Call Sheet

Production Schedules

Magazine Advert & Digipak Flatplans

Magazine ad flatplan

This is my flatplan for the magazine advert. I decided to go for a simple yet conceptual imagery which will brand the artist and the representation for their songs. The layout is also quite simple, and there will be some adjustments to make when creating the final advert.

Digipak flatplan

I followed some of the suggestions from the magazine advert- for example having one of  the symmetrical girl figures I drew differing from the other one. I used the star shaped balloon throughout the digipak as this represents the name "Estella K" (Estella is a Latin name meaning 'star' and K is the initial for my first name). I added extracts from some of the lyrics of the songs that are featured. Also the final digipak will have more songs listed on the back. I only had enough space on the template to put about 6 songs, however this can be adjusted in the final design so more will fit on.

Location Reccies

Shooting Script

Treatment

Artist-

The artist that I am working for is British singer-songwriter Ellie Goulding. The song I will be using is a remixed version of her and Calvin Harris's song "Outside". Ellie Goulding reaches out to her female audiences by challenging the stereotypes of sexualised female representations. This is shown by the way she dresses, for example in the original music video for "Outside" one of her costumes is a sports bra contrasted with ripped jeans and a leather biker jacket. This is similar in most of her other music videos, and it denotes that her style is quite hipster - which matches very closely with the electropop genre that she specialises in.
However, instead of using the artist's name, I will create a stage name which will link to Ellie Goulding's style of branding.


Audience-

My target audience is for both males and females around the ages of 16-25, more specifically between 17 and 21. They are quite likely to listen to popular radio stations such as Kiss FM and Capital, as well as tuning in to music channels at home on tv and watching the music videos there. The survey I conducted shows that my target audience mainly listened to R&B as well as EDM - there is a slight pattern as many new songs from these particular genres are played on Kiss FM and Capital, e.g. Drake, Clean Bandit, The Chainsmokers, The Weeknd etc. I think in order for my music video to fit in more with the target audience, I would add some small elements of R&B such as jewellery (big earrings).



My vision-

Mise en scene - Music video
For the mise en scene, I have considered following a similar costume to the Ellie Goulding in the original music video. For example, she wears clothing that may suggest some R&B as she is showing some skin. I think for a similar idea to this, the main character could wear a crop top with a skirt and a leather jacket.



Ancillary Products: Digipak and Magazine
For both the digipak and the magazine, they will feature the same images, but as I am going to be using my own stage name and branding that will be similar to Ellie Goulding's style, the images and fonts used will reflect them.

The stage name I am going to use will be "Estella K". The reason why I picked this was because the name "Estella" is Latin for "star" and the "K" is the initial for my first name. I liked this idea because it connotes how I am promoting myself as a star, and the stars are also quite symbolic to soul-type music. To reflect this in the digipak and the music video, there will be a picture of the artist lying down (surrounded by a ring of lit up star-shaped christmas lights) on the grass looking up at the starry sky and pointing. The artist's name will be placed against the backdrop of the starry sky. These take some elements from Ellie Goulding's album Lights. 

Technology Use-

Filming
The technology I will be using is a high quality digital camera and an adjustable tripod. I am going to alternate between them, so some shots will be just the camera to create non-static movements that are conventional to most music videos, and other shots will be with both the camera and the tripod- there are various parts of the tripod that I can use for a more variety of shots, for example I could also use the crane to tilt the camera upwards or downwards.

Editing
For the editing, I will be using Final Cut Pro X on the Mac. Last year, I used Final Cut Express, which was obviously an outdated version and the features were slightly more complex, so hopefully with Final Cut Pro it will be a lot easier to use which may improve the quality of the final product. Also I will use the slow-motion feature for the beginning shots in order to enhance the narrative of the music video and convey the message as well as matching with the pace of the music.


Key Concepts-

My music video will follow two main theories- Todorov's Equilibrium theory and Propp's theory. In the original music video of "Outside" there is a mixture of Todorov's theory and some elements of Propp. 
Todorov- 1) State of equilibrium: as the camera goes down the stairs, before the audience can suspect anything out of place-   2) Disruption of equilibrium: Two parents arguing with each other-   3) Recognition of disruption: Artist looking distressed, then seeing photo album with note on the floor-   4) Attempt to fix disruption: 'campaining' about domestic violence (extras in the music video holding up pieces of paper with phrases/symbols and smiling at the camera)-   5) New restored equilibrium: artist holding hands with mother and photo album in new location with new note next to it with symbol.
Propp- "Hero"-- artist; "Donor/Helper"-- members of public (extras); "Villain"-- perpetrator (artist's father); "Dispatcher"-- photo album with note next to it

Logistics-

Locations
I have considered using a few locations such as public places that I have easy access to. My initial idea for a location apart from my house was Romford Marketplace- although there are usually a lot of people, there are some flaws with this as most people may have been too busy to stop, and the permission forms may have wasted more time. I then considered going to London Zoo to film some random shots that would be conceptual in my music video- e.g. a caged animal would be symbolic for the artist in the music video about feeling trapped. I think the most popular public location for most of the shots would be my church as there quite a few people who would be willing to participate. I think I will also record some shots of London whilst I am in the car. These locations should hopefully fit the shooting script.

Actors/Cast
I have decided who is going to be cast in my music video:
-- Parents arguing- My mum and dad
-- Artist- Myself
-- Members of public- Random extras (people that I know well and see very often)

I picked myself as the artist because I found it a bit difficult finding someone who would be able to reflect the representations of Ellie Goulding, especially with appearance. I think that it would be more imaginative to create my own persona, including a stage name that will reflect as close to Ellie Goulding's personality as possible, even if my appearance doesn't suit her voice. I also think the arrangement of also casting my parents and people I meet with regularly will be a lot more suitable for filming schedules, as it will be a lot easier, and I can film at almost any time, as most of the people will be available.

Magazine Ad & Digipak Research & Music Video Analysis

Magazine Advert analysis- Drake Take Care






Magazine Advert analysis- Mumford and sons

Digipak Analysis- Drake Take Care

 


Digipak Analysis- Rihanna Loud





Magazine Advert & Digipak Analysis- Beyonce // LMFAO




Music Video Analysis- Drake Take Care




Music Video Analysis- In The Name Of Love // Rockabye

Meet My Audience

Blog Reflection- Week 5

This week I analysed the results from my audience research (vox pop and survey), and I created a Meet My Audience profile in order to recreate a typical member of my target audience based on the information. I think these will especially be good for reference when beginning the production stage of my advanced portfolio and the evaluations.

Next week I will begin analysing existing ancillary products such as the digipaks and magazine adverts of popular artists of the same prospective genre (Dance and Soul), and I will be able to draw out and merge the ideas for making my flatplans.

Research Analysis

Music Video Questionnaire - Audience Research

Click here to take part in the survey - Your feedback is much appreciated.

Blog Reflection- Week 4

The key concept I have been focusing on this week is audience. I began to look closely at  my target audience and their preferences in order to begin piecing together the plans for my music video production.

First I began with a research plan which would contain the basic outline of how I would research my target audience- I decided on making a vox pop video and a simple survey which allowed me to have both face-to-face interviews with various members of my target audience, as well as a collection of written data about how they watch their music videos and their favourite genres etc. I think using these methods are quite useful as they give me an insight into how I could engage my target audience with the music video and make them feel somehow included in it. I also created a vox pop last year and I see a lot of people do it on TV, so it won't be very difficult to do.

Also, we were given SWOT analysis sheets (-Strengths, -Weaknesses- Opportunities, -Threats). This helped me to see how I could incorporate the good ideas together, or how I could improve an idea that didn't seem very clear.

The main theories I think I am going to be focusing closely on are Todorov and Propp Theory. In Clean Bandit's Rockabye, the artists use a lot of Propp's Theory and narrative elements, such as in media res and poetic justice. Also, as Rockabye is a very similar genre to what my music video will be, I have decided to incorporate some elements from that, while still keeping my main focus on Ellie Goulding's representations.

Audience Research - Vox Pop

Summary

Research plan

Advanced Production Rationale

Music Video Pitch & Feedback

What I didn't show in the pitch was the video I got my inspiration from:

Pitch Feedback

Blog Reflection- Week 3

Music Video Pitch

Music Video Narratives

Music Video Genres (Clear, Sub-, Hybrid)

1) Three types of genre:

- Clear genre (Pop)

Bang Bang fits the clear genre of pop through the conventions portrayed in the video. The typical mise-en-scene for pop music videos are the bright colours and the frequent use of fashionable costume. For example, 0:11 to 0:15 features Ariana Grande applying makeup on herself, and the bright clothing of the other background actors, as well as Jessie J and Nicki Minaj throughout the music video also clearly demonstrate the pop genre.

There are constant close-up shots of the main artists' faces (e.g. 0:13, 0:29,1:55, 1:56), along with repetitive long shots of dancing with the background dancers (1:00, 1:10, 1:17- 1:25).

The camera also does not stay static at any point in the music video.

The editing is fast paced, with cuts at least every 2 seconds, and a slow-motion effect is used frequently (even as Nicki Minaj is introduced into the music video (0:24-0:28)).



- Hybrid genre (Electronica)





Lean On uses a combination of electronic music and Bollywood music, and conforms to Grant's explanation of a Hybrid genre ("A more specific categories...identify them specifically by their familiar...recognisable characteristics"). This compliments the range of cultures that may exist within their audience. This is shown in the costume and appearance of all the participants throughout the music video, as well as the dance choreography (0:29 - end). The location of the music video directly expresses Bollywood culture, as it may have been filmed on-location in India.

The majority of the camera movements in the music video are slow - most likely from using a jib crane or a dolly. Along with the slow-paced editing, the duration of the shots and the tempo of the music, this gives the audience time to see and appreciate the culture and dancing.

- Sub-genre (Electronic Dance Music - EDM)




Electronic Dance Music is a sub-genre of electronic music and is most commonly portrayed with a nightclub-style music video. I Want You To Know is a good example of this. The music video begins with a couple of shots of an over-the-shoulder of Selena Gomez. This is followed by a contrast of quick flashy cutaway shots of a disco ball, hinting the sub-genre of the video. 

The editing of this makes the disco ball look a lot brighter and brings a sense of excitement to the audience. The mise-en-scene of the music video also shows how it fits into EDM. For example, the location shows people having conversations and holding alcoholic beverages in dark/ambient lighting. From 0:23 until the end, there are repeated shots of people dancing on the dancefloor, as well as the featured artist being in constant camera view. The colour of the video is mainly pink and purple/blue colours, showing that this is set in a nightclub. The whole atmosphere of the 

The overall editing is extremely fast paced (cutting between half a second to about every 1 or 2 seconds), especially from 1:16. Various video effects are used including slow motion, and shapes which not only add a feeling of adrenaline, but also a slight surreal twist, perhaps connoting that the featured artist in her state, is tipsy, and the audience, also experiencing the nightclub adrenaline, will also be able to witness the same thing.


2) Generic Conventions:


- Clear Genre (Soul)





1) Typical mise-en-scene/visual style

- Performance at the camera – In Stone Cold, the artist does not perform directly at the camera unlike most conventional music videos. For example, during some of the bathtub scenes the artist’s facial expressions while lip syncing show that she is focusing more on conveying a sense of sadness which would be felt by the audience. This is clear at 0:48-1:05.






- The locations of the music video (apart from the bathtub) are also conventional to Soul as they suggest loneliness. In this music video, the other main location is a snowy landscape (eg a wintry forest, snowy mountains), hence the name of the song “Stone Cold”. This is further enhanced by the costume of the artist in the snowy landscape – a long thick grey coat.




- The lighting of the music video is quite dull as though all signs of colour have been removed from the atmosphere. When the artist is outside, the colour of the scenery is almost blue, and the colour of the bathtub scenes is sepia-style. 

These are conventional to the Soul genre, as they are all being used as direct ways of communicating the theme of the song to the audience.


2) Typical types of narrative

-  Although there is no clear narrative, this means that it is partially open to interpretation by the audience (negotiated reading), provided that what is perceived goes along the lines of her (the artist) being heartbroken from her boyfriend cheating on her and thus becoming a stronger, more independent woman. (Eg 0:29-0:32)



3) Typical representations


- The main representations of Soul artists in their music videos, particularly females, tend to subvert the typical “male gaze” – women being colourful objects and instead prove themselves that they can be a lot stronger. This subversion is clearly evident in Stone Cold as the artist is wearing a thick, long grey coat. Not only is she visibly blending in with her surroundings with the lack of colour, but it is as if she is also concealing herself from the archetypal view of females and becoming more independent. Essentially, this is what the music itself is about.

-   However, the artist does also conform to the archetypal female view. In the bathtub scenes, she is crying (a sign of weakness), which is usually a typical thing for females to do when they go through heartbreak.



4) Typical sound design

-  The sounds used in the music video heavily influence its atmosphere, and this is also an important consideration to make in a Soul music video. The main music used in the instrumental are a piano and drums. The slow tempo of the piano, a strong symbol of heartache and sorrow are dominant throughout the entire music, while the slow temp of the drums just add an extra bonus emotion (a hint of anger as well as just a beat) to justify the main emotion. The drums do not come in until the first chorus (from 0:48), before reverting back to only the piano tune. The drums then do not return until the second chorus (from 1:58) and they remain to the end of the song.

-  Another sound that is used is the sound effect of wind at the beginning of the music video, as the artist climbs up the mountain. Apart from being a symbol of the music video as a whole (Stone Cold), this adds an extra layer of her proving herself to be stronger than what the audience would typically think, therefore going against the residual ideologies of a female as “property”.



5) Typical editing style and recurring camera techniques

- The editing of Stone Cold is quite slow-paced and the duration of the shots last for a while. For example – dissolves (eg 1:23-1:25, 1:28-1:31) and some slow motion add to the contemporary sad theme. The cuts begin quite slow, on average the shots change every couple of lines, until towards the end of the song (from 2:37) when the tempo slightly increases and Demi hits a high note, the cutting becomes more frequent (cutting at every word), until the very end of the song.







- The camera in the music video is typically non-static, handheld movements. However, there are constant close-ups of the artist’s face while she is in the bathtub, highlighting the impact of her sadness – eg showing the mascara running down her face, her facial expressions. This is contrasted by the panoramic landscape scenes, where there are constantly wide shots and slow pans. Eg <1:50-1:54>, which connotes a sense of freedom to express her regrets and bitterness while she is outside, compared to her being curled up in a bathtub indoors feeling sorry for herself.

- The editing and camera in Stone Cold are very conventional to the Soul genre as they are required to match the slow pacing of the music, which adds depth to the song's meaning.

These generic conventions are also shown in Adele's songs, such as "Hello".




- However in Hello, the theme is more solemn than Stone Cold. First, there is very little performance directly at the camera (including eye contact) from the artist. Also, the music is at a constant slow pace and does not escalate at any part of the video. The music video features a long intro where there is some dialogue from the artist. The narrative is also open to interpretation, however it is restricted to relating to the theme of the song. In order to help the audience understand what is happening in the song, there is one actor who is featured - he does perform directly at the camera (with eye contact), even though it is acting. There are no sounds of dialogue from him.

- The colour of the music video is constantly monochrome, connoting that the artist recalls the memory of her relationship and a major argument with her husband and being unable to get her phone calls through to him.

- There are a lot of editing and camera used to keep to the theme of the song, eg slow cuts, some still camera shots (from 0:01), close ups of the artist (0:01, 0:24, 0:36), cutaways, slow motion and focus pulls.









- There are also some shots where the audience take her "perspective" in front of the "husband" actor. This is really interesting and rarely used in other Soul genre music videos. This allows the audience to experience the sorrow she feels from her point of view (from 2:27 - a happier time where, from 2:27).




In Hello, the Soul interpretation is more intense and deeper, compared to Stone Cold. The overall lighting of the scene is quite dull, mostly due to the use of monochrome.



3) Genre Themes

• Drowning in sorrow (0:37- 0:40)

- In this time frame, Demi dips her head underwater for a couple of seconds, this connotes that she feels as though she is drowning in cold water, now that her lover has moved on from her.

• Self-assurance (1:49-1:51)

- This shot is probably the most iconic in the whole music video. Demi looks as if she is reassuring herself that she can get over her ex-lover and become more independent and stronger than how she was. She is also gazing off into the distance in the similar way that a bird of prey (eg an eagle) would. This connotes that she feels a sense of freedom inside of her.

• Emotional pain (2:33-3:02)

- Of course there is emotional pain combined as well, and the quick cuts, along with her facial expressions and the way she positions herself proves that she is still in agony on the inside despite the self-assurance. The tears, her body language and the vocals at this point are all depicting an extent of emotional pain.

Blog Reflection- Week 2

Blog Reflection- Week 1

Music Video Remake Evaluation

Skills Development Grid

This is a grid of the skills I developed throughout last year:

Music Video - Rhythm Of The Night

Styles and Conventions of Music Video

Genre

Conventional - Iconic signs are specific or stereotypical to the genre.

For example - Dance (flashy lights, people dancing,)

Genre Subverting

Non-conventional - Goes against the typical iconic signs of the genre- surprising the audience and going against their pre-judgement

E.g. Rock band using pop music-type visuals

Performance

When an artist either lip-syncs in front of a camera, or performs in front of an audience through various close-ups and cutaways to audiences, this is known as a performance. The main types of performance music videos include 'as-live' where the band or artist perform in front of a staged audience. Many rock-bands use this technique for their music videos in order for their video to have more verisimilitude for their audience.

Narrative

There is a clear storyline in the music- either tells the story illustrated by the music video or tells a different story




Animation

Digitals used to make either stop-motion or cartoon. This is usually used by some low-budget artists who want their audiences to focus more on the music rather than the video. However, some animations can be quite expensive to make.






Interpretive

A video that interprets the visuals directly into a story that matches the story. This is usually used by low-budget artists as there is not much imagination involved, however this gives the audience a good opportunity to be able to interpet the video and the music into however they wish.




Impressionist

Imagery that matches the mood and pace of the song but not necessarily the lyrics




Surreal/Abstract

Works that feature the element of surprise, unexpected juxtapositions and non sequitur. E.g. Many of Sia's music videos use this style




Referencing

An artist or band creates a music video dedicated or featuring a movie. Often, the song that is sung is featured in the movie as a soundtrack. Using this technique, not only would the artist/band be advertising themselves, but they would be promoting and advertising the movie.





Homage

Homage music videos pay tribute/respect to a specific person or cause. This is mostly used by artists who want to somewhat "promote" a worldwide event such as the Olympics or the FIFA World Cup.



Parody

Unlike pastiche, parody music videos use the backing track of the original songs while remaking the music video with extra added humour. The sole intention of parodies are to mock and make fun of various songs. Artists such as Bart Baker have become famous on YouTube through their creativity and ability to turn what would be, for example, a sad song into a laughing stock for a large audience. Parodies are, however, not intended to be particularly offensive for the original artist.




Pastiche

A piece of music imitating the work of one or more other artists of a different category. E.g. Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen celebrates the work of some playwrights and musicals by including theatrical themes, not just in their lyrics, but most importantly it is clear to see this in their music video. Pastiche does not make fun of other works, unlike parody.