A small problem

Yesterday, Keri and I were editing our music video whilst Charlotte began to research digipacks. Our main aim for the editing was to experiment with the green screen and changing the background. Whilst watching the Youtube video that I previously found, we noticed that it was for Final cut pro and not Final cut express.

Previous post, with Youtube video:
http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=972836443107351204#editor/target=post;postID=5525011232370921747

This is the following Youtube tutorial for Final cut express that we used to figure out how to change the backround for the Green screen. It was really helpful and enabled us to add the lights that we filmed for the background.

Cropping

A couple of the shots we took unfortunately had a few things within the shot that we did not want to be there such as the edges of the green screen or the window shining through the green screen. To get rid of these we needed to crop some of our shots. However, we did not know how to do this, so instead of just asking our teacher, I went on Youtube and typed in 'cropping on final cut express' and it gave results of tutorials that people  could follow and learn.

I used a short tutorial and used some of the footage we had shot to practise on. The outcomes were great and I was able to get rid of the things that were unwanted.
Once I had watched the tutorial, it was actually very easy, all I had to do was click on the crop button and then resize the footage.



This is the outcome of the footage. The picture on the left is before it was cropped with the light from the window coming through the green screen, and the picture on the right is the same picture but with the window light cropped out.

Blog of the Week!

Congratulations!!

You are blog of the Week. Your blog is thorough and uses IT very creatively.

Well done.

Tanya

Ideas so far...

Here is a short presentation on some of our ideas for our music video.

Mise-en-scene in our own Music Video

Mise-en-scene is an essential part of all media productions whether it is on film and TV, in theatre productions or in music videos it enables us to shape our own ideas and make it possible. Below is a mind-map outlining all the key areas of mise-en-scene.




We had to think carefully and consider all the different elements within mise-en-scene. For instance, as we are creating a music video using Rita Ora's song 'Love and War' which is categorised in the genre of R'n'B we had to consider other R'n'B music videos examples, as this enabled us to research what clothes, props, make-up and locations are used, so that our own music video can fit into the genre of R'n'B.

Clothes/ costumes

We decided on using a casual but modern approach to clothing. We wanted the clothing to fit into the lyrics of the song and by using casual (but not too casual) clothes helps the audience relate to the artist as they too may have the same/ similar fashion taste or may even attract them and see the artist as a role model, which may help a variety of business as well as the sales in her music. When researching artists costumes such as Rita Ora, they too are wearing casual, but up to date clothing especially denim which is very popular worldwide.

 In this image Rita Ora is wearing a denim jacket, denim shorts and pink shoes with a black hat. All this items of clothing are casual but stylish and fits well into the style of R'n'B. Rita's hair has also been styled with a modern popular, dyed hair look that many female teenagers and young adults relate to and share similar tastes with make-up, jewellery and hair.

This screen grab taken from Melanie Fiona's music video 'This Time featuring J Cole shows J Cole's fashion sense. He is wearing a casual jacket, a simple black top, with 'bling' and a hat which is specifically related to to the genre and are conventions of R'n'B.



Therefore as a lot of contemporary modern R'n'B artists seem to wear a lot of casual clothing including denim we felt that our artist should do the same. We decided that for the female artist she should wear a denim shirt/jacket and denim shorts to fit this similar clothing genre description. We also thought that the male artist should also wear casual clothes but also a hat as they seem to be a main mise-en-scene feature in R'n'B.


Lighting and Location

We decided to use a range of lighting both natural (when filming outside) and artificial lights (for use with the green screen). As we wanted to use different background locations we chose to use a tranquil, friendly quiet setting to show their relationship or to show isolation when the artist is portrayed as quiet and alone. We also chose to use the green screen so that we can use effects. We want to create a similar lighting effect to Ellie Goulding's music video 'Lights' and possibly a similar affect like we have seen in Rihanna's music video.

  Ellie Goulding's 'Lights' (above and below)

Taken from Rihanna's music video (above)

Evaluation of our filming session

Yesterday we booked out the camera and the green screen to start filming for our music video. I believe it went very well. We had reliable friends who performed in a professional manner which really helped when filming and they both had learnt and familiarised Rita Ora's and J. Cole's lyrics. We experimented with filming at different angles and close-ups, mid-shots and long-shots to enable us to include a variety of different shot types.  We decided to film outside as well as inside with the green screen so that there is a variety of footage to chose from when we cut and edit them together. I also experimented with the different focus, which I researched earlier on and have seen in other professional music videos. We had never used the green screen before, so we still need to figure out how to change the background on Final cut but the Youtube video that I found last week will help with the basics.
We also took a few photographs when filming for our music video. I will upload them onto the blog as this will help us when ii comes to designing and making the Digipack and when writing our evaluation at the end.


Below is the link to my previous blog post on how to add the effects with the green screen on Final Cut.

http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=972836443107351204#editor/target=post;postID=5525011232370921747

Self-evaluation post..

We have now got to the stage where we have finished all our planning and are beginning to film the shots we need to edit to make our music video.
Jess and I have learnt how to do a split screen so that if we decide to do that we can do it easily and it won't take too long. Our actress has been given the lyrics to learn so that when we film her she knows what she is singing.
After changing our decision on the content of the video very suddenly, we now feel confident that it will work out for the best and look better than our original idea.
Our camer, tripod and the green screen has been booked for when we are all free and we are going to bring a camera in so we can take pictures of the process. We also have lots of ideas for the backgrounds and effects we are going to use such as flashing lights, blurs, slow-motion and split screens.
We have also given the actress a certain dress code so that she fits in with the R&B stereotype.

Overall, we are right on schedule like we planned and confident that our ideas will work effectively.

Comsumption post - Twitter

Artists and producers of the songs in today's music charts are not simply made popular by just creating them. Although playing the music on the radio, on music channels and having interviews with the artists shown and heard about the song are very important in advertising their new songs there are also other ways to get word out of new music - one of these ways being Twitter.

People in today's society are brought up to know how to use today's technology to the best of their advantage; and one of the best ways to socialise these days is to use internet chat-rooms and social networking. Twitter statistics have flown through the roof in the past year with the pop-star Rihanna's followers number going up to a staggering 26,292,761! - so what better way for her to get news out of a new song she has released by posting about it on twitter!

Rihanna talks about her new album cover for the song, interviews and lyrics within the song as well as the release of the song.

If we were to produce a real music video for the song 'Love and War' by Rita Ora we would be able to write about it on twitter so that our followers then become curious as to what it is and listen to it on youtube, mtv etc.

'Consumption' Post - Facebook

In todays society more and more people are getting in touch with the extremely popular social networking site 'Facebook'. This site allows people from around the world to communicate and share news with friends and family. Many companies now use Facebook as a way to discuss and advertise their new products.

We have chosen Rita Ora's song 'Love and War' for the base of our music video. Below is a screen grab of Rita Ora which shows a form of advertising and communication for her own album using Facebook. This allows people who see her as an icon can stay connected to all her latest news, exclusive content and music. Facebook allows Rita to get out and share her work in a modern up to date way that fits in with the modern generation such as teenagers and young adults. These days seems to be a necessity to have your own account even if it is a way to get in contact with your friends or family. 

When we upload our Music video, like Rita Ora we can use Facebook as a form of advertising. This would allow us to discuss our media product and get them known in a short space of time. By writing about ideas and latest news, just by keeping in contact will allow it to become more popular and even start the spread with word and mouth.

Micro Element - Mise-en-Scene

Mise-en-scene is basically everything you can see on screen visually. This includes location, props, costume, hair, make-up, props, set design and lighting. Mise-en-scene is important to set a scene to make films more believable of where the scene is set, and suit the location. It also has to suit the narrative, or in this case, the lyrics and mood of the song. For example, with a slow and sad song, there would be hardly any colour and dim lighting to make the place look depressing and drained. A happy mood though would be represented with cluttered props, set an maybe a bigger cast, with bright lights and vibrant colours to create a youthful and uplifiting feel. The mise-en-scene can also represent ideas and messages to communicate with the audience, such as the colour red to connote anger, or fancy props such as chandeliers and golden objects to suggest a person has a rich social status.



The video above is a song called 'Emergency' by Paramore. Their videos have very dull colours and a ruined location where the walls are filthy and decaying to represent the artist as broken and falling apart. The costumes are baggy and loose to show they are down and uncaring, and the lack of colour suits the location and the depressing mood of the song. The band members also have scars and scratches made from make-up to represent them as scarred and hurt about the idea of love being abused by others. A red rose is used as a prop to connote love, of which is thrown to Hayley (the main artist) as if it were nothing important. This represents the idea of love being abused and being taken advantage of.



Compared to Paramore's 'Emergency,' this song is fun, excitable and youthful. The video is about a house party, where many young adults and teenagers are used as cast as they are steroeotyped for partying. In the young generation, there are groups such as the popular crowd, the 'emo's' and the 'dorks/nerds.' The narrative is a very basic one where the main artist Katy Perry is dressed up in typical clothes you would associate with a 'nerd,' such as the braces, big glasses and clothing that is quite baggy and covers most of the body. The mise-en-scene is colourful to connote the youthful energy within the party where there is a lot of dancing and drunken behaviour. The props such as plastic cups and streamers help to set the scene of the party. Katy Perry's nerdy character approaches the party in disgust, but get transformed by the host of the party (Rebecca Black) to fit in with the popular crowd: short skirts, tight fighting clothes, make-up and heels. The outfits are quite casual on the cast to suit teenage fashion that may inspire them on their style.

This shows that mise-en-scene is very important to get messages and the character's/artists identity across to the artist. It also introduces many stereotypes which the audience can identity easily to understand a character better.

Micro Element - Editing in our Music Video

When we have the footage for our film, we will be uploading it to the computer and then editing it together to create our music video. The footage will be edited to the rhythm of the music 'Love and War' so the video flows with the music and represents and illustrates the lyrics to make the song more engaging. 

1) Continuity (Action match) 

This is to make the edited footage fit together by matching movement from one scene to the next. An example could be a person jumping in the air with their face to the camera, then the second shot of their feet, with their feet off the ground and just about to land on the floor to create an illusion of one sequence of action . This will allow our shots to flow together to make the editing smooth and the scene more interesting with different shots of the artist's movement to suit the pace and beat of the song.

2) Shot reverse shot

A shot reverse shot will be used between the artist, and the rapper who is parts of 'Love and War.' While The artist is singing, another shot will go to the man in the video whether he is singing or reacting to the lyrics, and then back to the artist when it comes back to her singing. This makes it easier for the audience to follow who is singing, and to capture reactions from the artist and man as they conflict together about their relationship. 

3) Jump cuts 

Jump cuts can cut out unnecessary footage that will not contribute to representations or illustrations of the song of lyrics. It will also be necessary for the pace and beat of the music to cut up a single bit of footage to the rhythm, as well as creating rapid editing to suit the youthful R'n'B genre.

4) Cross-cutting (cutting between two scenes of action that happen in two different locations. The characters normally meet up at the end)

This will be used between the artist and the male in the video as the scenes change from the artist to the man when they are singing. Eventually they meet at the end to talk about their relationship and make-up. Cross-cutting will allow us to show the audience both sides of the relationship to show that they are both sad and depressed about how the relationship is going. 

5) Slow motion 

This editing feature will highlight important parts of the video to emphasis key moments, which will let the audience appreciate them and analyse their meaning for longer. It will also suit slower parts of the song such as the beginning and the end where the music slowly kicks in, building tension towards the pacey chorus.  

6) 180 degree rule

This rule will make sure that the audience will not get confused to where the artists are placed in a scene or location, so it make the music video more believable and easier to follow; therefore more effective to convey emotional or intellectual ideas from the audience without distracting them with mistakes. 

7) Text (Title, actors, credits) 

This will not really be necessary to introduce the music video, but text may be used in our piece for background images to either emphasis the lyrics or make it clear to the audience what ideas are being raise such as 'love.' 

8) Transitions and effects (dissolve, screen wipe, etc)

For camera footage that does not flow together naturally without transition effects, we will be able to use transitions to fix this by using things such as dissolves to go into the next shot, screen wipes or graphic matches. However, different transitions have different effects, where dissolves are slow and smooth, where screen wipes are quick to suit fast songs. We have also been discussing about using a spilt screen so we can see both the artist and male at the same time to show and compare how they are both reacting to their relationship together. We are also going to use blur near the beginning to represent that the artist is breaking down by making her look like she is fading. It also looks similar to an aftermath of an explosion to reference the war aspect in the song. 

Exhibition Research - Where will your music video be shown?

When researching TV and internet channels that exhibits music videos, we found the above list of media outlets that would be suitable for the music genre we are using for our music video (R'n'B). music channels such as Kerrang would not be suitable as they tend to focus on the rock genre.
Therefore the following music channels could be possible exhibitions to show our own music video.

Youtube:

This is a good form of exhibition as there is a variety of videos as well as genres. By watching Youtube you can be introduced to new genres or songs that you did not intend to watch. Therefore this may give us a wider audience than we first intended.

Viva:

Viva is a music channel, as well as a channel that broadcasts reality tv and mature programmes such as 'South Park' which contains language. This music channel has a mainstream audience of teens and young adults, which is the audience we are aiming to attract with out music video.

4music:

Although 4music does broadcast videos that are related to TV programmes they mainly focus on music including music videos. 4music seems to centralise on the genre of R'n'B and Pop and what is 'hot' in the charts at that period of time.

Kiss:

This music channel is based around R'n'B and pop music, as well as the charts. Our song 'Love and War' is by Rita Ora who is a very famous artist, is associated with these genres, so her songs are suited for this music channel. They also have a radio channel, which means that they can also use radio as well as TV.

MTV:

MTV is mainly aimed at teenagers to young adults. They broadcast a range od reality TV programmes such as '16 and Pregnant' and 'Jersey Shore' as well as music videos that are top in the charts.

Music choice (internet exhibit):

Music choice is a website that has a lot of different genres of songs and music videos which opens up a wider music choice for a wider audience. Our music video can be published here for those who go onto the site for R'n'B music, and whose who also like or look up to Rita Ora. You can create your own playlists of songs on the site when creating an account, acting as a personal music list for people to listen to whenever they are online.

Vh1:

Technology used

Blogger:
To keep on track of the research we have done for shooting our music video we have been used Blogger which is an online blog.
By keeping everything in one blog we are able to see ideas that other members of our group have had whilst at home and in lessons as well as put our own ideas down. It has also been very useful as others in our class and in other classes are using the same online blog so we can look at theirs for inspiration for or blog, music video and ideas.
The cons of using this would mainly be that because other students can see it, they could easily copy and paste our blogs and take credit for our ideas, they could claim our music video ideas as their own.

Final Cut:

Once we have filmed our shots for our music video, we will use Final cut to edit everything together. We have already used it to find out how to do a split screen using test footage the Jessica and I filmed during a lesson. It has many options to help us create the effects we would like to put into our video such as slow motion, filters and overlays. This is also where we will be able to match the song with the video shots we have taken and make sure that it is all in-sync and the singer isn't singing a different part to what is actually playing.

The cons of Final Cut would be that if you do not know how to use it and would not be able to create your ideas on the actual screen - it is quite complicated! 

Camera & Tripod:

We are going to be filming all of our video shots with a camera we have been given and to make the shots steady we are going to be using a tripod which can be adjusted to any height so that we can take various different shots. The cons of using these two pieces of equipment is that by using the college's, we have limited use of it and it has to be booked in advance. However, this is also good for our planning as it helps us to create a schedule to that we know what we have and haven't done. 

Different ways of filming

In Justin Bieber and Nicki Minaj's video 'Beauty and the Beat' there a few very controversial ways of shooting a music video.
What is most interesting is that it is made to look very unprofessional on purpose by making it look like Justin is filming himself on a handheld camera. We assume that he has used steadycam so that the camera walks along with him:

This brings him back to when he used to film himself singing before he became famous, which shows to his audience and family that he is still the same person, just more grown up and further along in his future. It also brings out his character more, as he is looks like he is having a lot of fun which makes the audience smile because he is laughing a smiling in the video.

Another shot he uses is a frame within a frame shot. On the camera the video shows another camera with him singing on it as if he has recorded it before and is watching it back: 

I find this music video very original. It goes with the lyrics and sound of the music by videoing a party at a theme park and encourages the audience to have as much as they possibly can when this piece of music comes one.

Audience Research

Qualitative research:

We played our track to 5 different people that are into the genre R'n'B. We then asked then a few questions and made conclusions on all the answers we got back.

1. Did you like the track?
    - There was a variety of responses to this particular question. Most people said they liked it, however some did say that it was a little slow or a bit vague in terms of the content of the song.

2. What type of person would like this track?
   - The most common answer to this question was that typically teenage girls would like the track, some said that girls going through break-ups or troubles with relationships would too.

3. Which age range would you typically associate with this song?
   - On average people said between 13-18 years of age - girls!

4. How would you picture the band/lead?
   - All of them obviously said woman, attractive and quite young. Some also said that the lead would seem strong and dominant in character as well as maybe seeming a little bit broken which would link in with the content of the song.

5. What sort of music video would you expect to accompany this track?
   - 'An emotional, reminiscent video' - A women singing about her relationship, fashionable clothing and lots of hand-grabbing!

6. If performance, where and what type?
  - As the song is quite urban, a lot of the participants suggested the artist walking around in places that are in our everyday lives, which would make the lyrics more realistic and help the audience to relate with the artist and her feelings. The type of performance would be simply the artist singing directly to the camera with no instruments as that would suggest that there is a band.

7. If narrative, what sort?
  - When listening to the lyrics, the participants said that it may be hard to make a narrative to this song as she is not singing fully about a break-up. I then asked, if there was a narrative however what would they expect? And they responded saying there would be a lot of scenes of a couple together, fighting and making up.

I have learned that a lot of R&B music videos seem to have all very similar meanings to a lot of the audience and they seem to understand that a lot of R&B songs are about break ups or love which attracts them more as it is a desire in people's everyday lives to find someone that they love. It also helps the artist look more like an ordinary person than a star as the music video makes them look as if love is a weakness of theres as well.

This effects the creative process of ours in a big way as it supports our decision to change using a narrative. Although many R&B music videos have narrative, the people who answered my questions agreed that doing one for this song would be hard. It also means that we are challenging a typical music video and makes ours look a bit different. It has given us encouragement to carry on filming a singer who sings directly into the camera as it links in with the artist connecting with their audience.

Micro Element - Cinematography in our music video

In our music video, we want to use a variety of camera techniques to create an interesting and effective video that will engage the viewer. Also, each camera technique has a purpose to either film something simply in the detail needed, to follow action on the camera and to create meaning. 

Camera shots

For camera shots, we will be using close-ups to film the artists face as it is essential to get close-ups of the artist anyway to make it clear who is singing. Extreme close-ups and big close-ups can also be used on the artist, props or other characters to show high detail for the audience to see clearly. This will focus on particular objects that could have symbolism or  create tension, such as a close-up on an image of a broken heart to symbolise heart ache, or a shot of the artist's eyes to make her glare into the eyes of the audience to make them feel uneasy. 

We can also use medium close-up's, medium shots and medium long shots to view the artist's body as well. This will allow the audience to see the artist's costume and figure, as well as the background where props and setting can be seen to set the mood or create representations. We will also be able to see gestures or body language (made by the artist or other performers) that relate to the lyrics or beat of the music to emphasis or fit the move. Medium shots will also allow more movement with the camera, such as tracking the artist. 

Long shots, very long shots and extreme long shots will be good for establishing a scene or showing the audience more of the background and location that relate to the song. In our video, we are planning to use projections and green screen, which means we will need to use a shot that is further away from the artist to see the images in the background. The images and footage will narrate the couples relationship to convey memories they have had, while the artist is the focus, singing to the camera. 

With these variety of shots, we will also take shots around the artist instead of just one place, so we do not deter the audience by using a dull sequence of shots in the same position. 

Camera movement

For movement, we are going to be using a tripod to get steady shots, but will be also using handheld at times to create tension in the video, and represent the artist's frustration with how her relationship is going. We will also be using handheld for the footage that will be used in the background to represent memories (such as holding hands and hugging) as this will make the camera look like home footage that is personal to the artist: this reflects her looking back on her memories. We can also use dolly movement and tracking shot to follow the artist so the focus is on her, but we also plan to keep the artist in a certain position in the centre of the camera using direct address, with effects in the background to emphasis the narrative of the lyrics and emotions from it. Zoom in's can also be used to emphasis a moment in the video that is important for the audience to notice, or to allow the audience to see more detail of a part of the mise-en-scene that has symbolism or meaning (such as images of hearts to symbolise love). Zoom out will help let the audience see more mise-en-scene in the video to understand what is going on around the artist and relate to the song. In our case, we have a song on heartbreak, so the mise-en-scene will be sad and depressing. 

Camera Angles

For camera angles, we were thinking of using high angles to make the artist look vulnerable as she is wounded from her heartbreak. Dutch angles can also be used to create an edgy look to the video, and communicate to the audience that the audience is feeling nervous and sad. 

Theoretical Study into Audience: Uses and Grafitications

Blumler and Katz argued that audiences are ACTIVE not PASSIVE and approached and use media products for the following reasons:

Diversion (a form of escaping from the pressures of life of every day)

Personal Relationships (where the viewer gains companionship, either with the television characters or through conversations with others about television)

Personal Identity (where the viewer is able to compare their life with the lives of characters and situations on television, to explore, re-affirm or question their personal identity)

Surveillance (where the media are looked upon for a supply of information about what is happening in the world).

Using this criteria - for what reasons would an audience appraoach/use your media product?

1). Are they going to be entertained? 
Editing of footage will work with the music, with cuts been made on the beats of the music to make sure the video flows with the song. We are also thinking of including many effects to make the visual elements of the video engaging. We are also looking for strong performance/acting from the cast we have picked to lip sync the music we have picked. We will include direct address with the artist to make the audience feel involved in the video, and make the emotions expressed by the audience more believable.

2). Personal Relationships
The song 'Love and War' by Rita Ora is about the fights within relationships, which will spark a debate between the audience on whether the artist is actually having any problems with their partner. A lot of artist's express their feelings and their experiences in songs to release the thoughts they have locked in their minds. They share their problems with the audience, and therefore we feel closer to them as they are basically sharing their problems with us like they would to a friend.

3). Personal Identity 
The song's subject matter raises questions on the artist and the issues they are raising. In our video, we will raise awareness of fighting in relationships, which will question the audience on their own relationships and the importance of them. Anyone else who is also facing hardships within their relationship will watch our music video and relate to it. They will feel every word of the lyrics and take it on board to express their own feelings. The video will help to emphasis the meanings of relationships in the song by using different micro elements to create symbolism, mood and representations, such as low angle shots to make a person look vulnerable. The video is also used to show the artist is also in the 'same situation,' which makes people look up to them as they believe that they are facing the same problems they are.

4). Surveillance
The media is hot on many artist's heals to get juicy stories and gossip, but also to find out more about them: whether it would be their musical career or personal life. When the media get news on their personal life, the audience feel closer to them because from this, they can see that they do not have perfect lives either like everyone stereotypes them to be. When it comes to their musical career, the artist has their own unique image that the audience can recognise them by and take inspiration from to influence their own style (therefore, advertising the artist's image). In our music video, the artist's image will be casual, but fashionable to attract a teenage audience: the fact that the artist is female will attract males. The issue of relationships is also similar to those faced by teens, so they will listen to our music video as the subject can relate to them.

Using Final Cut once we have shot the footage with the Green screen

From thinking about possible ideas when we use the green screen to film our music video. I was wondering how we can actually turn our ideas into our music video. On Youtube I found these Final Cut tutorials on how to change the green screen into a background colour or how to add a photo/film footage as a form of layer.



The tutorial above shows us how to change the background colour using final cut and the tutorial below shows us how to add images/ photos into the background.

Theoretical Study into Audience

b) Focused and Ambient Audiences

David Beckham explains that some audiences are not as deliberate or active in their consumption. He believes that it is essential to situate young people's media use within the context of their other social media use within the context of their social activities and experiences due to the fact that many people are using the media as a wallpaper: a wall of noise to fill up 'down time' or just to pass the time due to boredom. That many of their interactions with the media are not contrived, committed or concentrated but fleeting, visceral and meaningless.

Focused Audience can be catered for with.....

• innovation
• strong narrative
• clever use of effects
• detail
• use of meanings 

Ambient Audiences can be catered for with.....

• non-linear editing
• quick editing
• strong performance
• multiple costume
• location change
• simple narrative
• superficial effects

How are you accommodating for these two audience types?

For a focused audience....

To accommodate for a focused audience we are going to use objects that link and symbolises the meaning and lyrics of the song. For instance, we are going to include heart shaped lights or an animation that we will place behind the artist, which will be added after using Final cut. We will also film the male and female artist holding hands to symbolise their relationship. If we use an animation or image of a heart we could make it explode to symbolise the  title 'war' to represent visually a bomb exploding however this could also represent the shattering of their heart for fighting with their loved one and representing their heart ache.

As we are going to film using a green screen we can add lots of effects including overlaying - such as overlaying images or film footage using symbolism. We can also use a range of coloured filters to appear more engaging for the audience. In addition, we can practise with a range of depth of fields to add a different insight.

We decided not to use a strong narrative as we want to focus on using effects, however we are going to include symbolism for parts of the lyrical narrative.


For an ambient audience....

To accommodate for an ambient audience by filming a range of different angles, close-ups, mid shots etc. We will link all these different footage up and cut them in appropriate places to form lots of quick edits.

We have chosen two people who we believe will be perfect for our music video in terms of performance. Both people are reliable, confident, but serious which we hope will make a strong performance.

As we are going to use a green screen we thought would be great as we can change the background to whatever suits our need, and if it doesn't work we are able to change this. We might in a couple of shots film without the green screen in real location.

At first we were focusing on a narrative for our music video but have now decided to change to a simpler performance, but with lots of effects. We will use simple narrative by using props and footage that symbolises and represents the lyrics such as the ups and downs of relationships. In addition, we will include a few symbols that represent the title 'War' in 'Love and War 'however these will be subtle as we believe war=fighting e.g fighting in a relationship.

Booking the Camera and Green Screen

We have booked the Conference room (D3) from 12.20 to 2.40 on Wednesday 17th October. We have booked the green screen, lights and camera so that we can film our music video.

Lighting Ideas Inspired by other Music Videos

Due to changing our plans on the style of our music video, we have had to think of alternative ideas. We discussed that we didn't want a narrative, so we are going to create a video that has more effects and focus on the artist.

I have had a look at many different music videos that do not have a direct narrative. Last lesson, we discussed that we liked the ideas of using a lot of lighting in the music video, so I tried to get videos that had effective lighting effects. I came across 3 videos that I thought had effects that could be good to use in our music video:

We Found Love - Rihanna featuring Calvin Harris
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tg00YEETFzg

In this video, a projector has been used to project filmed footage in parts of the video throughout on top of Rihanna. The footage is of clouds, buildings falling and isolated land which connotes the idea of feeling depressed and breaking down. It reflects well off Rihanna and creates a unique way of using lighting to connote furthur ideas and emotions of the artist. We could use this to achieve the same effect.

Airplanes - B.O.B. featuring Hayley Williams 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kn6-c223DUU

In the video, lighting is used to create silhouettes of Hayley Williams, the artist who features in the video. This makes her figure stand out, but the dark lighting also hides her identity like she doesn't want to anyone to see the state she is in. However, it could connote that she is in a dark place as well, which is similar to the mood we want to express in our music video.

There is also overlays used in the video of lightning over the top of footage which I thought would be effective to create a dream-like feel that represents the artist is being thoughtful and thinking about her relationship.


There is also flashing lights in the video to create tension with different light filters. This picture shows a blue light filter over the artist to make the atmosphere look sad and cold.

Ring the Alarm - Beyonce 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eY_mrU8MPfI

In Beyonce's video, she also represents herself as hurt and broken as her partner is cheating on her with another woman. They use red lighting in this video to represent her anger. The light moves like a search light, which could be good for our videos as search lights are used in war, and could reference the war aspect in 'Love and War.'

Beyonce is also filmed in the corner of a room with only a little light. It looks similar to a spot light which would also be good for the war reference. The location of film in this picture makes her look cornered and vulnerable, which is the macro element we would like to express as the song has depressing lyrics.

Micro Elements - Editing

Editing is the stage where the camera footage has been shoot, and is cut and manipulated with effects and transitions to create the final product. There are many techniques within editing to create a film, which can be used to create an effective music video:

• Graphic match
• Eyeline match
• Continuity (Action match) 
• Shot reverse shot
• Cut away
• Jump cuts 
• Cross-cutting (cutting between two scenes of action that happen in two different locations. The characters normally meet up at the end)
• Parallel editing (similar to cross-cutting, but edits between two different shots of action around the same location). 
• Slow motion 
• Ellipsis (when unnecessary action is cut out because it is not needed to tell the story)
• 180 degree rule
• Text (Title, actors, credits)
• Transitions (dissolve, screen wipe, etc)

Micro-elements of Sound in our own Music Video

When making our own music video we have to incorporate Rita Ora's song 'Love and War'. Our filming will be based around the music as it is a music video. At this stage, as the song doesn't include speech or any significant non-diagetic sounds (other than the music)  the only micro-elements of sound that I can think of is the actual song 'Love and War'.

Micro-Elements - Sound

The micro-elements of sounds are divided between diagetic (speech) and non-diagetic (sounds added during editing such as sound effects.)

In film and TV non-diagetic can be used to add extra more emphasised sounds such as a door shutting, footsteps, dialect pre-recorded and added over the top etc. However, as we are making a music video sounds used are generally the artists song sometimes this does include speech, or instrumentation which would be a form of non-diagetic sound.

Sound micro-elements:

• Diagetic
• Non-diagetic
• Sound track
• Voice Over
• Music score
• Dialogue
• Sound scape - helps add the drama of the scene - such as owls and crickets at night
• character motif

Ellie Goulding 'Lights' and 'Starry Night'

Ellie Goulding's music video 'lights' is a great example of a music video that mainly focuses on the artist but in an interesting way. For example there are a lot of close-up shots of Ellie's face. They have used a vast range of multi-coloured lights in this video which helps to engage the audience. By using the different lights illuminating her face creates a different and more interesting approach.

By changing to a short, blurry depth of field (like in the photo above) and making it so it will gradually coming into focus will keep the audience intrigued and add to the mystery of the music video.









We could use a range of shots including close-ups, mid-shots and long shots, we should also shoot from lots of different angles including looking up at the artist (like the angle used in the image above of Ellie Goulding). This would help to engage the audience.



By using multi-coloured lights or adding a filter when filming would also help create the mood of being sad but still feeling hopeful towards a better future with her boyfriend/partner. Although it would be easier to use a filter during filming we could however also add a colour filter on final cut afterwards.

This photo was taken from Ellie Goulding's music video 'Starry Night'

This would be a great effect that we could try out in our own music video.  If we were to do this we would have to film the artist singing in front of the green screen. We would add either a photo of the sky/lights or film a short shot of lights or the sky. We would then layer this with the main shot of the girl singing and then create two shots of her, but we would have to make them translucent to add to both sides of her.

change of plan

Having considered all the genre characteristics of a narrative music video we have decided that it would be better to focus more on just the artist and the special effects instead of making a story to go along with the lyrics.

Micro Elements - Cinematography

Cinematography is the framing and camera shots of a film. Cinematography includes camera shot, movement and camera angles. We should be considering the point below when thinking about camera for our music video to get a variety of shots and macro elements:

Camera shots

• Extreme close-up
• Big close-up
• Close-up
• Medium close-up
• Medium shot
• Medium long shot
• Long shot
• Very long shot
• Extreme long shot
• Two shot
• Over the shoulder shot
• Point of view shot
• Bird's eye view

Camera movement

• Pans
• Dolly
• Zoom (in or out)
• Crane
• Handheld
• Tilt
• Tracking shot
• Crab

Camera Angles

• High angle shot
• Low angle shot
• Dutch angles

Amateur Vs Professional

In this post, I will be analysing the differences and similarities between a students music video, and professional one by a famous artist. I will be analysing group 13Q1-50 video on the song 'Thinking Man's Session' by The Nextman, with a professional video from called 'Dilemma' by Nelly featuring Kelly Rowland.

Student Video



This video does not have a particular narrative, but amplifys the song with the micro elements fitting to the beat. The genre to this music video is Hip-hop, and stereotypes of it have been put forward into this video with the mise-en-scene, cinematography and editing, so the music video can be identified easily of it's genre.

Professional Video



Nelly is known for doing music mainly in Hip-hop, pop and R'n'B, and is a famous male singer and rapper. The song above can be considered as R'n'B or Hip Hop, which means both video's have music video's set on the same genre. Unlike the top video, this one has a narrative about a new girl who moves into town, and Nelly sets his eyes on her. They get together after a few complications, and it turns out to be just like a happy ending, like in the films. This has elements of film with the romantic narrative, and the use of text in the beginning to introduce the stars and the title of the song. It's similar to how actors and the main title are introduced in films. There is also film techniques used in the camera work and mise-en-scene to make the video look more professional. This gives the music video a Hollywood effect where the song narrates the video and the character's feelings.

 

Micro Elements	Similarities	Differences
Camera	Handheld camera movement.	Movement looks smoother in professional video.
	They both use different camera angles such as low angles.	The student video uses dutch angles to create tension whereas the pro doesn’t. The pro also uses high angles, where the student dosen’t.
	Variety of shots.
	They both use camera movement.	There’s more variety of camera movement in the professional video compared to the student, such as cranes. It is also smoother in movement.
	Both videos have the artists talking to the camera.
	The camera quality is not as good as ones used in professional videos as they are on a lower budget.	The quality of the camera is more professional in Nelly’s video compared to the student.
Editing	The camera footage is edited to the music.
	No text.	Text is used in the professional video to introduce artists and song title.
	Parallel editing is used to go from different locations and time periods.	There are more locations and settings in the professional music video compared to the student one where it is based around a housing estate.
	Dissolves
		Student video uses fast motion at times, while the professional one uses slow motion.
	They both use effects.	The student video uses more effects such as reversing and repeating movement
	They both use jump cuts and match on action.	The professional video uses more matches on action, while the student video uses more jump cuts.
Mise-en-scene	Costumes are very similar with the baggy t-shirts and trousers, with hats and ‘bling.’	There are females in the video, so girly and tight fitting costume is used to highlight their figures.
	Both videos are shot in a neighbourhood which will relate to the audience as we do not live the life of a celebrity.
	There are no definite female characters. One is seen in the music video, but is wearing clothes similar to the boys rather than tight or girly clothing like in the pro video.	There a female characters in the video.
	There is a duet in the video that take turns singing.	There is also a duet in the professional video, but one of them is a female. Both people in the student video are boys.
	There is a difference of location variety and characters in both videos. In the student video, they do not have many locations or cast as the professional.	There is more and bigger location in the professional video as they have a higher budget. This includes the amount of cast members because of the same reasons.
	There are gangs of men/boys in both videos.