starting point for me to base my final design on.



Digipak plan.

 

 

 

 

These are some very rough sketches that I have created showing some ideas that I have for my digipak's design. Although these are some general ideas that I have, I can delve into them deeper when working on the construction stage.

Editing plan.

For my music video I do not want to use any extreme effects as they are not conventional for my genre.

• I want to use the technique of a jump cut when my artist is inside of the mirror maze. This will make it look quirky and speed up the pace of the video. It is also quite a conventional feature for music videos in general.
• I have considered using a technique such as sepia, black and white or 'white noise' to show that the sections in the office are in the past. I am unsure how these will look however, so am probably not going to use them, although I may try them in the construction stage to see if it works.

Filming and editing time plan.

This is the filming and editing time plan that I want to attempt to follow. I am aware that this may change a little due to unforeseen circumstances, but it provides me with a general idea, which is very important.

Camera movement plan.

Below are a few very rough ideas about some of the camera movements that I want to use in my music video. These are developed further in my storyboard and timeline.

 

 

 

 

 

Costume plan.



Below are images of the two sets of costume that I am going to use for my music video.

This first costume will be used for the office scene. I want my actor to look really smart, similar to the way that males in offices often dress.

The second costume will be used for the park scene. I think this will allow a contrast between the two, which will work effectively as a part of my storyline. This costume is meant to be one that my actor feels more comfortable in, which would be important as part of his 'escape'. 





Moodboard.

Pitch for your ideas.

For my music video I want to tell a story about a man who decided to go on the journey that he has wanted for a long time. It will begin in an office setting, where he will be shown as feeling tired of the simple life that he leads. The prop of a globe on the desk will represent his desire to travel, and he spins this and points his finger at a part of it (would be slowed down for effect). He will then leave, and the key location of the park will come into place. Shots of nature (as is common in this genre) will appear, and the performer will be shown to be on a journey of self-discovery (the mirror maze will play a key part in this).

The performance and narrative sections should be partially entwined (as was desired by my target audience) so that both sections are shown to be important. The storyline of going on a journey would work well alongside the performance shots, so this entwinement would look effective.

 

 

Analysis of song lyrics.

Below are song lyrics that I have analysed. This has allowed me to understand the meaning better, which has been important in forming a storyline in my mind.

Health and safety evidence.

This is a risk assessment that I created to look at the potential dangers that could befall upon me or my actor. I need to be aware of how to put us in the safest position possible.

Risk assessment from Briony96

Images from recce.

Below are some images taken on my recce. I have also explained what I want to use them for.

Images of Location (Park)

 

 

Images of Location (Office) by Briony96

Initial ideas.

Using the research and planning tasks that I have already completed, I have created a mind map of initial ideas that I currently have. This has been useful as it has allowed me to collaborate all of the ideas that I have come up with recently into an easy to read mind map. I have also put the different shot types and movements that I could use on to this, so that I remember to use a variety for the construction stage.

Song lyrics with timings.

I have annotated the song lyrics with the correct timings so that the construction stage will be easier. This will help me to achieve my aim of editing the music video to the pace of the song, so it has been a very useful task.

 

 

Live images of my musician.

Below are a collection of images that I have taken of my chosen artist (Mike Dignam), performing live at two 'fan sessions.' 

Mike Dignam Mindmap by Briony96

Contact with artist.

I have drafted a letter to LAB Records, the record company that Mike Dignam is part of, to ask for permission to use his song Great Escape for my music video. This is important as it shows how I have acknowledged the issues and laws revolving copyrights, to ensure that my promotional package does not breach it.

Dear LAB Records.

I am currently an A-Level student at John Cabot Academy and I wish to create a promotional package revolving around Mike Dignam and his song Great Escape. I therefore am writing to ask for your permission to do this. The song will only be used for educational purposes, and I will try to represent it as realistically as I can. I hope you accept my request to use this song as the basis of my media coursework.

Thank you for your time.

Yours sincerely, Briony Watkins.

Props list.

There are a certain set of props that I will need for my music video. I have taken photographs of these and taken images from the internet. This can be seen below.

Research in to adverts for digipaks.

Research in to adverts for digipaks from Briony96

From this task I have learnt the importance of adverts in promoting an artist and their CDs. They are ways in which the artist can present their personality and genre of music, which is an important factor that I must consider myself when making my own promotional poster.
The styles of these adverts vary between artists. Certain features seem to be conventional, such as font written white in capital letters and the release date of the album.
For this I need to spend some time in the planning stage actually picking out these specific features and using these as inspiration for my own digipak. Some features that I particularly like include the use of close up shots and the name of the artist being a main focus point.

Research into digipaks.

For this task I wanted to look into digipaks from the singer songwriter genre. I decide to look at four different ones, so that I was not limiting myself in any way. I went into this task with the aim of understanding what was needed for a digipak to meet the conventions of the singer songwriter genre, knowing the limits of creativity that I may meet as a part of this. 

 

Research Into Digipaks by Briony96

From this task I have learnt the important role that digipaks play in promoting both artists and their CDs. I have also discovered the conventions of the singer songwriter genre, and how there is a lot of variety within this. This will be important when I am planning my digipak, as I can return to it to recognise which features I liked and disliked when I partook in this task, as well as reminding myself of the conventions of my genre.

Tracking an artist/band throughout their career.

Music Channels.

Audience Research part two.

From my initial look into potential audiences, I have established who I want to aim my promotional pack at. This is both males and females between 16-24. I have discovered that these young audiences enjoy the singer songwriter genre and it is a genre that is non-gender specific.
I then decided to create another survey and send it out to as many people from within my target audience group as possible. I wanted to know what they would expect from each part of this promotional package: the music video, poster and digipak.
Below is a link to my new survey.
https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/YH325XL

Some of the questions are the same as before, but many are new. I wanted to divide them up so that each section of the promotional package is featured in the right proportions.
I will then keep these responses as a crucial pivotal point for the planning stage. I need to ensure that I keep my target audience in mind at all times, which constant reference to this feedback will enable me to do.
This task has been important and very useful as it has allowed me to recognise my target audience and their needs, so that everything I do will happen with them in mind.

Audience Research.

I began my audience research with a survey, asking people about the folk/singer songwriter genre that I was interested in looking into. However, I realised that I was not getting the responses that I wanted, so I tweaked the survey. I then asked people about the singer songwriter genre only, and I was pleased with the responses that I was getting from this.

First Survey.

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/QPQXTGJ

Second survey.

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/FJX56NZ

I then collected and analysed these results, and what I found proved to be very interesting. There were a lot of common trends, with most clients being below the age of 24, and the majority of these being under 18. I also found more females responded than males, though this could be down to the clientele that I had available to me.

Survey Responses by Briony96

I created a voki to represent my target audience, and their likes and dislikes.

Johnathan.

It has allowed me to know who I need to make my music video appeal to, which will be crucial in ensuring that I fit my genre and its audiences.

From this task I have learnt the importance of establish a target audience, and know what they like and dislike. This will ensure that I work within my genre, which will be important in making a successful project. In planning my project, I need to ensure that I consider my target audience at all times.

Analysis of a previous students work.

For this task I wanted to analyse three music video from previous students. I looked at various genres so that I could be inspired from a broad range of music.

Analysis of a previous students work from Briony96

Below is a photopeach showing screenshots from each of these videos to illustrate the points that I am making.

Screenshots from previous work. on PhotoPeach

These music videos can be seen below.

One.



Two.



Three.



This task has been really useful as it has taught me how to make a successful music video, as well as a conventional one. I have picked up certain features that I really like, such as the use of font overlapping the video, and these will be useful to reflect upon during my planning. I have also recognised features that I do not like, which has given me an understanding of what to avoid doing. By looking at a variety of genres, I have discovered what conventions there are for each, whilst also recognising techniques that feature across all three. These will be something that I will look into again during the planning stage.

Analysis of previous students work mini task.

From this task I have leant the importance of the research and planning stages, as they allow for the construction stages to be a lot easier as you have that pre-existing knowledge to fall back on. I must try to make my own research and planning stages as high quality as possible to ensure that my music video will also be successful therefore.

Also, I have been inspired by some of the blog posts that I have seen. For example, there was a post showing the chosen artist/band performing. This was something that I was already considering myself to do with Mike Dignam if I use 'Great Escape' as my final song as I have live footage and images of him performing.

One of the important sections was the storyboarding, and on some of the examples that I have seen today, this has proven to be a crucial stage in allowing the construction task to be a lot easier.

Inspiration and Influences.

Carol Vernallis

Carol Vernallis is a media theorist, who I have looked into so that I can understand her theory about music videos better.

Carol vernallis finished from Briony96

This has been important as it has allowed me to understand an important theorist, and I can then come back to this when I am making my own music video to decide whether to follow it or go completely against it. This is a decision that will impact my planning stage as I will have to consider the ways in which I will use theories. It will be important to use the right ones in the right ways, so that it is conventional.

Research into the relevant genre.

For this task I want to look closely into the singer songwriter genre. This will allow me to really understand what is needed to make a successful promotional pack, and meeting the right balance between a unique yet conventional video. It will be important to know how to adopt some conventions yet challenge others, so that it is does not go against conventions too much.

From this task I have learnt the importance of following certain conventions from the singer songwriter genre. Although I can be creative in many ways, I believe that certain conventions such as the use of a guitar and natural locations cannot be removed. During my planning stage, I need to return to this post and look at the conventions that I want to follow from this genre, to ensure that my music video is a success.

Influences of Style.

I decided to break this task into two parts, so that I could closely look into what style really means in terms of media. For this I first looked at style in a broad sense, analysing music videos as well as other forms of media including adverts and magazine covers. This allowed me to understand what is needed to create style, and how it is so important that it plays a role in all forms of media.






I then looked closer into my genre of singer songwriters, which is presented in the above blog. This allowed me to really understand the genre that I want to work within, and the use of style (in the sense of costumes) within this.
Form this task I have learnt the importance of style, and how I must really consider how I want to use it during the planning process. This will ensure that I create a realistic and successful music video that fits the conventions of my genre.

Research into an artist/band

For this task I wanted to step away from my genre a bit, and consider who inspires me in a broader sense. I then thought about the band Mcfly, who do write their own songs, so fit within the singer songwriter genre in ways, but also cover a range of other genres such as pop and sometimes rock. I find it really inspiring how they change often so that they keep fans interested, and stay modern and current, with music that is ever changing.


From this task I have learnt the importance of styling an artist/band so that they are represented in the right way, and can therefore attract the right audiences. I also have discovered the need to constantly stay creative, so that fans are kept interested and the act appears to always be fresh and new.
I also found it a useful exercise to step away from my genre a little, and just consider how artists present themselves in general. It has also now inspired me to look at Paolo Nutini, an artist from within my genre, as I now know how to do this in a successful way.

Analysis of music videos.

For this task I have looked at three music videos within the singer songwriter genre. As I want to investigate them in great detail, I have decided to look at the first minute to minute and a half of it. This will allow me to create an in-depth investigation into what is required of the genre, which may not be possible if I try to look at the entirety of the video.

Analysis of Music Videos.

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBqqlW6-99M

                 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wLkX37nwugY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OWlKZ6C7cDY



From this task I have learnt the importance of a clear storyline used in music videos, and the importance of establishing clear actors as a part of this. During the planning stage, I therefore will need to consider the ways in which I will tell my story, thorough techniques such as storyboarding. I found it a really useful exercise to look at a 'cross section' of these music videos from within my genre as I could deeply analyse the features and shots that are used. 

Research into existing companies that produce and distribute music videos.

For this task I wanted to look closely into companies that work within the singer songwriter genre. I therefore looked at five artists and their corresponding music videos. This will enable me to understand how I want to gain the understanding of which institutions my music video would appeal to, and through research I will know why this is.

Mike Dignam.

Behind this artist is Lab Records, which is a UK based independent record. They would therefore cater well with this artist, as they are not a conglomerate and can focus on his specific needs more. I find them to be a really appealing institution for my own music video as I like how they are not one of the main corporations but instead an independent one. Dignam also uses YouTube to promote his music videos, which Lab Records has helped him to do with his video ‘Hurt.’

George Ezra.

Ezra has become a very popular artist and is represented by the huge company Sony Music Entertainment, who are recognised as being one of the ‘Big Four Record Labels.’ They have therefore played an important part in his success, being his record label for Wanted on Voyage, a chart topping album. I personally think that although they are such an outstanding company in the sense that they are world-renowned, I am not as interested in them as I find them to not be personal enough with their artists as institutions like Lab Records are. Ezra also uses YouTube as a means of distribution, with his own VEVO account where his videos are shown. This channel has over 103,000 subscribers.

Ed Sheeran.

Sheeran is an artist that has become extremely famous and popular. He is signed to another one of the ‘Big Four Record Labels’ Warner Music Group, which will help him flourish as an artist. This company is huge for the singer songwriter genre, and other artists from it are part of it. These include James Blunt, Jason Mraz, Lewis Watson and Paolo Nutini. Therefore, although I may not be a massive fan of conglomerates, I will need to really consider this institution when making my own music video, as they work with lots of singer songwriters. They also use YouTube as a means of distribution, which has proved to be a key part of modern day distribution.

Passenger.

This artist is linked with two institutions, Black Crow Records and Nettwerk. Nettwerk is an independent Record Label, Artist Management and Publishing Company, which I find to be interesting and similar to Lab Records in ways. I quite like the idea of having an independent company represent ‘my artist’ although I am also considering Warner Music Group due to their high level of contribution to the singer songwriter genre. For Passenger, YouTube is again a crucial form of distribution for his music videos, and his channel has over 1 million subscribers. 

From this task I have learnt the important role that media institutions play in the success of artists from within the singer songwriter genre. I have also started to discover who the main organisations are that work on music videos, such as Sony Music Entertainment, but more importantly Warner Music Group. I have been able to compare these to independent companies, which has been a really useful task. From this I have picked up an area that I need to consider more, of whether I want a large or independent company to represent ‘my artist’ and aim my music video at.

  

  

Conventions of a Music Video.

Conventions of a music video from Briony96

History of music video

I have created a timeline which will enable me to look at the history of music videos. In doing this, I will be able to consider what some of the most iconic music videos are, which will help me to make my own music video as iconic as it can possibly be.

I have learnt from this task that I need to try and make my music video as interesting and as I can, so that it will be interesting for potential audiences. I have also discovered that I have access to more technology than some of these artists would have, so I need to use this to my advantage as much as possible. If I can use technology in the right way, then I can ensure that it attracts the right audiences as a result.

Barry Islands Workshop at the YMCA.

On Tuesday 1^st July I was part of a trip to Barry Islands where we were given a day’s workshop on how to use a green screen. Initially I was keen to participate on this trip as I wanted to learn as many new skills (and develop pre-existing ones) as I could before I begin to create my A2 Music Video. Therefore, the notion of learning to green screen was greatly appealing.

At the session, we were firstly given a rough introduction to green screening. I was amazed to discover how much of a film is actually green screened. For example, in the film Sweeny Todd, a vast majority of what the viewer saw on screen was in fact created using green screen. We were also taught about the importance of wearing the correctly coloured clothes, depending on whether it was a blue or green screen. Although I am aware that I will not be able to work to this effect, green screening has now become an interesting possibility that I am toying with.

 

The instructor then divided us into two groups. In my group (after contemplation) we settled on making a video for Avril Lavigne’s ‘Girlfriend.’ This was something that seemed quite achievable considering our ratio of four girls to only one boy. After dividing the roles, we began to break down the video into sections. This would allow is to know exactly what we had to do when we began to film. We also had to find suitable backgrounds for the chosen settings, and ensure that they were large enough. Once we had rehearsed a little, we were ready to begin filming.

At the filming stage, we learnt that you can only have one or two people in the shot at a time, so we had to consider who needed to be filmed and when. This ended up being a little more difficult than it sounds. We also had to ensure that the ‘actor’ was not outside of the green space, as it was essential for them to be within the correct boundaries, for the editing stage to be easier.

Then we were taught how to actually put our videos onto the backgrounds. In my group, we decided who would do which scenes, and ensured that we each had the correct backgrounds and video clips to do this. Although I experienced some difficulty in this stage, it was actually really enjoyable, despite not looking of a high quality.

 

Overall, I found the experience to be a really entertaining one, although Aim not sure whether I will use a green screen in my own music video. My concerns are that it doesn’t look very professional and can appear a little two dimensional. However, I am glad of the experience, and this additional option that I now have.    

Narrative workshop (Andrew Goodwin)

'Music videos are simply an extension of the lyrics.' - Andrew Goodwin.

How could you prove/disprove this theory?

In some ways, this theory is very true. Quite often the song lyrics do tend to be similar to the music video. I therefore believe that in order to prove or disprove this theory, I would first need to look at the lyrics of a song without the video, and then look at the video without the song. This would allow me to analyse whether there is similarity between them or not.

What does it mean?

It means that music videos are somewhat unnecessary as they do not tell the viewer anything really essential about the song, only instead adding unnecessary extension. Andrew Goodwin therefore seems to be dismissing music videos as being quite unnecessary and pointless.

What is the main idea behind this?

Goodwin seems to believe that music videos are somewhat unnecessary as they do not add anything important or really different to the song.

How significant is this?

I find it to be significant to some extent. Some music videos do seem to just simply extend the lyrics, without providing anything new or important to the song. This will therefore be something that I will need to consider when making my own music video, to ensure that it is interesting.

What evidence can you already present for this?

One song that strongly fulfils this theory is Michael Jackson’s ‘Thriller’, where the lyrics are very clearly extended through a film-like sequence.

Also, in the Taylor Swift song ‘You Belong With Me’, she is shown to be a girl who wants a boy to realise that ‘he belongs with her’, which does little more than expanding upon the pre-existing lyrics.

Do you agree with this? Explain your answer.

To an extent, I do agree with the statement. Some music videos such as the examples that I have highlighted above do exactly what Goodwin says, and seem to do little else than extend the lyrics. I also believe that this is more typical in some genres than others, as Pop follow this theory rather explicitly whereas other genres such as Indie tend to use more quirky and abstract videos, which perhaps follow a more metaphorical than literal route. The artists are also able to tell the story that they want and expand upon the lyrics through a video, as Stuart Hall would call a preferred reading. However, I also believe that sometimes music videos are really important. In Mcfly’s ‘Love is Easy’, the viewer is able to go on a ‘journey’ through the time that Mcfly had been together for, with just some elements that may perhaps reflect the lyrics. I overall do agree quite a lot with Goodwin’s statement but nevertheless believe music videos to be of the upmost importance.

I have learnt from this task that it is really important to consider theories when I am planning and making my music video, This will ensure that it is conventional, which will be an important factor for it to be a success.

Narrative Workshop.

I took part in a workshop where we initially created a lip sync video to the Taylor Swift song 'We Are Never Getting Back Together' in a group of three. This allowed us to learn the basics of lip syncing, and how it is better to actually sing the song and cut out the sound than just mouthing it, as it creates a more genuine feel. We attempted to use some of the photography techniques that we had previously used to create a really artistic and realistic looking music video. This was not entirely successful and some of our shots weren't excellent.



We then created a music video made up purely of narration. For this we were given a storyline of someone being followed by another person, and they slowly start to realise it. We interpreted this as a story where a jealous ex-boyfriend is trying to get back with his girlfriend, so stalks her. We believed that this would not only fit the storyline and the general theme of Jealousy, but also would fit with the song quite well too. We assigned these roles out, and then worked on making the most of our limited time and available locations, experiencing some difficulties at times.



We finally combined the lip sync video with the narrative task, to create a 'mini music video' where we could tell a story, alongside showing narration. This resulted in a video where we could show the best sections from both the lip sync task and the narrative video. Although the result was far from perfect, it enabled me to learn a lot more about the process of making a music video.

Lip sync task.

This is the video from the group that my group analysed.

Lip sync task from Briony96







Filming.

I learnt that it is really important to use a tripod in order to maintain a steady shot, as using a handheld effect can result in shaky footage. It is also really crucial to perform to a song that you like and know well, in order to create a realistic video as an outcome. Also, it is really important to film each section several times in case some of them are insufficient or of a poor quality.

Synching.

One method that is of the upmost importance is making the performer sing out loud, as this makes it more realistic, and easier to sync up during the editing stage. The performer also needs to learn and know the song lyrics, in order for the lip synching to link up. They also need to present an air of confidence, which will result in better footage.

Editing.

It is again really important to film each shot several times, to provide variety and options for the editing stage. Filming as much as possible will also provide options and variety to edit. Markers are also really important as they will enable me to sync the song up easier. I will also need to take into account the pace of the cut so that they work well with the song and aren't too slow/ quick.

Composition and framing.

I will need to refer to the techniques and apply them to my filming in order to ensure that m shots look professional. Consideration of mise en scene will also be really important, as I will need to ensure that there are not any unwanted things in shot. I will also need to treat the filming stage like I am taking a photo, so that I receive the best possible outcome as a result.

Performing.

In the lip sync task I learnt that confidence is key in creating a good and interesting performer. The performer will need again to know and like the song, so it looks more realistic. This will allow the lip synching to fit better as a result. They will also need to present confidence so that they look like a genuine musician/ artist.

Location.

In the lip sync task we found some difficulty in the lack of possible locations that there were available to us, but in creating my real music video, a wider range will be available to me. Therefore, consideration of the location will be key, as I will need to ensure that it fits with the genre of music that I choose. I will also need to again consider mise en scene in order to prevent having unwanted things in my shot.

Directing.

I will need to take the role of director seriously, and not be afraid to make changes whilst filming if it will provide a better outcome as a result. When filming, I will need to direct alongside other roles such as filming and sound control, so I will have to ensure that I can successfully fulfil all of these roles. Although the directing process was simpler during the lip sync task, I will have to consider that it won't be as easy when I am making my music video on my own.

Equipment.

Through the lip sync task I found some difficulty in using particular pieces of equipment. This resulted in some consequences, such as an out of focus shot. For my music video I will therefore have to ensure that I am familiar and comfortable with all of the equipment that I am using. I have already begun to consider this though, and I am taking part in a workshop where I will learn how to use certain piece of equipment and techniques more efficiently. I also know to ask for help from my teacher or a peer in order to ensure that I can use the equipment in the best way possible.