We have FINALLY come to the conclusion that our chosen song will be Jigsaw by The Swing Movement. This is not too much of a problem as we have had a solid idea in mind for a while now, we just needed to match it to our lyrics and our idea.
We will now complete the rest of our blogging tasks on things that were previously unattainable, such as genre conventions etc.
We feel this is a large step forward in our aims to achieve a successful music video, and we now believe this will compliment our work on both the magazine ad and digipak productions.
Wednesday, 14 December 2011
GG - Things I have learnt using Final Cut Express
Today I discovered how to use multi layering, reverse shots, how to use special effects, how to use transitions and finally how to export it.Firstly I learnt how to multi layer two or more shots together. (Place the clip above the clip you want to layer it with and select the above clip, go to motion, make the scale smaller, click on the centre button, then finally play around with the opacity. This has made our shots look much more professional and less boring to watch, it can help us create a sense of confusion for our main protagonist.
Secondly I learnt how to reverse shots, we will find this very helpful when shooting the shot of our protagonist travelling away. (Insert, modify, speed and finally reverse).
Thirdly I learnt how to use special effects to change the on screen look of the shot. This gives them a better look and can create a sense of confusion. (Select the clip you want ,effects, video filters then select the one you want).
Finally I learnt how to export clips from Final Cut to a portable file for youtube and other sites. This now means I can share all of my work onto internet sites like 'vimeo' and 'Youtube'.Today I discovered how to use multi layering, reverse shots, how to use special effects, how to use transitions and finally how to export it.
(Images taken by George)
Tuesday, 6 December 2011
Two Twigs Productions
Two Twigs Productions is now available to follow on twitter, @TwoTwigsPro and it would be greatly appreciated if anyone who uses the twitter social network, to tweet us both feedback, ideas, and most importantly to keep up to date with our news.
TW - Right Here Right Now Idea 1 - Problems
We have constructed 2 ideas for this song, the first being shot with a band and one member being left behind and having o make his own way to where they are playing. George has detailed this idea on this blog post. After talking about this, I have seen the following problems in our idea, in which we have to overcome:
- How do we shoot the opening scene? Do the band leave him behind AFTER packing his stuff, seemingly forgetting he is in the van. Should the band member run after the vehicle shouting, throw drumsticks etc?
- Can we attain a van to shoot this scene with? A simple band practice or location where instruments are already set up would be an easier idea.
- How many scenarios and modes of transport will be needed for the video? an the cast member ride a skateboard for example? In the winter will we be able to shoot in a forest/river.
- Do the band realise they have left him behind IF we go this way and not have band practice?
- Should we involve some lip syncing to the main lyric 'Right here right now'? Possible shot is a very fast paced, panning shot around in a snori cam angle, the main band member(one who is left behind) saying these lyrics?
- How do we end the video?Performance? Going on to play? simple band practice as initially suggested?
- Will we need permission from crowd members, how many will we need?
- Finding a set location for the end scene IF we go with the idea of performance to a live audience in the final scene
- Is there anyone he meets on the way? This is very unlikely and will only be used to aid the narrative, if need.
- Could he possibly miss the performance, turn up to late? Narrative enigma if they let him back in the band?
- Do we need performance footage in between shots of the band member trying to get to the venue?
All of these problems will be talked through by myself and George, and when we have a final idea with no problems we will do a full blogpost on how we have avoided the problems and how we intend to make this plan a success.
GG - Music Video Idea/1 - Fatboy Slim (Right here, Right now)
My final and probably most likely new idea would be to the song Right here, Right now. My idea would be to have both performance and narrative, the performance would consist of 1/3rd of the music video.
I took inspiration from the music video by Coldplay on their new song 'Paradise'. We would have series of scenarios of a singular figure travelling throughout the Yorkshire country-side, (this would be cut with the performance as well). Firstly, the male would be travelling along in a car, the car then runs out of petrol just outside a bike shop. He then goes in a buys a second hand old bike, after further travelling along more country-side he gets a flat tyre. He then spots an old skateboard in a farm yard and so on. He finally reaches a river were he ditches the skateboard to cross the river, he then continues his travels on foot. Finally he reaches his destination of where the band, who are playing the performance aspect, are practising. We then see the meaning of the video, the main character kicks the drummer off playing the instrument and plays them himself showing he will not be replaced in the band.
The filming will consist of a huge range of short taken shots, I have lots of ideas and plan to do some practice footage of the narrative very soon.
I took inspiration from the music video by Coldplay on their new song 'Paradise'. We would have series of scenarios of a singular figure travelling throughout the Yorkshire country-side, (this would be cut with the performance as well). Firstly, the male would be travelling along in a car, the car then runs out of petrol just outside a bike shop. He then goes in a buys a second hand old bike, after further travelling along more country-side he gets a flat tyre. He then spots an old skateboard in a farm yard and so on. He finally reaches a river were he ditches the skateboard to cross the river, he then continues his travels on foot. Finally he reaches his destination of where the band, who are playing the performance aspect, are practising. We then see the meaning of the video, the main character kicks the drummer off playing the instrument and plays them himself showing he will not be replaced in the band.
The filming will consist of a huge range of short taken shots, I have lots of ideas and plan to do some practice footage of the narrative very soon.
NOTICE
After careful consideration our song choice in now, and more importantly finally, Right Here Right Now by Fatboy Slim.
Monday, 28 November 2011
GG - Music Video Idea/4 - Fatboy Slim (Praise You)
For this idea I was thinking we could relate an idea to the 'big beat' genre of Fatboy Slim by using footage from a party. The song sticks to a basic structure, it follows a catchy tune throughout and the lyrics are the same all the way through.
My idea would be to have a narrative performance and a male falling in love with a girl. We would get a range of shots of him looking at her from long distance's and from hiding positions, this making it clear that the girl is unaware of this boys presents. The idea would be to create a 'stalking' feel with the main male not having the confidence to approach the girl. This would then lead to them both being at a party, they would both make eye contact (with them being surrounded by dancing people). The boy would both gradually approach each other leading the viewer to think she likes him. Then at the end she will walk straight past him and to another person behind him.
We would use a range of shots and a lot of fast pacing editing at the party scene. Also we would cross cut a lot of shots to signify the people their are drunk, also possibly using a fish eye lens. We would film all throughout Ilkley, on the grove and in the woods. The party scene would then either be shot at an actually friends party or in my basement where we will get a load of friends to act for us.
I have found a good persons videos to look at for ideas is David Guetta.
Fatboy Slim - Praise You on MUZU.TV
My idea would be to have a narrative performance and a male falling in love with a girl. We would get a range of shots of him looking at her from long distance's and from hiding positions, this making it clear that the girl is unaware of this boys presents. The idea would be to create a 'stalking' feel with the main male not having the confidence to approach the girl. This would then lead to them both being at a party, they would both make eye contact (with them being surrounded by dancing people). The boy would both gradually approach each other leading the viewer to think she likes him. Then at the end she will walk straight past him and to another person behind him.
We would use a range of shots and a lot of fast pacing editing at the party scene. Also we would cross cut a lot of shots to signify the people their are drunk, also possibly using a fish eye lens. We would film all throughout Ilkley, on the grove and in the woods. The party scene would then either be shot at an actually friends party or in my basement where we will get a load of friends to act for us.
I have found a good persons videos to look at for ideas is David Guetta.
Fatboy Slim - Praise You on MUZU.TV
GG - Music Video Idea/3 - The Swing Movement (The Town or The City)
My reason for choosing The Swing Movement is because we would have easy access to the band, also we have all the instruments to film with. My idea would consist of mainly the performance aspect of music videos.
We would film a huge range of shots of the band playing in my basement at home, this would cover around half of the video. The rest would be a narrative of a male or female character struggling to come to terms with city life. We would create an impression of unhappiness and a sense of suffering as the person walks the city streets of Leeds. We will pick quite a rough area of Leeds to film, the main character will just be walking through the streets looking at his surroundings, this being the tall building and all the people who surround him. We would film the narrative aspect in black and white to create a sense of uncertainty.
We will use a range of slow a fast takes, whilst also using transitions to cut between the two scenarios.
I believe if I look at some of the Arctic Monkeys videos they will help with this idea.
GG - Music Video Idea/2 - The Clash (In Hammersmiths Palais)
The Clash originated in 1976 and emerged as a Punk Rock band, they were very popular during their time under the spot light.
My idea would be to have all footage in black and white, representing how old the song is. We would film in a rough area of a city or town, with the main characters dressed in quite old fashioned clothing, the 1980 puck look. The idea of the video would be four males searching around the derelict area, they all then come across some old instruments near a tip. They then gradually pick them up and start playing along to the song. Slowly a crowd gathers around them, and they start performing to an audience. At the end they all just put the interments down, everyone leaves and they continue with their routine before they found the instruments.
We would film in a rough run down area and all footage will be in black and white. We will use a range of shots to keep the audience guessing.
The Clash have made some very special and significant videos during their time, including the well received 'London Calling'video.
My idea would be to have all footage in black and white, representing how old the song is. We would film in a rough area of a city or town, with the main characters dressed in quite old fashioned clothing, the 1980 puck look. The idea of the video would be four males searching around the derelict area, they all then come across some old instruments near a tip. They then gradually pick them up and start playing along to the song. Slowly a crowd gathers around them, and they start performing to an audience. At the end they all just put the interments down, everyone leaves and they continue with their routine before they found the instruments.
We would film in a rough run down area and all footage will be in black and white. We will use a range of shots to keep the audience guessing.
The Clash have made some very special and significant videos during their time, including the well received 'London Calling'video.
TW - Idea 4
My 4th idea is Song 2 by Blur. This was made in 1997 which means that making a video for this would be no problem, as it is now 14 years on.
The idea is to have cross cuts between performance and narrative, with the band being in both aspects. It would begin with performance until the first lyrics begin, in which it would change to a man walking, he would lip sync with a various range of cuts. The lyrics would not match the narrative though. The man will be walking in dark attire down a long road, with occasional shots from an ELS shot from the end of the road in order to show the distance they walk, and possibly some slow motion.
Every now and again throughout the walk another member of the band will appear, until finally there will be all 4 band members at the end of the alley, the camera will then track them as they turn a corner in slow motion, into the middle of a road. The will then stop there as another group come out opposite them. They will then run at each other and a side view of them almost clashing when it cuts to black to end the video.
My inspiration for this idea came when watching This is England and Green Street as this song is commonly used in user made football videos on social media such as youtube, and the collison idea came from Green Street especially to give an indication of football hooliganism, or hooliganism in general.
The idea is to have cross cuts between performance and narrative, with the band being in both aspects. It would begin with performance until the first lyrics begin, in which it would change to a man walking, he would lip sync with a various range of cuts. The lyrics would not match the narrative though. The man will be walking in dark attire down a long road, with occasional shots from an ELS shot from the end of the road in order to show the distance they walk, and possibly some slow motion.
Every now and again throughout the walk another member of the band will appear, until finally there will be all 4 band members at the end of the alley, the camera will then track them as they turn a corner in slow motion, into the middle of a road. The will then stop there as another group come out opposite them. They will then run at each other and a side view of them almost clashing when it cuts to black to end the video.
My inspiration for this idea came when watching This is England and Green Street as this song is commonly used in user made football videos on social media such as youtube, and the collison idea came from Green Street especially to give an indication of football hooliganism, or hooliganism in general.
TW - Idea 3
My 3rd idea is to use To The Bone by The Swing Movement. This is George's brother's band therefore filming performance footage would be very easy, compared to getting other bands. I had this idea on Friday, and after speaking with George, we both like the song as an initial project. It was made in 2008 but no video has been created for this song.
The idea would be of a male character walking around, with lots of close ups from snori cam in particular, looking around at people. many people are staring back at him, and this causes paranoia inside him and he begins to become agitated, This would continue until he finally snaps and proceeds to push around one particular person who is staring at him. The violence escalates and he ends up slamming the person to the floor, and walking away, while everyone stares at him, this time with reason. He would then break into a run, people still looking at him, and his pace increases until he is going full pace. His destination is his house and the last shot would be of him opening his door, and slamming it behind him, before he walks into a deserted living room, which would be just darkness, no lighting. This would meet the eerieness of the song, and a winter atmosphere would only add to an eerie theme.
The Swing Movement - To The Bone from Ben Symonds on Vimeo.
The idea would be of a male character walking around, with lots of close ups from snori cam in particular, looking around at people. many people are staring back at him, and this causes paranoia inside him and he begins to become agitated, This would continue until he finally snaps and proceeds to push around one particular person who is staring at him. The violence escalates and he ends up slamming the person to the floor, and walking away, while everyone stares at him, this time with reason. He would then break into a run, people still looking at him, and his pace increases until he is going full pace. His destination is his house and the last shot would be of him opening his door, and slamming it behind him, before he walks into a deserted living room, which would be just darkness, no lighting. This would meet the eerieness of the song, and a winter atmosphere would only add to an eerie theme.
The Swing Movement - To The Bone from Ben Symonds on Vimeo.
TW - Idea 2
My 2nd idea is How Your Remind Me by Nickelback. Both the song and it's video was created in 2001 and is still extremely popular today.
My idea would again include performance shots, whilst the narrative would show the protagonist struggling with day to day life, as he is constantly reminded of a past relationship. This could be shown by having the woman seemingly appear in situations such as escaping a robbery, driving, or anything that could take his mind of an important situation, as these are early ideas that can be changed or improved. The idea is that seeing his ex partner will in short ruin all activity that is important or could be a big deal for him. Eventually, he will get extremely frustrated and go on a rampage in his house, destroying anything related to his ex, or just anything that crosses his path, beginning with a photo of them both together, that he rips in 2 to show the separation.
My idea would again include performance shots, whilst the narrative would show the protagonist struggling with day to day life, as he is constantly reminded of a past relationship. This could be shown by having the woman seemingly appear in situations such as escaping a robbery, driving, or anything that could take his mind of an important situation, as these are early ideas that can be changed or improved. The idea is that seeing his ex partner will in short ruin all activity that is important or could be a big deal for him. Eventually, he will get extremely frustrated and go on a rampage in his house, destroying anything related to his ex, or just anything that crosses his path, beginning with a photo of them both together, that he rips in 2 to show the separation.
TW - Idea 1
My first idea is Hunting For Witches by Bloc Party. Although this song had a music video made in 2007, in the year of release, the video is purely of performance. This would mean as long as our idea differs from this, the video will be completely different in every aspect.
My idea would be to have increasingly fast paced shots of a paranoid character from 0- 25 seconds as it meets the strangeness of the song opening. It can then be cross cut from black and white, to showcase the past, to colour as to how he has got to where he is, which is the paranoid feeling of being followed. The black and white would show the character watching the news, and seeing a report on 'witches' to meet the song lyrics. The cross cutting would see how he reacts to the report, and then shots of him trying to escape, and seeing people in hoods to be the 'witches'. The news report would meet the lyrics of 1:02. After the initial paranoia, the character would run to the loacation of the band playing (as performance shots would be included), and recruit them to go 'hunting' for the 'witches'. The final shots of the video would be of the group chasing the 'witches' into the woods, and the main character getting lost, he stumbles and as he turns he sees all of the hooded figures around him, indicating they will decide his fate.
My idea would be to have increasingly fast paced shots of a paranoid character from 0- 25 seconds as it meets the strangeness of the song opening. It can then be cross cut from black and white, to showcase the past, to colour as to how he has got to where he is, which is the paranoid feeling of being followed. The black and white would show the character watching the news, and seeing a report on 'witches' to meet the song lyrics. The cross cutting would see how he reacts to the report, and then shots of him trying to escape, and seeing people in hoods to be the 'witches'. The news report would meet the lyrics of 1:02. After the initial paranoia, the character would run to the loacation of the band playing (as performance shots would be included), and recruit them to go 'hunting' for the 'witches'. The final shots of the video would be of the group chasing the 'witches' into the woods, and the main character getting lost, he stumbles and as he turns he sees all of the hooded figures around him, indicating they will decide his fate.
TW - Music Vid Ideas
As you may know, we have had difficulty setting an idea in stone for the track we decide to compose a music video for, so both myself and George have come up with 5 ideas each, and will decide on one of the 10 ideas we have, subject to approval.
Sample Footage
Here is some sample footage for one of our video ideas, Tarantula by The Swing Movement. It is 30 seconds of what we would expect the footage of the band to look like in the performance shots of our video. We included myself, George and a cast member we hope to retain in Jeremy Whitehead.
Fatboy Slim Practice Footage - 'Praise You'
Please note that this footage was short before the track change. We do however still regard this is still useful footage as some shots could easily remain in our new video idea. This footage was filmed by George completely as my idea was 'Right Here Right Now'
Thursday, 24 November 2011
TW - Further Ideas
After deciding to drop the 'Superman' idea we are now focusing on getting solid ideas down for several music videos, before narrowing it down to not only our favourite song choice, but the one with the best idea. This change has come due to audience feedback not being favourable, and a struggle to set a conceivable and story onto the music video, that the audience will understand.
Early ideas on this heavily include George's brothers band, 'The Swing Movement' and we will be looking at numerous songs by them, whilst also looking at other genres and ideas to bring to the table , in order to get a real variation of ideas and possibilities.
This choice should be completed by Monday, and along with the practice footage and vodcast we plan to shoot at the weekend, this should greatly further our progress in this task and put to bed any issues with plot or creation for our music vid.
Early ideas on this heavily include George's brothers band, 'The Swing Movement' and we will be looking at numerous songs by them, whilst also looking at other genres and ideas to bring to the table , in order to get a real variation of ideas and possibilities.
This choice should be completed by Monday, and along with the practice footage and vodcast we plan to shoot at the weekend, this should greatly further our progress in this task and put to bed any issues with plot or creation for our music vid.
TW - Production Company
We have created a production company named 'Two Twigs Production' and this link can also be seen at the top of my blog, in the links list. This production company will keep you updated with filming, creation of magazine ads and digipaks.
The company will also showcase behind the scenes footage and promote our product on popular social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter
The company will also showcase behind the scenes footage and promote our product on popular social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter
GG - Practice Footage
We plan to take some practice footage this week with the music from our new band selection 'The Swing Movement.'Plan
We are going to take 30 seconds of performance shots of them playing. They are not all living in Ilkley at the moment so we will get others in to play the role of the band. This wont be a problem nearer christmas because they will all be coming home.
Location
We will film in my basement at home, in here there are all instruments including a microphone making it the easiest and best place for us to shoot some practice footage.
TW - Rise Of The Directors
In December 1992, MTV began listing directors with the artist and song credits, reflecting the fact that music videos had increasingly become an auteur's medium. Directors such as Michel Gondry, Spike Jonze, Stéphane Sednaoui, Mark Romanek and Hype Williams all got their start around this time; all brought a unique vision and style to the videos they directed. Some of these directors, including, Gondry, Jonze and F. Gary Gray, went on to direct feature films. This continued a trend that had begun earlier with directors such as Lasse Hallström and David Fincher.
Two of the videos directed by Romanek in 1995 are notable for being two of the three most expensive music videos of all time: Michael and Janet Jackson's "Scream", which cost $7 million to produce, and Madonna's "Bedtime Story", which cost $5 million. "Scream" remains the most expensive video of all time. During this period, MTV launched channels around the world to show music videos produced in each local market: MTV Latin America in 1993, MTV India in 1996, and MTV Mandarin in 1997, among others. MTV2, originally called "M2" and meant to show more alternative and older music videos, debuted in 1996.
Two of the videos directed by Romanek in 1995 are notable for being two of the three most expensive music videos of all time: Michael and Janet Jackson's "Scream", which cost $7 million to produce, and Madonna's "Bedtime Story", which cost $5 million. "Scream" remains the most expensive video of all time. During this period, MTV launched channels around the world to show music videos produced in each local market: MTV Latin America in 1993, MTV India in 1996, and MTV Mandarin in 1997, among others. MTV2, originally called "M2" and meant to show more alternative and older music videos, debuted in 1996.
Source - Wikipedia
This bares significance as it shows how directors became more and more of an influential part of creating music video, the fact that their name began to appear in song credits is a reflection of this. This increased knowledge of director's contribution was recognised around the same time that many new directors broke into the industry, such as spike Jonze
TW - My Consumption Of Music Vids
My main access to music comes through spotify, so I do not get the music video with this music source. I do however frequently use youtube to watch new music videos and ones that I particularly enjoy. I would say I access this source specifically for music videos around every other day.
I am in the 15-24 age bracket so my music tastes are extremely varied, so I would say that there is no specific genre that I would not watch music videos from, although my favourite genres would be Alternative and what I would call 'Mainstream' music.
I have not bought any CDs purposefully for the music videos as I see them as a bonus on this format, If i intended to buy music videos on a DVD format, then I would want the music videos included as I believe that recently they have become more and more important in the music world, not to mention the increased costs of these products.
I am in the 15-24 age bracket so my music tastes are extremely varied, so I would say that there is no specific genre that I would not watch music videos from, although my favourite genres would be Alternative and what I would call 'Mainstream' music.
I have not bought any CDs purposefully for the music videos as I see them as a bonus on this format, If i intended to buy music videos on a DVD format, then I would want the music videos included as I believe that recently they have become more and more important in the music world, not to mention the increased costs of these products.
Wednesday, 16 November 2011
TW - Filming Update
We have decided to take some practice shots next week, mainly of the male's change from normal to super-hero, as this was unclear after taking audience feedback into consideration. These shots may be edited with the transitions and effects we plan to use, however this will only be if we feel the change is not apparent, or believable that is only a re-creation of his thoughts.We also plan to film our first vodcast by the end of the week, and new podcast also, we expect one to be completed Thursday, and the other to be completed on Friday.
Tuesday, 15 November 2011
TW - Narrative Difficulties/Audience Feedback
For our music video idea, we had planned to have a narrative, in short, that showed a man failing at everyday tasks, before he turned into superman and succeeded, until he meets a girl. This girl does not like him as superman but as the everyday guy, so he ditches the outfit and walks away with her, meeting the chorus 'I'm no superman'.
However after a conversation with our media teacher, the following question was put forward; 'Would we need to show how the change from normal to superhero originally came about?' Despite the explanation that the superhero parts are all fantasy and in the male characters head, it became clear that although we as the producers know that, the viewing audience may not. This answer was provided by Mel and Ellie, two fellow A2 Media students.
This has led us to come to the conclusion that we will be conducting practice shots ASAP so that we can test and see whether the video will be a success
However after a conversation with our media teacher, the following question was put forward; 'Would we need to show how the change from normal to superhero originally came about?' Despite the explanation that the superhero parts are all fantasy and in the male characters head, it became clear that although we as the producers know that, the viewing audience may not. This answer was provided by Mel and Ellie, two fellow A2 Media students.
This has led us to come to the conclusion that we will be conducting practice shots ASAP so that we can test and see whether the video will be a success
Monday, 14 November 2011
NOTICE
Any posts on my blog from now will either be headed 'GG' or 'TW.' This is just to show who has done the blog post as we will be sharing work from now.
Wednesday, 9 November 2011
Podcast 1
Here is our group's first podcast. It highlights our idea change from Fatboy Slim to Lazlo Bane and also gives minor detail into when practice shoots will begin.
Tuesday, 8 November 2011
New Idea - 'Superman' By Lazlo Bane
George and I have recently had doubts about filming a music video for Right Here Right Now by Fatboy Slim, and after brief location scouting throughout the october half term, we decided our idea was not the best. This led us to change our idea to Lazlo Bane's Superman, which is most recognized as the theme song to the hit TV show, Scrubs.
Our new idea is very narrative based, with aspects of a performance. The narrative would centre around a young man's endeavours and how he fails to achieve his goals, until, meeting the lyrics, he becomes 'superman' (which would be met with a costume and screen effect) and he succeeds. However, at the end, he meets a girl who likes him for who he is and not superman, so he dumps the costume which would meet the main lyric of the song, 'I'm no superman'. This narrative would be cross cut with scenes of the same character playing an acoustic guitar and lip syncing with the lyrics of the song.
Early ideas for location is Ilkley, perhaps at the bandstand or in a spot commonly used by street performers. We also have plans to use a snori-cam to show the change between normal and superman outfit. We also have plans to cast Jeremy Whitehead as the lead actor for the video (see right). Jeremy can play a guitar extremely well and has proven in the past to show great effort with lip syncing duties when required, so this experience will prove extrememly useful.
Here is the song we are basing our idea on, and with it the music video that was originally created for it. It is a concept video with performance and shots of on set footage from Scrubs, with lip syncing in the performance shots. Both these methods have been intertwined with shrinking the footage and allowing it to be played next to each other, showing more than one piece of footage at once.
Our new idea is very narrative based, with aspects of a performance. The narrative would centre around a young man's endeavours and how he fails to achieve his goals, until, meeting the lyrics, he becomes 'superman' (which would be met with a costume and screen effect) and he succeeds. However, at the end, he meets a girl who likes him for who he is and not superman, so he dumps the costume which would meet the main lyric of the song, 'I'm no superman'. This narrative would be cross cut with scenes of the same character playing an acoustic guitar and lip syncing with the lyrics of the song.
Early ideas for location is Ilkley, perhaps at the bandstand or in a spot commonly used by street performers. We also have plans to use a snori-cam to show the change between normal and superman outfit. We also have plans to cast Jeremy Whitehead as the lead actor for the video (see right). Jeremy can play a guitar extremely well and has proven in the past to show great effort with lip syncing duties when required, so this experience will prove extrememly useful.Here is the song we are basing our idea on, and with it the music video that was originally created for it. It is a concept video with performance and shots of on set footage from Scrubs, with lip syncing in the performance shots. Both these methods have been intertwined with shrinking the footage and allowing it to be played next to each other, showing more than one piece of footage at once.
Monday, 24 October 2011
Wednesday, 19 October 2011
Progress Report: What I Have Learnt So Far
- Fish Eye Lens - This camera is very useful when trying to show things may be a bit out of the normal in the shot you are trying to film.
- Snori Cam - This is perfect for movement shots to caption close ups that can highlight motion and emotion both together
- Advanced Use Of Final Cut - I can now edit at a fast pace and can also easily add effects to the project
- The three types of music video - Narrative, Concept and Performance, these can be fused together
- From looking at the marks schemes and doing a marking asgnment of my own, I now know what is needed to be done to attain the highest marks and of what quality this work must be contiuned at.
- How to create advanced SFX injuries by adding stitches to the 'wound'
- I now have advanced knowledge on framing and what it means to the music video - this is key
- I now understand the codes and conventions of a music video
- Time management is important in editing etc
- Planning is key to success for film schedule and also in written aspects such as storyboards and call sheets
- Directors and their significant preferences when making a music video; some have a certain style
- The process of making a complete digi-pak
- How to keep an audience interested throughout a music video whilst maintaining the integral parts of your idea in the music video, or how to maintain a preferred reading when it can be open to interpretation
Friday, 14 October 2011
Marking A Final Cut - We Are The Ocean - Confessions by Mary and Lucy
For my production task, I was assigned to mark Mary and Lucy's final cut of We Are The Ocean - Confessions which was submitted to this year's Bradford Media Film Festival and was also included in the IGS dvd of A2 videos at the end of the year. Here is my assessment of their video:
Steady Shot
I awarded Mary and Lucy Excellent for this particular category as although the majority of their video is not appropriate for steady shots, they have met the criteria by adding steady shots in when possible (most namely at when the track is at a slow place) and this is when most appropriate for how their narrative of the video plays out.
Framing
I have also awarded excellent for this category as Mary and Lucy as they have kept everything needed for the video central to the shot (allowing for the shaky camera movement at stages) thus maintaining clear framing work.
Shot Distance Variety
Again, I have awarded excellent as the video has a great shot variety, ranging from ECU to a ELS (after a zoom out). It is also in good balance in reference to meeting the track pace, and have also used a range of angles.
Appropriate Material
I have awarded Proficient/Excellent for this category as although they have cross cut with shots of performance, and have met their target audience,(I assume 15-24 due to character types and predicted age) I believe it can be argued that this is hard to relate to for every member of their core and secondary audience.
Mise-En Scene
Mary and Lucy have achieved excellent for this as they have used to extremely key props - the white dress and the backpack the girl can be seen using in shot for a good majority of the video. Aside from these key props, there are also posters in her room and household items in the shots needed for the argument the couple engage in at the house.
Editing
Again, they have achieved Excellent by achieving lots of cross cutting and quick cuts to meet the fast paced middle part of the track, and the editing has clearly met the pace of the track by displaying larger shots at slower paced parts of the song.
Transitions and Other Effects
Once again, I have awarded Excellent for his category as there can be seen to be fades at the beginning of the video between flash backs, and there is also sepia used to further highlight the time changes. There are also lots of angles and zooms, as well as cross cutting of the band.
Overall I have awarded 38/40 for this as aside from the relatability, it was a great final cut.
Steady Shot
I awarded Mary and Lucy Excellent for this particular category as although the majority of their video is not appropriate for steady shots, they have met the criteria by adding steady shots in when possible (most namely at when the track is at a slow place) and this is when most appropriate for how their narrative of the video plays out.
Framing
I have also awarded excellent for this category as Mary and Lucy as they have kept everything needed for the video central to the shot (allowing for the shaky camera movement at stages) thus maintaining clear framing work.
Shot Distance Variety
Again, I have awarded excellent as the video has a great shot variety, ranging from ECU to a ELS (after a zoom out). It is also in good balance in reference to meeting the track pace, and have also used a range of angles.
Appropriate Material
I have awarded Proficient/Excellent for this category as although they have cross cut with shots of performance, and have met their target audience,(I assume 15-24 due to character types and predicted age) I believe it can be argued that this is hard to relate to for every member of their core and secondary audience.
Mise-En Scene
Mary and Lucy have achieved excellent for this as they have used to extremely key props - the white dress and the backpack the girl can be seen using in shot for a good majority of the video. Aside from these key props, there are also posters in her room and household items in the shots needed for the argument the couple engage in at the house.
Editing
Again, they have achieved Excellent by achieving lots of cross cutting and quick cuts to meet the fast paced middle part of the track, and the editing has clearly met the pace of the track by displaying larger shots at slower paced parts of the song.
Transitions and Other Effects
Once again, I have awarded Excellent for his category as there can be seen to be fades at the beginning of the video between flash backs, and there is also sepia used to further highlight the time changes. There are also lots of angles and zooms, as well as cross cutting of the band.
Overall I have awarded 38/40 for this as aside from the relatability, it was a great final cut.
Thursday, 13 October 2011
Research and Planning Marking For Callum Moreman
For my marking task I chose to mark Callum Moreman's blog for his research and planning. His group consisted of Joel Colborne and Johnny Hughes and their chosen song was Disorder by Joy Division. I have assessed his blog in relation to the criteria and these are my marks;
Similar Products And Potential Target Audience
I have awarded Callum the mark of Excellent for this aspect. This is because he has posted numerous, almost regular info on his product and similar ones, and has shown assessment of his chosen genre, and it's sub genres. He has also done heavy research into his chosen artist, before posting one, albeit extremely long and detailed, post on the bands core and secondary target audience.
Actors, Locations, Cosumes And Props - Organisation
I have awarded Callum Proficient for this part as although he has submitted a completed lyric sheet, an analysis of the snorri cam, and heavy info on both location and casting with costume, he has not shown full detail on props, with only small inserts being added. There is no clear blogpost on this aspect and this is why I cannot award an Excellent mark.
Time Management
I have awarded Excellent for this as he has shown continuous effort displayed in his continuous blogging which are not just detailed but effective.
Layouts, Drafting, Scripting
I have awarded Proficient for this as Callum has blogged on a lyric sheet and some planning, with lots of draft work on digipaks and advertisements, however no real blogging on storyboarding.
Care in Reasearch and Planning
I have awarded Excellent for this as there is excellent organisation in his blogging, with lots of detail in every post, he has also displayed 100+ posts with losts of of research into his chosen genre and conventions, which is important.
Communication Skills
I have awarded Excellent to Callum as he has shown clear meaning, which is easy to understand in each post. There is lots of detailed info and it has been constantly up to date throughout his project.
Overall I have awarded Callum 18/20 for his Research and Planning due to his continuous Excellent/Proficient markings to the criteria.
Similar Products And Potential Target Audience
I have awarded Callum the mark of Excellent for this aspect. This is because he has posted numerous, almost regular info on his product and similar ones, and has shown assessment of his chosen genre, and it's sub genres. He has also done heavy research into his chosen artist, before posting one, albeit extremely long and detailed, post on the bands core and secondary target audience.
Actors, Locations, Cosumes And Props - Organisation
I have awarded Callum Proficient for this part as although he has submitted a completed lyric sheet, an analysis of the snorri cam, and heavy info on both location and casting with costume, he has not shown full detail on props, with only small inserts being added. There is no clear blogpost on this aspect and this is why I cannot award an Excellent mark.
Time Management
I have awarded Excellent for this as he has shown continuous effort displayed in his continuous blogging which are not just detailed but effective.
Layouts, Drafting, Scripting
I have awarded Proficient for this as Callum has blogged on a lyric sheet and some planning, with lots of draft work on digipaks and advertisements, however no real blogging on storyboarding.
Care in Reasearch and Planning
I have awarded Excellent for this as there is excellent organisation in his blogging, with lots of detail in every post, he has also displayed 100+ posts with losts of of research into his chosen genre and conventions, which is important.
Communication Skills
I have awarded Excellent to Callum as he has shown clear meaning, which is easy to understand in each post. There is lots of detailed info and it has been constantly up to date throughout his project.
Overall I have awarded Callum 18/20 for his Research and Planning due to his continuous Excellent/Proficient markings to the criteria.
Tuesday, 11 October 2011
Vodcast - Analysis of Video Deconstructions
This is Rob and myself's analysis of our deconstruction's for both Knight Of Cydonia - Muse and Yonkers -Tyler, the Creater
Sunday, 9 October 2011
Fatboy Slim And Spike Jonze
Spike Jonze has directed 2 of Fatboy Slim's music videos: Praise You and Weapon Of Choice. Praise You soared to number 1 in the charts and the video is still well know today, whilst Weapon Of Choice cast superstar Christopher Walken, with the video being the significant selling point for this song. As Jonze is an inspirational director for me I thought best to look into his work, and through Weapon of Choice I have seen that even a basic concept (the floating in the hotel, hard to create yet simple in idea form) can become a smash hit, and that has played some inspiration to my final idea, whilst Praise You has given me an idea of incorporating some 'Guerilla' shots so to get a realistic reaction of passers by for my chase, this has also proved successful in Jonze's work in Jackass.
Coursework Pitch
Tomorrow I will be pitching my idea for my coursework music video, and I have selected Right Here Right Now by Fatboy Slim. My idea consists of a narrative style music video, in which I have envisioned a chase video, lasting pretty much the whole video. The fast paced aspect of a chase would meet the pace of the song, and I have also thought about using several special effects including using black and white as a major theme in particular. Lots of fast cuts would be needed, with a range of shots varying from close ups to highlight the emotion of the chase, right to tracking shots would be heavily required in order to portray the pace of the chase and it's intensity to the audience.
Not many props will be required as the music video will rely heavily on camerawork and how the characters involved can act as if this chase is life or death, however at the same time with shots planned such as knocking tables over whilst running, then a comedy aspect may also be used from minor characters, e.g the ones sat at the table reacting. It would be unwise to refer to this aspect as slapstick comedy but certainly some inspiration has been from that particular comedy genre, if i go ahead with involving a comedy aspect.
That is far from certain however as I may stick to my original plan of a completely serious chase. The ending of this video is also undecided as I have three clear paths; the chase can be left undecided for the viewer, or the runner could be caught, or finally he could escape. My personal view is that giving some narrative enigma and having the chase left undecided, although at a semi-conclusion, would be the best as then speculation could arise from viewers on whether the runner escaped.
My location can be anywhere around Ilkley and I plan to use a whole range of places such as housing areas spanning right to the park and river, in order to give a sense of direction to the chase and also allowing for a wide range of camera shots. In terms of characters, I will be looking for traditional teenagers, who can pull of a new indie style look, that is currently popular in the market, so the projected target audience can relate to them, and also for people who are obviously up to the task of running, due to the fact each shot needs taking about 3 times, the amount of running will add up and may amount to becoming vigorous.
Another aspect of the video I am keen on is at the beginning, having the runner shown in a sequence of shots, in slow motion and close up, from different angles, that are broken up by just simple plain black footage of nothing. This is to highlight the runner's importance and also this technique can be used repetitively through the video as well as possibly for the chaser. The re-occurring of this feature could allow it to become a key association when thinking of this remake, which is something I am aiming for, for people to know my project simply by remembering and for it to stay in their heads.
Not many props will be required as the music video will rely heavily on camerawork and how the characters involved can act as if this chase is life or death, however at the same time with shots planned such as knocking tables over whilst running, then a comedy aspect may also be used from minor characters, e.g the ones sat at the table reacting. It would be unwise to refer to this aspect as slapstick comedy but certainly some inspiration has been from that particular comedy genre, if i go ahead with involving a comedy aspect.
That is far from certain however as I may stick to my original plan of a completely serious chase. The ending of this video is also undecided as I have three clear paths; the chase can be left undecided for the viewer, or the runner could be caught, or finally he could escape. My personal view is that giving some narrative enigma and having the chase left undecided, although at a semi-conclusion, would be the best as then speculation could arise from viewers on whether the runner escaped.
My location can be anywhere around Ilkley and I plan to use a whole range of places such as housing areas spanning right to the park and river, in order to give a sense of direction to the chase and also allowing for a wide range of camera shots. In terms of characters, I will be looking for traditional teenagers, who can pull of a new indie style look, that is currently popular in the market, so the projected target audience can relate to them, and also for people who are obviously up to the task of running, due to the fact each shot needs taking about 3 times, the amount of running will add up and may amount to becoming vigorous.
Another aspect of the video I am keen on is at the beginning, having the runner shown in a sequence of shots, in slow motion and close up, from different angles, that are broken up by just simple plain black footage of nothing. This is to highlight the runner's importance and also this technique can be used repetitively through the video as well as possibly for the chaser. The re-occurring of this feature could allow it to become a key association when thinking of this remake, which is something I am aiming for, for people to know my project simply by remembering and for it to stay in their heads.
Vodcast and Final Cut for Hello
Me and Rob Shaw co-analysed two videos we recently deconstructed; Knights of Cydonia by Muse and Yonkers by Tyler, The Creator. This has been recorded and edited and will soon be uploaded onto the blog for viewing, once viewed in class and then placed on a memory stick to upload it, or, alternatively, it will be uploaded straight from the computer we saved it on, depending on when we have a spare moment.
The same goes for myself and Gina Maunsell's final cut of our remake of Martin Solveig's Hello, Which also needs to be viewed in class before it is also uploaded for viewing on the blog.
The same goes for myself and Gina Maunsell's final cut of our remake of Martin Solveig's Hello, Which also needs to be viewed in class before it is also uploaded for viewing on the blog.
Pitch For Matin Solveig - Hello
This is my pitch, as blogged on earlier, for our initial music video task, in what ended up as a remake of Martin Solveig's Hello.
Fatboy Slim - Other Successful Hits
Fatboy Slim has seen a huge amount of success, and one of those hits is Praise You which my group member George Gamble is choosing to pitch for his project. The song reached number 1 in the UK charts and Spike Jonze both starred (under a false name) and directed this video. The accompanying music video is shot outside a cinema as Jonze and a group of people dance to the song, whilst passers by have no clue what is going on and are unaware that they are being filmed. This style is known as 'Guerilla' shooting as they do not have permission from the passers by to film them, nor do they know it is even taking place.
On a totally different slant, George has undergone creating some practice footage as can be seen below, I am unaware of his full idea but he has gone for a concept idea that focuses on the lyrics 'Praise You' as church footage can be seen.
On a totally different slant, George has undergone creating some practice footage as can be seen below, I am unaware of his full idea but he has gone for a concept idea that focuses on the lyrics 'Praise You' as church footage can be seen.
Fatboy Slim - A Detailed Outline (Courtesy of Wikipedia)
Cook is highly established and as you can read below, has done work with some very influential directors, such as Spike Jonze. His work is still extremely popular and he is still widely regarded as a great artist, despite his 3 year absence from his Fatboy Slim persona.
Film Festival - SFX for Intermediates
Last year, at the Film Festival, we learned how to create what would look like a cut on your ha,d that would appear to be deep, swelled and very much real!This year however, we learned how to add stitches to the wound, and this actually improved the design and added realism, which is extremely important when using these special effects for your projects. The stitches gave the wound added gore and when you tied them, you could see that this type of effect could definitely prove successful even in a small project like the ones we are currently undergoing, and if needs be I would not hesitate to use them in my music video.
Bradford Film Festival
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| James and Oliver Phelps at the Bradford Film Festival |
Previous Pitch Ideas
In light of the previous post that highlights my chosen song to pitch, I thought best to highlight previous idea before arriving on Right Here, Right Now by Fatboy Slim. However my earlier ideas consisted of doing a 'Boyband' concept and picking a song performed by a band such as Blue due to their success around 10 years ago, which would fit well with the set criteria of our chosen, being no less than 10 years old.
The idea I had to accompany one of their songs would have been for a classic boy chasing girl narrative as this has proved successful in recent years.
The idea I had to accompany one of their songs would have been for a classic boy chasing girl narrative as this has proved successful in recent years.
Wednesday, 5 October 2011
Coursework Music Video Pitch: Early Ideas
As the pitch for my chosen music video is on monday, I have begun to listen to songs that meet the criteria to enable me to use the song for our own edited music video. I have since found trouble up until now, in which I have stumbled upon Fatboy Slim's 1999 hit; Right Here Right Now. The song peaked at 2nd in the charts and has since been a huge success, with it still been widely recognized and frequently used in TV amongst other forms of media.
The official music video focuses on animation and a clear evolution style narrative, in a side scrolling camera view, further highlighting the sense of journey. This therefore means that it would be incredibly easy for me to differ from the original and take a completely new spin to the video, however ideas are unclear at this time, although simply deciding on a song is a step forward.
Fatboy Slim - Right Here Right Now on MUZU.TV
The official music video focuses on animation and a clear evolution style narrative, in a side scrolling camera view, further highlighting the sense of journey. This therefore means that it would be incredibly easy for me to differ from the original and take a completely new spin to the video, however ideas are unclear at this time, although simply deciding on a song is a step forward.
Fatboy Slim - Right Here Right Now on MUZU.TV
Video Editing
After filming our recent music video, we have since been editing to get a final version, in pairs. I worked with Gina and after a week of using Final Cut Express and iMovie, we have finished our final cut. It will now be screened in class along with the other pairs' work, before it will be uploaded onto the blog.
Sunday, 25 September 2011
Media Pitch
I recently pitched an idea for our media group to make a music video for Martin Solveig's Hello. My pitch included the idea of having no real narrative and just basically having close ups of people dancing around, lip syncing, which proved a hit in last year's production. This idea was later changed to a copied narrative to the video, with almost the same storyline, except the character, 'she' , amongst others was 'dragged up' and played by me, a male. I later relinquished directorial duties for this video due to other commitments, however I did manage Also, the tennis match was tweaked to be a doubles match, with a 2v2 mixed doubles, however one player was also 'dragged up' for the white team.
My secondary role comprised of being a ball boy, as the original cast member was designated the duty of cameraman.
We shot the video 2 days after the pitch and it will be uploaded shortly prior to editing, as will my original pitch itself, however, here is the original video below
My secondary role comprised of being a ball boy, as the original cast member was designated the duty of cameraman.
We shot the video 2 days after the pitch and it will be uploaded shortly prior to editing, as will my original pitch itself, however, here is the original video below
Deconstruction Vodcast
Here is the vodcast Rob and I recorded, analysing the music videos for Tyler the Creator - Yonkers, and Muse - Knights of Cydonia
Wednesday, 14 September 2011
Coldplay - Fix You
Coldplay are a renowned band in todays music scene and have had many hits. Fix You is an extremely popular song and has again, like Bitter Sweet Symphony, been used in many tv shows and even some sports programs.
The video centers around the lead singer exchanging mode of address with the camera and walking slowly, meeting the pace of the song, different angles are used, but the length rarely changes from mid shot, as the focus is clearly on the singer. The narrative is that the singer is trying to find his way, and when he does, he begins to run, again meeting the pace of the music. This can be seen by faster cuts and less close ups. He gets to his destination and breaks mode of address to sing to an audience which finishes the narrative. There are no special effects in this song and this fits the coldplay style of video.
Fix You - Coldplay from Emmy Tamker on Vimeo.
The video centers around the lead singer exchanging mode of address with the camera and walking slowly, meeting the pace of the song, different angles are used, but the length rarely changes from mid shot, as the focus is clearly on the singer. The narrative is that the singer is trying to find his way, and when he does, he begins to run, again meeting the pace of the music. This can be seen by faster cuts and less close ups. He gets to his destination and breaks mode of address to sing to an audience which finishes the narrative. There are no special effects in this song and this fits the coldplay style of video.
Fix You - Coldplay from Emmy Tamker on Vimeo.
Sak Noel - Loca People
This song is very well known in the club scenes, and has become a hit sensation in Spain, most notably, Magaluf. The narrative centers around 2 people who are sightseeing, then decide that all they want to do is party. This segment is filmed in black and white, whilst subtitles are used as the dialogue, masked by the music. When the party begins the black and white shifts to regular colour, giving a sort of past - present sort of theory.
This video then films the club scene in lots of close up and it does strongly incorporate the 'male gaze' whilst also trying to show a fairly accurate of how the club scene works. The video uses special effects by writing the lyrics on the screen whilst the woman is mouthing them, and this gives he audience the main lines of the song, which is blatently done to try and be repetetive and so the audience remembers this song. As of most dance type songs, the camera is often moving, always panning or tracking, and there is usually lots of fast shots of people in brief cameos.
Sak Noel - Loca People from Cees Spin on Vimeo.
This video then films the club scene in lots of close up and it does strongly incorporate the 'male gaze' whilst also trying to show a fairly accurate of how the club scene works. The video uses special effects by writing the lyrics on the screen whilst the woman is mouthing them, and this gives he audience the main lines of the song, which is blatently done to try and be repetetive and so the audience remembers this song. As of most dance type songs, the camera is often moving, always panning or tracking, and there is usually lots of fast shots of people in brief cameos.
Sak Noel - Loca People from Cees Spin on Vimeo.
Dizzee Rascal - Bonkers
The video primarily uses a birds eye view, wide angled fish eye lens, and shows Dizzee on a planet rotating, as if he is walking. There is no clear narrative except that he is appears to be a bit 'Bonkers' to meet the tune of the song, lots of fast paced close ups are used, with an almost jerky camera, although this is the just the fast paced tracking I believe.
The video also focuses on a party scene, where Dizzee is performing, and these shots are again fast paced to meet the scene and song, as well as reverting back to a birds eye view of him singing at many times, highlighting him being the primary focus of the shot. In other parts, the video shows him in a blue room, or in a security camera style shot with blur, wearing different colours to match the wall. These shots are to explain the narrative, if any, that he is going insane therefore seeing things diefferently and possibly more vividly.
There is also a appearance from another character at times, in a close up, presumably Armand Van Helden who is appearing as he is featuring on the track. The video is quite vivid and there are many brief shots in it, however the shots of him in a fish eye lens are quite long, with Dizzee in different outfits and using many props including dumb-bells, almost highlighting how his mind is changing. Thisnvideo is designed to involve the audience and ultimately make them want to dance, and it is used in may clubs around the country, although in this day and age it is already seen as outdated.
Dizzee Rascal & Armand Van Helden - Bonkers from bezzle on Vimeo.
Beyonce - Single Ladies
Beyonce is an incredibly talented artist, with many of her singles reaching no.1 in the charts. Her most recent major performance was at Glastenbury 2011 as a headline act.
Single Ladies is another long take video with a song and dance routine, with clear mode of address. This means that the dance routine is especially hard as Beyonce has to both dance at a fast pace, to meet the pace of the music, and also lip sync to the camera.
Single Ladies is another long take video with a song and dance routine, with clear mode of address. This means that the dance routine is especially hard as Beyonce has to both dance at a fast pace, to meet the pace of the music, and also lip sync to the camera.The video is shot entirely in black and white, with a lot of fast paced pans, zooms and swings to follow the dance routine at a fast pace, resembling the music. They are all wearing the same ballerina type leotard, and high heels, although Beyonce's leaotard is slightly different, allowing the audience to see she is different to the other dancers, and also placed central to further highlight her significance.
The lighting ranges from a dark backdrop and spotlight, and a complete white background, this changes continuously through the video. The obvious focus is on the performance, and no narrative, with no real props used either, apart from the well known hand movements for the key line 'shoulda put a ring on it' that is widely recognised.
Jamiroquai - Virtual Insanity
I am not familiar with this artist, however this video was shown to me by a friend and it is a good example of long takes, with only around 4-5 shots used in the whole video, with a wide angle lens. The video uses a pan down to the floor to switch locations for the shot, making the take continuous. There are several props used, including cockroaches, black and white outfits, that contrast the permanent white background, and sofas that are mysteriously moving trying to harm the lead singer. The length of the shot ranges from extreme long (which is an establishing shot) and a close up which incorporates mode of address. A crow also features at times and this is another way of switching locations, as the camera pans up to focus the shot on it, then pans back down to a new locations. The sofas moving, with him appearing to be in control suggests that he is losing his sanity, and can move things with his mind, which would fit the songs title. Also the white outfits are clearly patients/straightjacket uniforms, while some of the locations resemble a mental patient's cell. The video as a whole is fairly slow paced with no real narrative, focusing on the lead singer, and this fits the song as it is more of a dance, relaxed track, not one that can have too clear of a narrative.
16—Virtual Insanity from Tres Zapotes on Vimeo.
16—Virtual Insanity from Tres Zapotes on Vimeo.
Tuesday, 13 September 2011
The Verve - Bitter Sweet Symphony
It begins with the camera tracking, with shaky movement, footsteps, before continuing the track up to a mid shot of the character, and at 0:20, the man walking can be seen in a long shot, looking towards the camera, whilst the camera continues on, getting further and further away. The shot continues as he walks down the street, bumping into people as he walks, with brief mode of address incorporated. There is a shot revers shot of him, to 2 girls, then back to him, in a mid shot. There is a continuous shot reverse shot of him walking from behind in a long shot, and him in a mid shot, with the track continuing. He keeps walking and the pushes and shoves become more aggressive, at one point knocking someone down, all the while in the same shot, and this could be argued to be the narrative.
With occassional cuts to close ups on his face and his shoes, the tracking jerky camera is resumed and this is continued, all the while cutting to the reverse shot of him, until 2:19 clearly shows him being in the way of a blonde girl, however he maintains mode of address. With occasional cuts to POV shots of the walker looking at people, and it can be finally confirmed that there is some form off effect on the screen, giving it a rigid type look on camera. This type of back and forth continues with occasional cuts to other angles (for example a close up on a car window of the man's reflection) and the vid ends with him having to barge through to large men in his way, however he keeps on walking and the rest of the band join him in his fast paced walk, walking into and then past the camera shot before fading to black
Monday, 12 September 2011
Ed Sheeran - The A Team
The A Team was without a doubt a significant factor in Ed Sheeran's incredible climb to his current success. The video alone can prove this as it is believed to have only cost £20 to make - 'Also in February 2010 he released his second independent release, his critically acclaimed Loose Change EP, which featured one of his most popular songs "The A Team". A video was made for the song, and cost only £20 to make.'
The A Team begins with birds tweeting, whilst there is a woman clearly mourning a young girl that appears to have died. There is no soundrtack at this point, and it appears immediately clear that this video focuses on narrative and not a band playing. It maintains it's black and white shot type all the way through the video, whilst using slow cuts, to meet the slow pace of the music. A lot of the shots are in mid to close ups, highlighting the need for expression to show emotion in this video, and at one point the main female character can be seen to be crying in a close up.
The camera is constantly slightly jerky, showing how this is evidently filmed on a handheld camera, and this aids the sense that digitisation has contributed to the low cost of this video. Another give away is the clear lack of SFX with only a shot at the very end, mixing 2 images together with the female character and ther sunshine, and then a shot earlier in the vid that is a straight long shot of the female character, watching traffic in a fast forward type shot, with her staying in normal time speed. The narrative is very clear that she is struggling for money and does not have a home. In a range of angles, all at traditional hight lever, she is seen struggling on the streets, commonly in a mid shot. Ed Sheeran makes a brief appearance as the young man buying a 'Big Issue' from her, evidently showing how he is helping out. There is no clear dialogue in the film, as the female's voice has been muted to keep the song as a focal point, and this allows the audience to focus on the narrative. As the story progresses, the woman finds it increasingly difficult and resorts to prostitution, although the pace doesn't increase at any point in the video. At the end of the video, the woman is revealed to be taking drugs, and passes out after taking them, which is also a key prop, along with her sleeping bag and slightly eccentric make up, this enables the audience to understand that the video has preceeded the events right at the beginning if the video, and the beginning is therefore explained.
The A Team begins with birds tweeting, whilst there is a woman clearly mourning a young girl that appears to have died. There is no soundrtack at this point, and it appears immediately clear that this video focuses on narrative and not a band playing. It maintains it's black and white shot type all the way through the video, whilst using slow cuts, to meet the slow pace of the music. A lot of the shots are in mid to close ups, highlighting the need for expression to show emotion in this video, and at one point the main female character can be seen to be crying in a close up.
The camera is constantly slightly jerky, showing how this is evidently filmed on a handheld camera, and this aids the sense that digitisation has contributed to the low cost of this video. Another give away is the clear lack of SFX with only a shot at the very end, mixing 2 images together with the female character and ther sunshine, and then a shot earlier in the vid that is a straight long shot of the female character, watching traffic in a fast forward type shot, with her staying in normal time speed. The narrative is very clear that she is struggling for money and does not have a home. In a range of angles, all at traditional hight lever, she is seen struggling on the streets, commonly in a mid shot. Ed Sheeran makes a brief appearance as the young man buying a 'Big Issue' from her, evidently showing how he is helping out. There is no clear dialogue in the film, as the female's voice has been muted to keep the song as a focal point, and this allows the audience to focus on the narrative. As the story progresses, the woman finds it increasingly difficult and resorts to prostitution, although the pace doesn't increase at any point in the video. At the end of the video, the woman is revealed to be taking drugs, and passes out after taking them, which is also a key prop, along with her sleeping bag and slightly eccentric make up, this enables the audience to understand that the video has preceeded the events right at the beginning if the video, and the beginning is therefore explained.
Sunday, 11 September 2011
Ed Sheeran - You Need Me I Don't Need You
Ed Sheeran is a relatively new artist, who became a hit with his July sensation, The A Team. This follow up song is widely regarded as his second high profile hit, with the benchmark set at an incredibly high level after The A Team became platinum in the UK, and double platinum in Ireland.
You Need Me I Don't Need You is a fairly simple video, with similar style shots to Pass Out, however this is filmed in black and white. Another incredibly interesting point about this video, is that the mode of address is portrayed in a completely new way in my eyes, as this is the first music video I have seen to be acted out through sign language. The rest of the music video has quick cuts ranging from close ups of the hand actions and Ed Sheeran's signature guitar (he is known for his acoustic skills) or a long shot (see picture) of the character using sign language in full shot.
The good thing is about this new mode of address is that it takes away all need for a narrative, as it is so creative that for me I forgot all about the the plot of the video, or what shots were being used, I just focused on the sign language in a sense becoming it's own narrative. Some props are used such as a Buddhist statue and an old camera, all to fit the song lyrics, as they are still being sang but are clearly being played over a silent video merged. The fact that this song is a rap makes it all the more interesting to see the sign language maintain the pace, with images (as previously stated) of mise en scene or shots of sequences to fit the lyrics, so as to add to the fast pace by generating more quick cuts and fast paced editing. The lighting also varies from a dark backdrop, to a clear white background so to keep the audience intrigued and so it's not all one continuous sequence from different angles and distance variants.
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| Using sign language as a new form of mode of address |
The good thing is about this new mode of address is that it takes away all need for a narrative, as it is so creative that for me I forgot all about the the plot of the video, or what shots were being used, I just focused on the sign language in a sense becoming it's own narrative. Some props are used such as a Buddhist statue and an old camera, all to fit the song lyrics, as they are still being sang but are clearly being played over a silent video merged. The fact that this song is a rap makes it all the more interesting to see the sign language maintain the pace, with images (as previously stated) of mise en scene or shots of sequences to fit the lyrics, so as to add to the fast pace by generating more quick cuts and fast paced editing. The lighting also varies from a dark backdrop, to a clear white background so to keep the audience intrigued and so it's not all one continuous sequence from different angles and distance variants.
Tinie Tempah - Pass Out
Pass Out begins with a close up on Tinie with his head down, facing the floor, shirtless, with a light shining on his back. He looks up directly into the camera with some sort of white glow around his head, similar to the ring seen around the planet Jupiter. A close up cut to his mouth allows him to say the first line of the song, and then a quick cut to a long shot of him is seen before going back to a ECU of his eye. The first part of his rap is shown through quick cuts between the words on screen, the long shot angle of him, and several close ups of his facial features such as mouth or eyes. It occasionally cuts to side angles of him but it is usually a straight shot of him using mode of address to the audience. Narrative is lacking compared to what could have been construed due to the opening shot and the mist around his eyes.This continues until around 1:15 in which someone else comes into shot, to sing his part, he walks in from behind in which it is dark, highlighting the fact that there is most likely one single light fixture, hanging directly above Tinie. He then proceeds to put sunglasses on in a close up, and a strange image can be seen on both the lenses, which begin to change frequently in further shots. The other character is occasionally in shot but doesn't sing yet, to which his role is in question. At one point the screen is clearly cut whilst focusing on Tinie's mouth, giving us almost 2 shots in one, even though it is still from the one lens. Tinie then walks out of shot as there is a break in the music, before skipping back into centre frame in the long shot angle to sing his next verse. The continuous shot change to close up then long almost gives it a shot reverse shot feel, however now and again shot of a speaker begin to be incorporated, and also Tinie in a dark room. with glasses on, not sunglasses. The cuts get quicker as he raps, ranging from room, to dark room, to speaker, to close up, the close ups now also have a wider range of angles, not just left and right but now high and low.
At 2:30 candles are seen burning, and then it cuts back to the room at a long shot, with almost reflections showing 3 Tinie's now giving the camera mode of address, but narrative is still lacking, and the mise en scene is lacking at best, with only casual attire, speakers, and a variety of glasses used in the video. At 3:05 Tinie begins smashing up poles, in slow motion, and this is the only sign or narrative that is key since the beginning. The pace by 3:20 is extremely fast with around 8 people in shot, and a party atmosphere is used by quick shots, often inadvertent OTS angles and focus on the key characters dancing in the centre, with quick cuts to speakers every now and then. The pace again increases and the shots last around 1/4 of a second, with the poles seen hitting the floor and smashing, close ups and the dancing on-going, it abruptly ends, to meet the pace of the music which also ends at an alarming halt.
Does It Offend You Yeah? - We Are Rockstars
Does It Offend You Yeah? are a British rock/electronic band originating from Reading. They were formed in 2006 and have seen strong success in the dance and indie charts. They claim that the band name is taken from a quote from Ricky Gervais's popular TV comedy, The Office and have completed several high profile tours, the latest a spot at the Dance stage at Leeds and Reading Festivals 2011.The video begins with the band clearly playing to a live crowd, the fast paced editing and people cheering in the background suggests this could be designed to seem like they are in the middle of a set, as there is the occasional slow motion added, although it is mainly quick cuts to close up, with a wide range of high, low and wide angles to get shots of both the audience and the band.
Slow motion is a key factor in the video, and contradicts the fast paced shot sequences, possibly signifying the band are loving the performance. Lights begin flashing amongst over things, including a very clear strobe light being used towards the end, giving the shots a very edgy rigid feel to them. The angles are from all over, and the stage is in the middle, so this means that some of the shots are long, incorporating the crowd into them to show the atmosphere, whilst others are close ups of the lead singer as he sings the chorus, in a robotic style voice, that sounds slightly audio tuned. The video is quite literally filming the band in concert and takes a different route from the usual mode of address or focus on narrative perspective roads a lot of other bands take.
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