Filming and Editing Process

Throughout editing, I have realised several of my shots are unsuccessful, partly due to the artists lack of professionalism. Therefore, this meant I needed to re-film certain shots as some were too dark, the lip syncing was out of time or the acting of the artist was too false. I am slightly nervous about the quality of my footage due to my artist letting me down several times which leads to me being behind editing. This is worrying as my editing may not result to being the highest of standards. 

I booked out equipment for over the weekend and I thankfully resolved the problems within these shots. With these shots I decided to produce a new timeline whereby the shots I used can be positioned correctly in an order without it affecting the lip synching or positioning of clips. By filming in the same location for the introduction, I was able to create a 'jumping' effect which looked as if the artist was popping up on different parts of the screen - this created consistency as it had a theme throughout. Even though the length of this clip was over what the audience would consider too long for one clip, due to the movement and action within it, the sequence is kept interesting and intriguing to viewers. Other shots carried a storyline, for instance - when the artist carries flowers to the female's house - I will need to have the female artist at this location to make the audience realise this is where she lives.

The new pieces of footage recorded for the main artist were successful as mentioned, I then however, looked over my footage and realised the shots of the female were not consistent throughout. This was due to her being in multiple outfits and locations where an audience may get confused by when viewing. Furthermore, I decided to book out the camera over christmas break to resolve these issues. 

Post second filming weekend: 8.11.14-10.11.14

Thankfully, throughout this weekend I was able to catch up on my filming, taking shots of both my female and male actors for the video. I have began to add these parts to my editing in order to improve the narrative in the video. I ensured that there was a consistent preview of smart attire, used to enhance the artists star identity. 

I have been able to successfully lip sync my clips and audio to accentuate professionalism further improving the narrative of my video. 

I may need to re-film some clips due to the lack of lighting which I believe reduces the standard of the video.

Lip Syncing Tutorial

In todays lesson, after uploading the footage taken from over the weekend and half term into iMovie to then further import it into Final Cut Express, as a class we were given a lip syncing tutorial. 

To practice, in pairs we matched the wavelengths of the audio track to the audio within the shot taking into consideration the rate at which the artist has mimed the lyrics. In order to do this, audio markers were used to determine where a certain lyric began and therefore was matched to the audio of the filming footage.

Below are some images in terms of how we completed the lip syncing tutorial:

Reviewing My Footage

Initially when reviewing my footage, I believed that what I had recorded portrayed the correct storyline and would fit my 3.30 minute track. However, I was unfortunately proved wrong when showing it to members of my media class, they were confused about the storyline and how the characters were related.

Therefore, I began editing what I could with the footage I had. It soon became clear I was lacking lip syncing shots and performance values alongside a narration. I immediately booked out the equipment for the following weekend in order to get the editing process ball rolling again.

I hope to successfully film this weekend to assist in filling the gaps in my narrative.

Shotlist

I created a rough copy of a shot list as this will help me to note down the most accurate shots whereby props are needed. I have identified the action of the shot and the prop needed in this shot. This should help me to become more organised when filming. Once I begin editing, I should be able to re-order these shots as I will be filming all of the necessary shots in the specific location at one time, even if it does not go in order. 

Below is a copy of my rough shot list.

Risk Assessment

My Artist

In order to achieve the best result possible in terms of producing a well thought out, perfectly executed, and organised music video, I will need to be precise in choosing my artist. 

I resulted in choosing a close friend who is extremely confident and thrives in being successful. He is a reliable, trustworthy actor to play the part of my lead singer, and I can be certain that he will put effort into the music video due to his excitement of taking part.

Name: Charlie Hart
Age: 17
Occupation: Full time supermarket assistant
Interests: Going to concerts, hanging out with friends

below is an image of Charlie

Location of my Video

In order to achieve the best video possible, I have planned the shots I am going to take and in the location desired. I will film the majority of my film in London, focusing on key aspects such as red buses and telephone boxes. I may interpret Big Ben into my film to key in different key locations within the capital however, Buckingham Palace is one of my major locations. 

I will also film in a field and the roads surrounding it within Barnet as I believe this is more realistic and can achieve a better affect fitting the more 'legitimate' parts of the video. I also believe, the naturalistic aspects of the scenery will add to his character profile of outgoing and happy due to the high light intensity.

The female parts of the video will be filmed in the room of the house shown below. The teen females bedroom used in the video will help to address the age of the artist's crush and further amplify the contrast between both main characters. 

My Star Image

I believe the best thing for the male to wear is formal attire as this would mean that the costume would match with the lyrics based upon old school romance. It gives him the persona that he is different to many of the boys in the current generation as he will be easily identified within the shots. However, for the 'imagination' shots the male artist will be wearing normal attire with either the sunglasses or the bow tie as this will create a continuous effect throughout. 

 

The females will wear typical attire which is known within this generation with brands such as Topshop and Converse. This will portray a typical girls costume helping to contrast between the males attire throughout the video.

Lyric Moodboard

I chose to look into my lyrics further in order to gather some literal shots from the words mentioned in the song. This may help when trying to produce my storyboard as I then have exact ideas of how I want the shots to be precisely edited and previewed.

Target Audience Profile

Since choosing my new track, I had to come to terms with creating a target market. I believe after listening to the lyrics of the song and the genre type of baroque pop, the target demographic would most likely fall between more so females than males in the 14 to 23 age gap.

It is expected that as the lead artist is a young male that females will be more likely to support him as he could be considered as a 'crush'. However, this does not exclude the male market or those above the age of teen years, as there can be similarities and links made between the artist and audience, it allows the audience to become more familiar and closer with the artist. This will help to broaden the demographic and assist in him becoming an artist supported by many. 

Typically my target market will consist of teens who would most likely visit restaurants such as Nandos at the weekend with it being a popular, good value for money location to eat. Additionally, the demographic will shop at high street shops such as River Island and Topshop with the slow introduction of designer brands to correspond with their developing maturity, where they care less about disposable items and focus more on quality and class. 

In retrospect, it is expected that teen female students would appeal most to this type of music and the artist identity I have chosen.

Music Videos Similar To My Genre

I would classify the genre of my music video to be baroque pop as this is what is identified on the sound cloud of the artist I am using. I am going to look into the conventions used within this genre as it may give me some inspiration as to what I can include within my video.

BAROQUE POP: A pop and rock music sub genre which originated as a fusion of pop and rock with classical music. 

I firstly looked into Clean Bandit who when researched were recognised as 'Baroque Pop.'

The instrumental includes a violin, slow bass, piano and vocals, typically matching the genre by using classical instruments alongside having a pop upbeat track. 

The video develops surrealism throughout as the 'Clean Bandit' logo reference is influenced more so as the song continues. 

The video itself is conceptual as there is no specific link between the lyrics and the visuals. 

Throughout the video there is a persistent pattern of slow panning across each shot to somewhat illustrate a story being unfolded. 

The initial title of the music video is shown over the visuals which I should use in my video. 

There is a use of scene change in one section which I could use in my video as it is increasingly effective.

Landscape shots to signify the location and time of day it is based in, shows clear distribution of main artist across multiple scenes. 

Shots of the public interacting with the camera are also shown this may give a more comedic aspect adding to the surrealism of the video.

The final part of surrealism when removing the mask, reveals the comedic aspects of the video summarising the somewhat music track 'haunting' the main actress in the video being legitimate.

I then proceeded to look at Florence and the Machine's, Spectrum

She shows the following conventions which can then be related to Clean Bandit's Rather Be video.

The following conventions I will also have to include in my music video:

• Artist lip sings to song following narrative
• Abstract mise-en-scene and location
• Lip syncing stays intact despite change of location swapping from scene to scene
• Surrealism
• Close ups showing emotion
• Audience interprets ending
• Lyrics are shown literally

Storyboard

In order to address my storyline in the easiest way possible, I chose to create a storyboard for the basis of my idea. This would allow me to look closely into how many shots I will need for my music video, and how many locations are required.

Focus Group Feedback

After getting my new track, I played it to my media class in order to gain feedback from an audience as it would be an introduction as to planning my visuals. After all listening to each others' tracks we were able to gain a starting point. The subject areas discussed were as follows: genre/target audience, storyline, dancing/performance, artist/star identity. 

Genre: as discussed the genre seems to be indie pop due to its upbeat yet jazzy type gestures. Due to this genre I believe the target audience would be for both male and females of a mid teen to early 20's demographic.

Artist/Star Identity: after listening to the lyrics it seems to talk about the artists romance being out of date, therefore I imagine the star artist in a suit or bow tie to correspond to the quirky soundtrack. He would possibly have old fashioned ways of wooing in a sense that it is portrayed throughout the video. Possibly also when lyrics are clear, a literal symbol could be put on screen to correspond to the lyric, (similar to Lil Wayne's Huh-Nee Knut image in 6 foot 7 foot discussed in a previous post.)

Dancing/Performance: There could possibly be snippets of the artist trying to desperately get the females attention - for instance the entire video being him trying to get her attention but failing where in the end he results to turning up at her house with flowers behind back in a suit perhaps? There could be a classic ensemble of people singing the 'oo ah' of the bridge of the track to somewhat mimic the instruments and sounds used. 

Video Ideas Pitch

My music video will follow the artist and the artists 'crush' in a sense. The story follows the lead artist preparing for a date with the girl of his dreams as he plans to charm her with his old fashioned techniques by challenging the 21st century stereotype dressing in a suit and approaching the female with flowers. 

At the start of the narrative the artist is shown to be casually strolling in and amongst fields and roads clearly singing about his girl crush, identified in the lyrics. Snapshots of the female are shown throughout to display her identity as being lighthearted, comedic and a 'typical girl.' The female is shown at the start of the video to be wearing what seems like a signature hair piece - orange ribbon tied in her hair. Toward the bridge in the track, whilst the female is stood up by the lead artist, the ribbon falls out of her hair and lands in a tree by her house. This ribbon is found by the artist later on in the track and returned to her wrapped in a bunch of flowers. - The narrative is resolved. 

Throughout these shots of narrative, the artist is lip syncing the words using different angles in order to portray his emotion and actions.

Update On My Track

Unfortunately, there was a problem with the track I had originally chosen to use when boiling it down to quality, it was not clear enough to sound professional. Therefore, I asked the artist I was originally using to see if she knew anyone and thankfully she forwarded me to someone called George who had a soundcloud I took a look at.

After listening to the tracks, I decided upon using 'Symbolic', I asked for George's permission and he seemed more than happy to let me use the track.

https://soundcloud.com/george-peachtree/symbolic-new-version

Auteur Theory: HYPE WILLIAMS

The Auteur theory is widely known throughout media production, it is the way in which an audience views and compliments media productions through the imprint of an auteur - usually considered as the director. The founder of Auteur Theory was Andre Bazin in 1951, he is often considered as the father of auteurism due to his appreciation of well known, famous and successful auteurs such as Charlie Chaplin, Jean Renoir... Francois Truffout furthermore added that the theory stated creativity, style and ideas from the director emitted throughout their work. Many common examples used in reference to supporting the auteur theory are Alfred Hitchcock, Stanley Kubrick and Jean-Luc Godard. 


    

Normally those who abide by the Auteur Theory, will have a common theme or persistent feature which is repeated throughout their pieces in order to somewhat 'mark their territory.' For instance, this could be a certain angle which is used throughout or the use of focus pull. 

Whilst researching this particular theory, one of the most notable Directors which stood out to me as modern and popular was Hype Williams. He has directed across the board following popular stars such as Nicki Minaj, Aaliyah, Will Smith...


Below are some examples of Hype Williams' videos clearly displaying the similarities and patterns throughout. 

Within Nicki Minaj's Va Va Voom video, Hype Williams' typical, renowned use of clear snippets of jarring/freezing like shots where the camera looks as if it faults between recording, yet this effect is seen over many of his famous videos, adding to the list of his significant patterns. This effect is also clearly illustrated within Kanye Wests Gold Digger yet in this case it corresponds to the way in which the music breaks at the start of the song.

Likewise within Kanye West's Gold Digger video, women are clearly portrayed as provocative and more as an item rather than a 'female.' They walk around in lingerie and are admired sexually where camera focus is often extreme close ups of the mouth and chest area.

Both within Kanye West's Gold Digger and Lil Wayne's 6 foot 7 foot, women are a target of sexual acts and are looked upon as an object in the music video. Likewise within these two videos, Hype Williams' use of a studio setting is conveyed as often there is a plain block coloured background behind either the female or artist. 

Lil Wayne's video also features Hype Williams' typical use of literal text where the video previews what the lyrics are - for instance the lyric "huh-nee knut" is illustrated like the well known cereal brand - Honey Nut.

Hype cleverly uses close ups of the artists often alone with the opposite sex to solely highlight that the track is sung by them rather than having a conceptually based music video where often the artist does not feature. 

In several of Hype's videos, there features a somewhat vintage film style preview where a banner crosses the top and bottom of the screen. It can be seen throughout Kanye West's Gold Digger and Beyonce's Check On It. This effect creates a possible 'performance' type effect where the artist is increasingly involving an audience whilst looking into the camera. Moreover, this feature perhaps engages an audience further as the video is seen more as a performance type movie where eye contact is made rather than just a simple 'music video.'

Lastly throughout most of and nearly all of Hype's video, the conventional use of colour intensifies the artists focus also reflecting the pattern of the backing track helping to increase the aesthetics of the video. It is clearly portrayed throughout Rihanna and Kayne West's - All Of The Lights, where lights in the title is replicated throughout with the flashing and colour changing scenes from start to finish.

Applying Goodwin's Theory - CASE STUDY

Pills and Potions - Nicki Minaj

Below I will analyse a music video in terms of Andrew Goodwin's theory to further illustrate what he meant throughout his terms.

I have chosen to analyse 'Pills and Potions' - Nicki Minaj as it seems to differ from her expected, traditional videos where she is portrayed as a provocative female, receiving several forms of attention from the opposite sex. This video tends to contrast and appear as if she is 'natural' and 'stripping back to basics.' The track came from her upcoming album 'The Pinkprint' released in 2014.

Theory	Analysis
There is a relationship between lyrics and visuals	Within this specific video, there is a constant reminder of the lyric ‘Pills and Potions, we’re overdosing’ where a plethora of pills are illustrated throughout the video. This amplifies the importance of the video, perhaps a hidden message the producer/artist wanted to address or possibly to anchor the lyrics in order to produce an increasingly effective relationship between both visuals and lyrics. The lyric “Even though you out here looking so ungrateful”, Nicki holds the head of what is made out to be the boy who she is singing about, and in this shot he appears to be looking ungrateful – reflecting the lyrics.
There is a relationship between music and visuals	Within the first reference of the chorus, we see a series of rabbits either shooting what look like pills or a rabbit moving its paws in a clapping motion in time to the music – further enhancing the background track.
Music videos demonstrate genre characteristics	The genre of the music video differs from Nicki Minaj’s typical genre where the genre here focuses on R&B rather than upbeat pop songs. The slow rhythmic melody throughout emits an emotional atmosphere focused upon relationships, which is further displayed in the video as she is stripped back to a typical ‘plain Jane’ natural aesthetic. The simplistic shots and actions in terms of relationship throughout moreover intensify this.
The demands of the record label will include the need for lots of close ups of the artist and the artist may develop motifs which reoccur across their work (a visual style)	As previously mentioned, Nicki Minaj is renowned for having over the top videos including pink hair and outrageous outfits yet here we see her naturally glam and stripped back to basics. Although the clothes she wears are still rather short and provocative, it contrasts entirely with her usual impression therefore when these close ups are introduced we pay close attention to what is seeming to be illustrated as the ‘real Nicki.’
There is frequent reference to the notion of looking (screens within screens, telescopes) and particularity voyeuristic treatment of the female body.	The attire worn by Nicki is particularly covered compared to her usual context of a revealing nature conveying both female assets. There are still however shots of this voyeurism - including nudity, however seems minor compared to the typical 'Nicki Minaj' and yet the focus tends to be put onto the male actor throughout  - clearly muscly, tattooed and topless. Hence this voyeurism there tends to be longer shots focusing on the male’s aesthetics.
There is often intertextual reference to films, TV Programmes, other music videos etc.	Recently, many videos tend to include Dr Dre’s ‘Beats Pill’, a speaker advertised throughout many music videos in the current generation. This intertexuality happens to match the lyrics ‘Pills and Potions’ as two shots clearly focusing solely on the product help to draw an audience’s attention to the item. Towards the end of the video, Nicki also takes the time to advertise her fragrance further highlighting to fans it is available for purchase hence increasing sales as they admire Nicki 'using the perfume.' This perfume could also be seen as the 'potion' when referring to the track's title and lyrics.