DEVELOPMENT: Improving Shots

Improving Shots:

When developing my piece, I have taken more conventional 'simple' shots and replaced them with alternative shot types to add to the professionalism of my music video, whilst making it more interesting and effective for the audience.  

 

When initially editing, the over the shoulder shot in the mirror wasn't in my initial storyboard and flat plan. I have developed this to adhere to Goodwin's theory, incorporating the realism to the video and placing the audience within the music video.


Following initial editing ideas, I have chosen to reshoot and change some shots to make the video more interesting and narrative focused.

 

I have changed the wide shot of the trumpeter standing against the wall to a high-angle side shot of the character to create an initial bold aesthetic that mirrors the aesthetic of my chosen band of the 1975, making it more recognisable to one of those songs.

PLANNING: Costume

Mise-en-scene and costume.

Main Actor / Main Singer:

The main singer is wearing pastel blue and pink tie-dye trousers and neon green socks. This is complimented with a black and red bomber jacket and shoes. This presents a memorable outfit that can be easily recognisable to my model and therefore creates a sense of brand identity for my chosen product to create, in this case a Music Video.
The formal wear that the main singer wears throughout the video presents the character as someone smart, likeable and reliable, someone that audiences may aspire to be like or to have as well as presenting the didactic message of the narrative through the main actress.

Main Actress:

The main actress is being dress in red, black and white camouflage trousers and matching branded shoes, though white and red rather than black and red. This is then topped with a black crop top and a Lacey bralette underneath to present a easily recognisable and feminine look as well as mirroring and collaborating with the main singer.
Throughout, the main actress changes costume to male sports shorts and a black 1975 tour t-shirt. This is creates ultimately to juxtapose the colourful aesthetic in the beginning of the video, and although being presented as "less glamorous" presents an outfit that she feels comfortable in. This in turn creates emphasis on the narrative of the music video and not focusing too much on the aesthetic of the video as the post modern narrative of self identity. This poses something relatable for the audience demographic and, therefore, makes it relevant for that age demographic.
Also throughout, this juxtaposition is presented through the mise-en-scene of a formal event, presenting something to dramatise the video whilst keeping the video relatable.

Other musicians:

The other musicians presented is the only character presented with an instrument. This is shown as the cyclical structure of the video through appearing in the introduction as well as the end. This presents the music as being central to the video, making it relevant to the genre, as well as presenting each character as centred in the video, all part of the same band.
The slightly more formal wear of this character presents a stark contrast to the mise-en-scene being presented throughout the rest of the video, adding to the dramatisation as well as creating something memorable throughout.

PLANNING: Actor choice

Main Actor / Main Singer

The main model I have chosen shares a modernist aesthetic that mirrors that of the band, 1975. 

I specifically chose someone with a theatrical background to emphasise the naturalism of the video and increased dramatisation of the narrative of the video to not only make it relatable but also present a unique selling point of the video.

Main actress 

 

I have chosen this girl as the main actress as, as well as presenting a modern aesthetic complimenting the main singer, but also because she presents a 'normal' aesthetic of modern society. This adds to a level of relatability within the music video that will target the audience demographic of 16-25 year olds. 

The narrative of the video follows someone with a postmodern identity that challenges gender generalisations and stereotypes, this is something very popular with the modern, fun-loving 16-25 year old demographic and therefore poses a relatable unique selling point to the music video.

Other musicians

 

For the other parts of the band, I have chosen to chose a more classical and traditional character to juxtapose the modern aesthetics and emphasise the postmodern ideologies of the song I have chosen. 

This is being done through the smart jackets and sunglasses, presenting quite a formal street performer.

This adheres to the brief through creating something that may be slightly different from expectations and present a unique selling point and memorability to the audience. 

PLANNING: QUESTIONNAIRE 2

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1nbdcJ7dWF4xjANZZXQmBSA4rA59EnITJ-QX168KNb1E/edit#responses
Screenshots of Shot-types in possible music videos.

 

PLANNING: CASE STUDIES

Music video analysis from candidate 5098


Different music video analysis case studies for Mise-en-scene analysis.

PLANNING: LOCATIONS

To adhere to the fun-loving targeted audience demographic, I have selected a few abstract locations in London to reflect a unique representation to the music video. The unpredictability of the different locations reflects the ideology of my chosen song, Sincerity is Scary, and creates an additional USP (Unique Selling Point) to the product being created.

PLANNING: PITCH

Music Video pitch from candidate 5098

This is my Music Video Pitch presentation that was performed in front of my peers. The comments they left me are placed below.

Script: 

·     Music videos have to be engaging. Something memorable for their audiences, something unique to them and something that they can relate too. 

·     Ultimately, I want to present a video that both challenges and adheres to the generic conventions of music videos to create something ENGAGING, UNIQUE and MEMORABLE. Three key aspects I feel are important and essential for creating a successful Music Video.

ENGAGING

·      I want to reflect a simple narrative to engage the fun-loving audience adhering to generic conventions of music videos. 

·      I have taken inspiration from Troye Sivan’s ‘Blue Neighbourhood Trilogy’, where there is an important message reflected as being true to yourself and a route to self-expression, similar to the ideology of Sincerity is Scary (my chosen song). 

·      I would like to include this through the main singer helping somebody, unclear whether they are a love interest or a friend (the ambiguity is important to reflect the universality of the song and increase relatability for the audience). They are helping the person find who they are, despite traditional expectations and will ultimately end with a ‘happy ending’, creating something that the audience may want to aspire to have. This will then, ultimately, mirror the UNIQUE ideology of the song. 

UNIQUE

·      I have not chosen a conventionally up-beat song to reflect the fun-loving mass market audience. Sincerity is Scary from the 1975 isn’t a sad song but isn’t considered a conventionally up-beat song either, like my initial inspiration of Pharrell William’s ‘Happy. Rather this song focuses more on the post-modernist meaning reflecting self-identity.

·      I have taken some inspiration from this music video through the “fun and happy” character to present a positive ideology. 

·     To reflect this, I am purposely presenting a non-conventional ‘fun’ character in informal clothing in a very nonchalant manner. Presented with direct address towards the camera to entice the audience through the ‘notion of looking’. Making them involved in the video and engaging a younger more active audience. 

·     This informal representation will present the main character as someone ‘normal’ that audiences can relate too. 

·     This is my USP for my video, increasing a level of relatability with the audience.

MEMORABLE

·     Memorability is important for a successful music video. To achieve this, I intend to use colourful locations presenting quite high-end settings juxtaposed with graffiti walls and skateparks. 

·     This adds a level of unpredictability in the video, widening the audience, increasing relatability with the audience and reflecting the postmodernist ideology of the song.

·     As well as this, I intend to juxtapose the characters presented in the music video to challenge the generic conventions of creating idyllic voyeuristic representations of artists. The main singer will be presented in informal clothing acting naturally to increase levels of verisimilitude. 

·     Taken from the inspiration of Panic At the Disco’s ‘Girls, Girls, Boys’ and Pharrell William’s ‘Happy’ with extreme simplicity in editing creating a bold representation. I want to ultimately focus on meaning of the song through body language of the artist, as shown through the direct address.

·     This is then juxtaposed with the slightly more formal representation of the trumpet player on the street as presented to mirror the instrumental beginning and end of the song.

Peer Comments: