Wednesday, 12 December 2012
Evidence of contribution
Monday, 10 December 2012
End Of Module 2
These are some of the Research & Planning tasks I have completed individually. I will need to annotate the Risk Assessment + my Digipak Ideas to get a higher grade for Research & Planning.
These are the Research & Planning tasks me and my partner, Maisy, completed together. I rung up The Brent Old Boys Social Club (our first location) and got permission to shoot. I also got permission to use a lecture theatre when we reshot our band shots. Maisy drew all of the storyboard as we wanted continuity, however I helped put it together as an animatic.
With a majority of this, the work has been evenly split. I feel like I deserve half of the marks for Research & Planning, after I have annotated some of my posts explaining what they were and how they were important. For the contribution to the actual video, to get a fair mark, I will need to edit at least 75% of the video. This is because our lead singer dropped out on us ten minutes before we began shooting, I had to step in as the lead singer, but I will still need to edit a majority of the music video.
At the moment, I would give the Research & Planning 14/20 (B3) because some of the posts haven't been annotated or clearly explained. Due to changes in the shoot, we also need to put on some newer posts.
Tuesday, 9 October 2012
Music Video Ideas
Idea 1-
The band members are sitting at the back of a bus. Slowly they get up and sing. It is in film noir. As they walk down the aisle, they sing at random members of the public on the bus. They get off at the chorus. "It's all about you" - the lead singer points to the camera (possibly breaking the fourth wall). We go to an establishing shot and see he's at the beach. It's grey skies and dull and dreary (not that you can really tell because of film noir) the beach is empty. We flash to a Big Brother type show in which everyone is sitting in robotic like positions. Unmoving, the guitar solo kicks in and we flash to a scene of the band on top of a roof in London performing in front of the city. As the last chorus comes back, the people on Big Brother mouth the words. We flash to televisions across the city and people are sat transfixed, watching them. I would reference Big Brother by having the eye plastered around the locations, having a consistency throughout each scene.
This was inspired by Big Brother, the television show, and V for Vendetta. This is because of how much of an impact one person can make onto a society. I realise that this idea is quite vague and does not really have a plot and if we were to use this idea, I would have to develop it further.
Idea 2-
A boy walks around a garden before he goes into a building. We find out he's in a mental hospital. When he's locked in his room, as the chorus comes, the setting changes to him on a stage singing in front of an audience. Back to the hospital and the residents are eating a meal. He sits with a girl and they whisper to each other. Guards watch them. Scene changes to him in his room at night, he is seen sneaking out and the girl sneaks out with him. They escape and hide in an empty building for the night. They are seen running through rural areas being chased by police. They end up jumping off of buildings trying to escape, the girl hurts her leg or ankle and the boy has to help her. The video ends when the police catch the boy. The girl fades and we realise that she doesn't actually exist. The boy made her up and is the reason as to why he is in the mental hospital.
This was inspired by All Time Low (a rival band)'s music video for Time Bomb. A couple are escaping from some law enforcement while the band watches on, playing idly on a roof top. This idea, while I think it is creative, would be quite difficult to do, and realistically, would be near enough impossible to shoot and get permission to shoot on locations, etc.
Idea 3-
A little boy (or girl) is running around the park pretending to be a rockstar. Their mother watches, smiling. Cut to a scene of the mother in a hospital bed, sick, her child climbs up and hugs her, they fall asleep together. Next scene is of the child holding a teddy at the mothers funeral. They are seen crying and looking at the sky. We go to a scene of the home with the dad and child, the dad is drinking and shouting while the child hides away in a closet still clutching the teddy. We go to scenes of the child growing up and being at school, walking down the corridors alone. Back to the childs bedroom where (s)he is writing lyrics (will be lyrics for Tell The World) and the teddy is on the bed. The, now teenager is seen playing a guitar in pubs and busking. A man in a suit notices and gives them their card. The video ends with the teenager playing guitar with a band singing on stage, being a rockstar, reflecting the first scene. At the end, the teenager looks up at the sky and smiles.
This idea is quite a depressing one. I think the idea behind it is how a lot of people feel invisible and how they want their voice to be heard. A video I drew inspiration from was Katy Perry's Wide Awake. This video references all of her previous videos while it sees her overcome struggles. I think this is quite a depressing video. I would reference Natasha Bedingfield's Strip Me. This album or song has the theme that one voice can make all the difference which I think can be interpreted in The Dead Famous' Tell The World.
Why did I do this?
I did this because I tried to think of ideas for our music video that we could use. Or maybe find little themes throughout that matched with Maisy's that we could combine. Or we could work off of each other's ideas to develop one idea further.
What did I learn?
I learnt it is quite hard to develop ideas. I also learnt how difficult it is to try and reference or be inspired by previous videos without completely ripping them off. However it could be argued that nothing is original and everything is a copy of something in one way or the other. I learnt that it is better to individually come up with ideas then discuss them with someone else because they might think of something you didn't, or something you could build upon with your ideas.
Target Audiences (Part 2)
Because I feel it is very important that we know who we are aiming our band at! This way, we can use the subcultures "ideals and identifiers" in our video and in the way we image our band to relate to them and get them to watch the video and hopefully buy into our product and build up a further fanbase for them.
What did I learn?
I learnt that the values of a subculture can be quite important to the subculture. Subcultures give people a sense of belonging, which, growing up, can be quite hard to have. I also learnt that a culture can unite at places like a concert when everyone in the room is just singing along to the band. This is what our band aims to do - broaden it's fan base but also give people a chance to belong to a fan base.
Target Audiences (Part 1)
Because I feel it is very important that we know who we are aiming our band at! This way, we can use the subcultures "ideals and identifiers" in our video and in the way we image our band to relate to them and get them to watch the video and hopefully buy into our product and build up a further fanbase for them.
What did I learn?
I learnt that individuality doesn't really exist but the idea of individuality exists in which people all attempting to be different all end up being similar. I learnt how we can use identifiers of subcultures to help promote our band. I learnt that hipster girls are a difficult market to cater for musically, and hopefully our video will be able to reach to them.
Concept for "Tell The World"
http://prezi.com/kfqvi-yzw707/tell-the-world-concept/
Why did I do this?
Because our music video needed to have concepts. It needed to have a basis on which me & Maisy were able to create our music video and give it meaning. It needed to be different from the music videos out in the market today, yet it had to be inspired by them. Part of it was inspired by All Time Low's Time Bomb - which features a couple escaping a law force, a scene that will feature in our video. All Time Low is also a rival in the market.
What did I learn?
I learnt how much effort it goes into even trying to form ideas to base a music video on. It is not just about listening to the lyrics and transferring them to the visuals. Lyrics are usually one of two things: a metaphor (Adele) or a story (Taylor Swift.) Our song is a metaphor, of the man telling the world about this girl. But it might not just be about a girl, it could be about how corrupt the world is, or a number of other things. Lyrics are often open to debate about a number of things and mean different things to different people.
Why did I do this?
What did I learn?
I learnt how much effort it goes into even trying to form ideas to base a music video on. It is not just about listening to the lyrics and transferring them to the visuals. Lyrics are usually one of two things: a metaphor (Adele) or a story (Taylor Swift.) Our song is a metaphor, of the man telling the world about this girl. But it might not just be about a girl, it could be about how corrupt the world is, or a number of other things. Lyrics are often open to debate about a number of things and mean different things to different people.
Website Analysis
Website Analysis
Why did I do it?
Part of the coursework is to make a website for my unsigned band to help promote them and the release of their upcoming single. This way I can see how artists lay out their websites. I used two artists, one on a major record label and one on an independent to see how differently they were laid out.
What did I learn?
I learnt what All Time Low's website looks like. This is important as they are competition to our band and fans of our band, The Dead Famous, are more than likely to be fans of All Time Low. I used Rita Ora because she is a current popular artist, who's website needs to reflect her image. As she is generally successful in the UK (the country where our band will be releasing and promoting the single), I felt it important to see how her website and look helped her sell herself to the UK music audience.
Why did I do it?
Part of the coursework is to make a website for my unsigned band to help promote them and the release of their upcoming single. This way I can see how artists lay out their websites. I used two artists, one on a major record label and one on an independent to see how differently they were laid out.
What did I learn?
I learnt what All Time Low's website looks like. This is important as they are competition to our band and fans of our band, The Dead Famous, are more than likely to be fans of All Time Low. I used Rita Ora because she is a current popular artist, who's website needs to reflect her image. As she is generally successful in the UK (the country where our band will be releasing and promoting the single), I felt it important to see how her website and look helped her sell herself to the UK music audience.
End of Module 1 Review
High level 2 (11/20) -D2
To improve, detail and annotation needs to be added, Prezi and Brainshark would make the work more interesting and creative.
To improve, detail and annotation needs to be added, Prezi and Brainshark would make the work more interesting and creative.
How I Did At AS
157/200 B1
Minimum Target Grade -B2 Marking Boundaries:
A - 160
B - 140
C - 120
D - 100
E - 80
I went up one sublevel and met my target grade.
My coursework grade is 84 (A)
My exam grade is 73 (B)
Monday, 8 October 2012
Digipak Analysis
Why did I do this?
I did it because I will end up having to make a digipak, and this way I am able to see what previous successful digipaks look like, as well as exploring a rival band's digipak and how I can use their digipak as inspiration for mine to show the genre of what band I'm trying to promote is.
What did I learn?
I learnt that a digipak is very important to the consumer. Whilst the video and song do advertise the single / album, it is eventually the digipak that decides whether you buy it or not (if you buy CDs of course, if you download it online, you can very easily change the album artwork.) I also learnt that often fans do not enjoy the digipak art and end up creating their own.
Monday, 17 September 2012
Permission from The Dead Famous to use their music
Because if we didn't have their permission, they could sue us! It was also a chance to possibly get them to make a cameo in the video (which unfortunately they can't do, as they're busy on tour and promoting a new single in November.)
What did I learn?
I learnt that the band are actually really decent guys, as we've been emailing back and forth about the video. We also went and saw them in concert (they were amazing) and we got a chance to speak to them afterwards in which they seemed really interested in the video and are eager to see the video once it's completed.
Sunday, 2 September 2012
Music Video Analysis
Music Video Analysis:
1. Performance Video
Adele - Someone Like You
Whilst this isn't the official music video, this did serve as the music video for a number of months as the song became popular. The video opens with an introduction from James Corden, an actor and comedian in Britain. We then move on to Adele standing on a stage with a piano. It is not the stereotypical music video as it has live audio recording of the performance. However this version was played and requested on music video channels such as MTV and The Box. The recording that was on the radio was the studio recording. The fact that the music video was a live recording did not hinder it's chart performance as it became one of the best selling singles of 2011 and helped promote Adele's album - 21, which became the biggest selling album of 2011. This is an interesting feat as Adele is signed to an independent label which don't usually sell as much music as mainstream record labels as they do not have the ability to promote as well as them.
2. Narrative Video
Rihanna featuring Calvin Harris - We Found Love
This video caused a lot of controversy and ended up being banned in certain countries due to it's content. The video opens up with a monologue from an unseen narrator describing how love can end and how you "sometimes wish you could have all of the bad stuff back, just to feel the good again." A thunder clap is heard and the beat starts. Rihanna is in a room in a denim jacket and her underwear singing around with images projected on to the wall. We then cut to scenes of Rihanna and her boyfriend. They are in a bath together and take drugs. As the beat increases and gets faster, there is an image of weed being smoked and an eye increasing to give the illusion of someone getting high. Rihanna and her boyfriend are then seen getting drunk and playing around in a street in a trolley and in a fish and chip store. Rihanna is then topless in a field running round while her boyfriend watches. This shows that Rihanna is open to her boyfriend and gives him everything but the feeling is not mutual as he is clothed. They then argue in a car, which shows how the relationship begins to fall apart. She gets out of his car and he slams the wheel, as the beat increases again, the eye from previously begins to decrease. This could indicate that love is like getting high, everything seems fine and good when it happens but as you come down, the feelings turn bad. Rihanna then packs her clothes and walks out of her boyfriends flat, presumably dumping him.
3. Conceptual Video
Ed Sheeran - Small Bump
The video is very simple. Ed in a hospital waiting room singing whilst doctors and patients interact around him. For most of the video, it seems quite happy as the lyrics reflect that Ed is becoming a father and is waiting for his girlfriend or wife to come out of a scan. The angles don't really do close ups to show how small or insignificant Ed is compared to the situation. Kids are shown throughout, and patients being brought in. Ed is not the main focus of most of the video, just a background character. Towards the end, the video turns bittersweet and morbid, the video gives a close up to Ed and a girl in the background. Now there is a close up, we can get the feeling of sadness as he sings "you were just a small bump unborn for 4 months then torn from life, maybe you were needed up there but we're still unaware as why." Ed then looks down and the video ends.
1. Performance Video
Adele - Someone Like You
Whilst this isn't the official music video, this did serve as the music video for a number of months as the song became popular. The video opens with an introduction from James Corden, an actor and comedian in Britain. We then move on to Adele standing on a stage with a piano. It is not the stereotypical music video as it has live audio recording of the performance. However this version was played and requested on music video channels such as MTV and The Box. The recording that was on the radio was the studio recording. The fact that the music video was a live recording did not hinder it's chart performance as it became one of the best selling singles of 2011 and helped promote Adele's album - 21, which became the biggest selling album of 2011. This is an interesting feat as Adele is signed to an independent label which don't usually sell as much music as mainstream record labels as they do not have the ability to promote as well as them.
2. Narrative Video
Rihanna featuring Calvin Harris - We Found Love
This video caused a lot of controversy and ended up being banned in certain countries due to it's content. The video opens up with a monologue from an unseen narrator describing how love can end and how you "sometimes wish you could have all of the bad stuff back, just to feel the good again." A thunder clap is heard and the beat starts. Rihanna is in a room in a denim jacket and her underwear singing around with images projected on to the wall. We then cut to scenes of Rihanna and her boyfriend. They are in a bath together and take drugs. As the beat increases and gets faster, there is an image of weed being smoked and an eye increasing to give the illusion of someone getting high. Rihanna and her boyfriend are then seen getting drunk and playing around in a street in a trolley and in a fish and chip store. Rihanna is then topless in a field running round while her boyfriend watches. This shows that Rihanna is open to her boyfriend and gives him everything but the feeling is not mutual as he is clothed. They then argue in a car, which shows how the relationship begins to fall apart. She gets out of his car and he slams the wheel, as the beat increases again, the eye from previously begins to decrease. This could indicate that love is like getting high, everything seems fine and good when it happens but as you come down, the feelings turn bad. Rihanna then packs her clothes and walks out of her boyfriends flat, presumably dumping him.
3. Conceptual Video
Ed Sheeran - Small Bump
The video is very simple. Ed in a hospital waiting room singing whilst doctors and patients interact around him. For most of the video, it seems quite happy as the lyrics reflect that Ed is becoming a father and is waiting for his girlfriend or wife to come out of a scan. The angles don't really do close ups to show how small or insignificant Ed is compared to the situation. Kids are shown throughout, and patients being brought in. Ed is not the main focus of most of the video, just a background character. Towards the end, the video turns bittersweet and morbid, the video gives a close up to Ed and a girl in the background. Now there is a close up, we can get the feeling of sadness as he sings "you were just a small bump unborn for 4 months then torn from life, maybe you were needed up there but we're still unaware as why." Ed then looks down and the video ends.
Tuesday, 26 June 2012
Bootcamp Task - The Fray - Absolute
Because I will have to edit a music video! I will need to line up the music to the character on screen lip syncing. This was good practice for when it comes to actually editing the music video. I had to find which scenes fitted without copying it. Also, this was another A level media music video project. Watching it back, I could get inspired for ideas for my music video, so it helps in two ways!
What did I learn?
I learnt that editing a music video, was quite similar to doing the foley in the thriller. However, this was that much more tricky as I had to line up each lyric to each time the singer was singing or there was a guitar solo, etc. However it was good practice and I ended up actually liking the song. I also was inspired by the use of lighting in the video and I hope to transfer this to our (mine and Maisy's) music video.
Bootcamp Task - Album Cover (Digipack)
Why did I do this?
I did this because I will end up doing a digipak properly. I only done the front cover because I was struggling a lot with it, and I ended up getting quite frustrated with it. Looking back on it, I don't really know what look I was going for and I think it's quite obvious!
What did I learn?
I learnt that I need Photoshop tutorials. Luckily, I have been watching Photoshop tutorials on Youtube over the summer and over the first module. I have also been talking to iMedia students who use Photoshop quite frequently. I also learnt I need to know what poses reflect what genres and how the poses reflect how the cover can appeal to which audiences. I feel that I can improve on this, and hopefully it will be reflected by I actually do the digipak cover (front, back and inserts.)
Thursday, 14 June 2012
Sunday, 3 June 2012
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)