Artwork #2

The Internet - Purple Naked Ladies

Diplo - Express Yourself

Danny Brown - XXX

Diplo - Boy Oh Boy

Martin Garrix - Animals

James Blake - James Blake

Gil Scott-Heron & Jamie XX - We're New Here

Arctic Monkeys - Whatever People Say I Am That's What I'm Not

MGMT - Time to Pretend

M.I.A - Kala

Artwork #1

Disclosure - Settle

Chance the Rapper - Acid Rap

Kid Cudi - Indicud

SBTRKT - SBTRKT

The Weeknd - Thursday

Yeah Yeah Yeahs - It's Blitz!

Skream - Outside the Box

Kanye West Ft. Dwele - Power (Single)

Azealia Banks - Yung Rapunxel

Frank Ocean - Nostalgia/Ultra

Various Artists - Kanye West Presents Good Music (Cruel Summer)

AlunaGeorge - Alnalyser/We Are Chosen (Single)

Kendrick Lamar - Good Kid, M.a.a.d City

Kanye West - Yeezus

The 1975 - Facedown

Major Lazer - Get Free

Jay Z - Magna Carta Holy Grail

Narrative Theorists

Andrew Goodwin's Theory
Andrew Goodwin identifies 5 aspects of music videos that the audience should look out for:

Thought beats - seeing the sound
The artists voice can form identification or trademarks that coincide with the star image. Roland Barthes theory of the 'Grain of Voice' can relate to this. Goodwin also identifies the artists mode of address - making the music video a two communication device.

Narrative and performance
Goodwin explains that music videos should ignore common narrative - it is important in their role of advertising.
Music videos should coherent repeatability.
The artist acting as both narrator and participant helps to increase the authenticity - the audience need to believe this is real.

The star image
The artist's image is instantly a recognisable as a sign, with a whole range of meanings or significations.

Relation of visuals to song
Illustrative - Using a set of images to illustrate the meaning of lyrics and genre, this is most common.
Amplification - Similar to repeatability. Meanings and effects are manipulated and constantly shown through the video and drummed into our vision.
Disjuncture - The meaning of the song is completely ignored.

Technical aspects
Camera work, movement, angle, mise-en-scene, editing, sound, and special effects.
Lighting and colour helps to set moods and emphasise key moments of the song.
Mise-en-scene needs to look authentic to attain professionalism.
Beats can coincide with editing.

Use in my music video
I have incorporated elements of Andrew Goodwin's theories into the concept of my music video, however on occasions I have also challenged some of the conventions that Andrew Goodwin supports.
The artist's voice of the song I have chosen is extremely unique and controversial, and is not widely recognised. This forms an identification that coincides with her star image as she, herself, is not a widely recognised artist and is not your conventional young, female, singer. My video also ignores the common narrative.
My music video ignores the element of the star image. This is because my artist is an upcoming, fresh, new, and relatively unknown artist with no real developed star image.
I have used the theory of three narratives of music video and classed the video as amplification, with elements of disjuncture.
In relation to the technical aspects of the video, I have used lighting and colour within the video during the projection shots and the editing of shots will coincide well in time with the beats of the song.

Representations in my Music Video

Who? 

In the video will be Jordan Cross (vocalist). Jordan will be featured heavily in the video because of her lead role and because she is the only person that I have chosen to appear in the video - there will be close up and mid shots of her as the artist and these will be important when promoting the star image. At first, I was deliberating as to whether or not involve the remaining two members of the 'experimental collective' MMM, to create a believable artist persona. However, I decided that doing this would mean creating more scenes in which they could feature and this could over complicate the video - something that I am trying to avoid. Also, it would be difficult to incorporate them into the video as they would have no real function - therefore it could be seen as unnecessary. 

What?

The music video is classed as amplification, with hints of disjuncture. The video has features of amplification as the shots change in time with the beat of the song, and the lyrics, at times, coincide with the song and the shots in the video. For example, the artist performs the lines "You'll find that I'm in you, and you're inside me too" - complete with actions. However, the video also contains elements of disjuncture due to the use of projection shots and the content of the outdoor shots. These shots are not related to the meaning of the song or the lyrics of the song itself and therefore there is little relation between the song and the video in this sense.

Where?

I have chosen to film in a number of locations for my music video; a room with a projector, the street, Highcross car park, and Highcross bridge. I felt that having numerous locations would give me the opportunity to create a sequence of fast, varying shots in the video when the beat and pace of the song increases - similar to the official video of Navy. I still plan on filming during the night-time and by using the locations of the street/car park/bridge, lighting will not be an issue as I can use the already provided lighting of car headlights, street lamps, traffic lights, etc. By filming in these outdoor places, it implies a modern genre. 

By using a blank room with a projector, I am able to create special effects and relate this to the experimental and psychedelic genre of the song. As the room is blank, there will be no distractions from the images and/or the artist.

Why?

I have chosen to create a music video with both elements of amplification and disjuncture because this reflects the new wave and experimental genre of the song. By keeping simple shots at simple angles, it would prevent over complicating the video.

How?
I will make the video by using either a HD camera, which I shall borrow. Or a camera of lower quality if the alternate HD camera is not available. I will also use a tripod that I will borrow, which will be especially important when filming the projection shots indoors, to ensure that the filming is steady, level, and as good quality as possible in order to look professional. By creating the risk assessment, storyboard and finalising the animatic, I am able to begin filming immediately. However, I still need to create a final schedule so that the filming can begin and time can be delegated properly - being as efficient as possible.

Risk Assessment

This risk assessment identifies the potential hazards that either myself or my artist could possibly encounter during the course of filming the music video. This takes into account both locations of outdoor and indoor shots.
By completing this, I am able to reduce any risk of these hazards taking place and any harm being inflicted on any person that is on set. If any potential hazards are spotted during the course of filming on locations that are not already noted, these shall be recorded in another post.

Animatic

I created an animatic video for my storyboard using iMovie and found this software relatively simple and easy to use. I tried to coincide this moving storyboard with my first edition on paper, however the timing is not matched perfectly and is slightly out, resulting in the lyrics being slightly early and the shots slightly delayed than they would otherwise ideally be. This is something I should consider and re-evaluate before any filming for the video takes place.
However, by creating an animatic, I have been able to see visually what the video is roughly going to look like and whether or not the shots and general concept that I have created work with the song. I feel that the shots work well together and the order of which they are in is thoroughly thought-out. Therefore, I don't feel that I need to reconsider my concept or shots at the present time.

Storyboard (Paper)

This is the storyboard first drafted on paper. By creating this, I will have a clearer vision when filming and each filming session will have direction - ensuring that minimum time is wasted and I am being as productive as possible in these time slots. The storyboard shows each stage of filming at an estimated 54 shots, and from this I have been able to consider shot lengths, props, costume, and locations into further depth as I have planned the video in a more detailed way - rather than the overall concept itself.

Photographs of Location

Here are some photographs of the locations that I am using for the outdoor shots, including the Highcross bridge and car park. It will be darker than seen in the photo's and therefore the lighting will play a lot more significant role - especially the lighting on the John Lewis building viewed from the bridge and the headlights of cars from below.
This has helped me plan and clearly imagine how the shots are going to look when I begin filming. Visiting the location today will also help when writing the risk assessment.
For the shots of the artist walking along the street with the moving traffic behind her, I will be using the road below the bridge (which can easily be seen from the pictures taken).

Projection Test Shots - First Attempt

Today I filmed some short test shots of the potential graphics that would be featured in my video. Due to the short time schedule, I used a friend in short notice simply to see how the graphics would look when projected onto a person and she did not have the time to learn the lyrics or lip sync. The girl stood in these shots is NOT the artist that I am going to use in my final filming.
It is also important to note that, due to the short notice, a video camera was not available during the time that I was filming these test shots and so I used my camera on my phone to film these. Therefore the quality and steadiness will be much better in the final filming when using a video camera and tripod.
Overall, I was pleased with how these shots turned out.

This is one of my favourite graphics that I filmed today. When the ink drops onto the screen it produces an effect that makes it look realistic and slightly disorientating. After today I have came to the conclusion that I will use this graphic; however I will use only specific parts of it which produce the same effect as the last part of this shot.


This was a short test shot, however it was not needed to be filmed for a long amount of time as the effect can be clearly seen within this video. This was another successful graphic, especially the pace of the moving clouds as this matches the beat of the song. The watermark stamped onto the bottom right corner of the graphic will have to be removed and not recorded as this makes the shot look messy and unprofessional. I also plan to use this graphic in my final filming.


This graphic did not meet my expectations and was, in reality, not as good as I hoped it would be. The explosion can hardly be seen over the person in this shot and does not produce a good effect - the clouds above her are the only main, noticeable feature of this graphic and this is not what I was aiming to focus on. Therefore, I don't plan on incorporating this graphic into my music video. However, I will still look for another explosion image to see if it was simply the filming/quality of this explosion that made the graphic effect weak.
(I also did not close the YouTube advertisement at the bottom of the screen).


This is another favourite of mine from the collection of test shots today. The lightning coincides nicely with the beat of the song and has a really good effect when it crosses over the person stood in front. The colours and flashes are also another strong feature of this video and would look really effective in short, quickly paced shots within the music video. Yet again, I will have to crop out the watermark stamped in the bottom right corner.


This is another successful shot taken from today and perfectly captures the psychedelic colour palette that I am planning to incorporate into my music video. The person that I was filming should have been more central to the graphic, however I failed to direct her or notice this at the time. When using this graphic in my final filming, I will ensure that the artist is positioned centrally in the shot so that the kaleidoscope patterns are moving around her.


This was an example shot of how the graphics looked with the lighting on. The images are very faint and are not projected onto the person stood in front of them. Therefore, after trying multiple graphics with the lights, I decided upon filming without any lights switched on at all. I feel that this gave a stronger effect and would look better in my final video. As a result of this, I have decided that, when filming my final shots, I will use no lighting to produce a better effect.

Artist's Influences Playlist

I have composed this set on Souncloud as a playlist that represents the influences, ideas, styles, genre, mood, appearance, vision, and so on, of my artist. This further develops the style of my artist overall and will help create a strong image for my artist.

Videos for Projector Test Shots

Inspiration to use these videos within the my projector scenes was Rihanna's music video for 'We Found Love'. Rihanna uses moving images such as clouds and explosions throughout her video and projects these onto blank walls in the corner of room, which she is in. I thought that this looked effective and were interesting images to incorporate into my music video as they looked professional and could easily be manipulated according to the pace of the music.
Also, I found a video that shows a moving kaleidoscope effect, using different colours. I thought that this would look disorientating and suggests the element of psychedelic colours which I used in my pitch. I used 'TubeChop' to trim the video as it was originally two hours long and not all of this was necessary, therefore the video shows the section that I will most likely use when filming my practice shots.
All of these videos will be used throughout the projector shots, however they will edited within the music video alternately, so that there is an inconsistency of images. If the videos appear to become repetitive within the video, new images will need to be found.
Please take note that the music featured in these videos were the creators choice, and therefore they will not be heard during my shots and so should be muted when watching.
I will take practice shots with these images this week and post them onto my blog, analysing their effects and commenting critically.
Below is the video for 'We Found Love' by Rihanna and this is the main source of inspiration for choosing these videos.

Audience Feedback

On Wednesday 11th of September I presented my pitch to the class and gathered feedback from students in my class. As well as these comments I hope to gather some feedback from people outside of my class that fall under the tribes of the Trendies and New Casuals, in an attempt to collect the most realistic feedback that I can. This could be done through social networking sites and setting up a link to my blog, or through questionnaires.

One person thought my ideas were interesting concerning my thoughts on colour palettes and incorporating an abstract element into the video, which is the feedback that I was hoping to receive as my aim is to create an interesting video with new ideas.
The same person also said that the idea of using a projector is very unique - however they questioned how I planned to incorporate this into my music video. In response to this, I am planning to film practice shots of my artist using the projector at some point this week and post these onto my blog.

Another student commented on my pitch that the ideas I have for my video are accurate towards my chosen genre. This is positive feedback as I categorised my video in my pitch to be that of amplification (with elements of disjuncture) - therefore if my ideas reflect those of my chosen genre, this would contribute towards my idea of amplification within the video. This will also be shown through the transition of shots in correlation to the beat. I have been told that the song choice of Navy was a good decision.
In relation to my ideas on mise-en-scene (planned locations and costumes), this was also praised. Although final steps need to be taken in order to ensure that these locations can be used, this encourages me to use these locations and make a final decision including these.

Also, my choice for the person that is to play my artist has been regarded as a good decision. This is because of her appearance and confidence in front of other people, therefore she should not shy away from the camera when being filmed.
As well as this comment, another person feels that I have made a "very convincing profile" for the artist, which is something that I have tried to portray as I feel that this is a very important aspect to a music video.

Example of Other Text

M.I.A. always creates really cool videos for her tracks and represents the 'wayward' artist that I am trying to create. This video is for "Bring the Noize" by M.I.A.

The colour filters in this video are the first things that caught my eye. The lighting has been used to create this effect and works really well with the fast paced shots and the white clothing. In preparation for my projection scenes, I will take inspiration from this video by looking for moving images with a similar colour palette and by dressing my artist in white, as I feel that these colours compliment each other greatly.

These screen shots also capture the colour that is used throughout the video. All the colours are similar creating consistency.

This is an image used within the video and is also used on the artwork for "Bring the Noize" (Posted below). This image is something I could recreate and use in my music video, however this might be difficult to create and then project.

I took this screenshot because it is a typical and simple projection shot that is done really well. The song title is projected onto the wall creating a backdrop, and the dancers silhouette is created in front of it. This is really effective yet simple.

Costume Moodboard - Initial Ideas

I wanted to create a distinct style and image for my artist in the music video, to coincide with her stage name and music. Clothing lines such as Bitching and Junkfood, and Katie Eary best capture the look that I am aiming to achieve as they are considered to be more 'wayward' than other brands. Clothing from these brands are easily accessible, due to both me and my artist owning pieces from Bitching and Junkfood, as well as already owning a t-shirt from the Katie Eary line.
Although I am aiming to dress my artist in such a way, the clothing should not completely distract the audience from the music video itself.
The styling of the artist is an important factor within the music video because of the target audience that the video is aimed at; Trendies and New Casuals. Both of these tribes have an interest in fashion and so they are influenced by this when they are subconsciously choosing music that they like and dislike.
By styling my artist in such a way, it will also help to differentiate them from artists of a similar genre.
These costume ideas are only applicable for the outdoor/dusk scenes that I am planning to shoot in the streets, car parks, and Highcross bridge and not in the projection scenes. This is because, as I am shooting moving images and illusional patterns onto the artist, it would not look clean or professional if the artist was wearing clothes that clashed with these images. Therefore, in scenes such as this, the artist shall wear clothing which is simple - however still creates the image that I am trying to achieve.

Moodboard #2

Location: Planning and Analysis

Car Park/Busy Street/Highcross Bridge
To begin the video, I want to have my artist walking down a busy street with traffic, similar to that of the official Navy video. This would be filmed after the sun has set in the evening time, so that cars have headlights, street lights are on, and that traffic lights are more easily seen on camera. I also like the concept of using a car park in the evening time to give an eery atmosphere to the video, however this may be difficult as many car parks have a closing time and it may be hard to access a suitable car park at the time of day that I hope. This will take further planning and research.
To add to these outdoor scenes, Highcross Shopping Centre bridge (connecting the car park to the Highcross shopping building) would be an ideal setting also in the evening as an opportunity for higher angled shots is provided due to the transparent walls that the bridge is made up of. I believe that the Highcross Bridge is open to all public, however as I am filming, I may have to email the staff of Highcross to ensure that I am able to do so.
Scenes taken from this beginning set of outdoor shots can also be referred back to throughout the video, to create consistency.

Location for Projection Scenes
For the shots which I am planning to use a projector in, I require a blank location where a curtain/projector screen can be hung up and used. As I am projecting moving images as well as still backgrounds, I will not need a location of a specific sort as the setting of the location is irrelevant. There are rooms within the school that can provide this location, such as the studio within the media department, which already contains a prjector and a screen that can be of use. However, I will need to ensure that this suite can be used and maybe book the room itself so that the location will be available at every period of filming that I need it. As well as this, I will need to guarantee that my artist can come into school so that this filming can be done, as my artist is not currently a student at the school itself. This may require emails to be sent out to the school or simply speaking to the media department.