I am still behind with the filming of my piece as I have been unable to get my band together to finish performance scenes, as well as missing narrative footage. This has resulted in big gaps in my rough cut.
The parts of my video that are filmed and edited together are:
Your Digipak is looking really good and you have made good use of your own images to create the album cover and poster. You have maintained continuity very effectively. Don't forget to post your animated storyboard.
Today I have started with the editing of my final video, so far uploading all of my filmed footage to the mac and pasted it into a FinalCutPro project.
Next I will start with cutting down clips to fit them within the time frame and to fit with the audio track.
23/11/16
I have now briefly edited together two clips with the music track, linking together the introduction, as well as the solo part.
14/12/16
I now have multiple sections of my video that are fully edited together with band performance shots. Most band footage that I have filmed is completed and edited in the right places and in time with the music. I have also layered together multiple clips in order to create cutting back and fourth between separate band members performing. This also helps for the pace of my video fit with the song, reducing some of the longer shots I had that were over 6 or 7 seconds.
I have finished the front album cover for my band's digipak, and I have started and finished most construction on the contents / back of the album. I have already listed and laid out the songs included on the album, as well as giving the general layout I will use for the back page.
Next I need to finish construction of this page, most likely by implementing a similar picture for the background, then I will start on the next panes of the album.
30/11/16
The front and back covers of my CD Digipak piece are completed. Updates have been made to the back cover, which includes removing the solid brown background and replacing it with an image instead.
I have created 4 different designs that are possible choices for my band album cover.
They each feature the same background image to use, however I have come up with different layouts and designs to position each key element for the cover.
Here is a preview for the first stage of my band poster, with this being my first and initial idea on the positioning of different elements for the poster.
On Friday 4th November I made my first attempt at filming my music video, which would have consisted of band the performance scenes. However, I encountered a few problems on the day which made filming difficult.
The problems I encountered involve my casting, and filming locations. One member of the band I arranged couldn't make it on the day, which meant that I was not able to do shots of the full band together, so I decided to try and get medium and close up shots of the other individual members playing. I need to plan this ahead more thoroughly as each member of the band are only free on Fridays, making filming times limited to get band scenes done.
The next problem I encountered involved the location I had planned to use, which is the School Gym, as it allows an open space to position the band in without having too large of a background. After setting up equipment and being ready for filming, the area became unavailable due to other lessons in the school.
We moved all of the equipment to the stage in School's hall, but trying to film using the stage was difficult because of the small space. Which led to accidentally recording parts of the School hall in the background that I did not want to include. The small area also meant that space was very limited and cramped, making it difficult to film in. The stage is also not the ideal location that I have wanted and planned to use as I feel it does not suit the song or genre. To improve for this, I will need to make sure that I reserve or book the Gym space in advance so that it is definitely available for me to use.
Well done Jordan- lots of work here. Do a progress update every lesson for your construction with any problems you encounter and what you plan to do going forward so we can both keep track of your progress. I see that you have analysed both ancillary tasks- now try to link all the products together- video, advert and digipak- so that you have a sense of it being a promotional PACKAGE.
Band: For my band, I am aiming to have musicians playing their own instruments within the band. For example, I will have actual guitarists playing the lead and rhythm guitar roles. Doing this will help to create a more realistic performance effect when showing close ups of the members, as they will actually be playing their parts and instruments, rather than miming their playing and possibly not looking realistic.
Each member of the band I have arranged play the instruments / role they have been assigned to in real life. The only member of the band who does not play their instrument in real life is the singer, Jake. However, Jake is also a drama student at the School, so I feel that he can be a good person to use as a singer as he could be effective at lip syncing with the song lyrics.
- Singer (Also in narrative.) - Jake Taff
- Bassist - Austin Backhouse
-Drummer - Wesley Duffy
-Lead guitarist - Winston Alla
-Rhythm guitarist - James England
Narrative:
- Female character (Jane) -
- Male character (Also the singer) - Jake Taff
I am making sure that the singer of the band will also be the lead male character within the narrative to help show that the lyrics are relating to the singer and his own experience / he is singing in first person. This will lead to moments where there is also performance within the narrative clips, where the singer appears to be talking to the lead female character.
Locations:
The setting that I plan to use will need to fit well with the style of song I am making the video for. This will mean that darker and more eerie environments are likely to be used throughout.
I have chosen to use the School gym for my band performance scenes, this gives me a wide open space that allows me to spread out or condense the band evenly if I want to. The gym is also pale and limited in colour, so I feel it will be useful for me video, where I plan to have fairly de-saturated colours throughout.
I have then chosen to use the woods near to the School for my narrative based scenes, as the woods contains dense areas full of trees, as well as spacious areas that will allow to film establishing shots as well as more distant shots from my characters. The wooded area can also help me to create an eerie setting within my video, as I mentioned before I want to achieve this.
Below are some photos of areas that I plan to use in the woods for my narrative shots. These different areas vary in openness and space available, and I plan to use each location below for different parts of my video.
The first photo shows a long path way, enclosed by trees to the left and right sides. This is an area I am looking to use within one of the very first few narrative shots. However, this may change depending on if I feel a different location would be better for my opening / establishing shot.
Why
is audience
research an
important part of production planning?
Why - Audience research is an important part of the production and planning of a music video because a production company and the music artist will need to know how their music video will be structured and directed in order to appeal to a certain group of people. The production company should know the preferences of the majority of their target audience so that they can plan aspects of the video that will suit common interests. Methods - Audience research can be done in primary or secondary forms. Primary research involves carrying out first hand forms of research to find out almost exactly what you want to. It can include using surveys and interviews to ask exact questions that you are looking to find answers to. Secondary research involves studying previous sources to understand the target market, this can include looking at data bases or research that has been done before by similar corporations on similar target audiences. Information - Data gathered from Audience research can come in quantitative or qualitative forms. Quantitative data involves facts and figures, being easier data to group together and analyse as each answer will fall into a certain grouping or category. Qualitative data involves more opinion based answers on how people feel about a certain thing, this information can be more specific but is harder to group together and analyse. Why people choose the music they do: People choose to listen to the music that they do because of personal interests or preferences, some people find certain themes or moods in music more appealing than others. Some people will also listen to various bands and songs based on how well they personally relate to the music and lyrics. Age and location can also impact what types of music and bands people prefer to listen to. For example, people who were born in England during the 50's and 60's would have grown up listening to more classic Rock / blues based music. Whereas people born in America during the 50's and 60's would have grown up listening to a completely different range of bands, but of a similar genre. Growing up hearing these genres can impact their opinion on the genre and bands from the time, possibly giving them stronger feelings towards Rock music than any other genre. Whereas people born in the 2000's are more likely to grow up listening to more pop music that is very big today as it is constantly played on the TV and Radio. Do videos make a difference to a songs success? Music videos can make a difference to a songs success. For example, Take on me by A-ha had an original music video that bought little success to the song or the band. Another video was made which has become the iconic one that people know about today, also bringing a lot of fame towards the song and band. What attracts people to videos? On sites such as YouTube, thumbnails are seen throughout next to the name of each video available for viewing. For music videos, thumbnails are usually taken from a single frame found within the actual video. Thumbnails can attract people to music videos as they give the audience a very brief look in what the video contains, possibly showing something that greatly interests the viewer. Here are some examples of thumbnails on YouTube for music videos. What puts them off videos? People can be put off of music by any themes that are used throughout the video. For example, a hip hop / rap music video can often contain sexual themes or recurring themes of women that some people may find to be disrespectful, putting them off the video. Other videos may contain graphic or distressing content that upsets viewers. What would people expect to see in my video?
In my music video, I feel that people would expect to see darker narrative themes that would fit with the lower tone and key of music, along with the darker style and theme of the lyrics. The genre of the band can also influence what people would expect from my music video. As the band plays the metal genre, people can expect to see a lot of performance based footage throughout the video.
I have taken part in a small pitch, where I have been asked various questions about my research and planning so far, as well as my plans for the music video I am going to create. I was also given feedback on my answers, then being given ideas on what I can start doing to prepare for the production of my video.
I mentioned that I have researched and analysed music videos of similar genres, and another video by the same band I am going to make a video for, as this has helped me to identify common themes within lyrics or the general videos released by the bands and how it could help me later on. At the time I do not have a full idea on what I will be doing for my video. However, I do know that my video will evenly consist of performance and narrative pieces that aim to fit the mood and lyrics of the song.
I now need to carry out more planning for my video, coming up with a story board, casting, and locations that I am going to use. More research will need to be done into audiences and institutions too, as well as looking at different methods that my video will be distributed to my audience.
This is the third studio album released by Breaking Benjamin. It was released in August 2006 in the US through HollyWood record, and released in November 2007 for Europe.
The Album sold 131,000 copies within the first week of release, making it the bands highest selling album until 2015, when they released another album..
What conventions of a CD does this Digipak include / leave out? Front / back cover: The front cover of this CD features a fairly minimal design, with a basic picture being used for the entire front, however it is no clear what is meant to be represented or portrayed through this photo. Dark green, brown, black colours are used within the photo, and white is used for the band name. The album name is located on the top right of the cover, with the band name positioned at the top left of the cover. Having these two aspects located where they are allows for more of the cover photo to be seen. They both use the same font. An advisory warning is displayed at the bottom left of the cover.
The back cover includes a photo or painting showing different patterns and designs. It is on the back cover that the track list is included, showing all 13 tracks of the CD. The songs are spread into two separate lists, forming on both sides of the main big design in the middle of the page. White text helps it to stand out against the dark brown / green colours of the photo. The barcode for the album is in the bottom left of the back cover, with copyright notices from HollyWood records being displayed next to the barcode in a small font.
The spine of the album includes the band and album name in the same fonts and colours as used on the front cover, The left side features a small icon which is meant to be the bands logo, the record label is displayed on the right side in much smaller sized font. This is replicated on the other side of the album. Inside / contents:
The insides of the DigiPak use the same colours as the front cover / outside of the album. Using greens and yellows, however the insides have lighter tones. The space behind where the disk would go includes a single photo of the band together. At the bottom of this band photo, more general copyright information is displayed about illegally downloading and sharing music.
Inside of the CD case, a small booklet is included that features photos printed for the background, all once again in dark colour of old houses. Each page has the lyrics to a song included on the CD, and the page in the middle of the booklet includes another photo of the band members.
The CD for the album is a dark green colour with a pattern going across it in a dark brown, making it difficult to stand out. The overall CD is very bare in detail. Around the edges of the CD, copyright information is displayed, with detail about when the album was released, and who holds the licensing to it.
Here is part of my analysis for the homepage / website for the band "Dorje" this presentation describes and details the various features that the website includes. This part of my analysis is based off of the features of a website that I found in the music video coursework booklet. These are the features that a website should have:
- Relevant and up to date information about the band that promotes them and their activities.
- Should not be too text heavy.
- Clear house style.
- Inclusion of fast links to points of sale.
- Easy navigation to internal and external sites, including social media platforms.
I will be creating another presentation that will analyse the Mise En Scene of the website.
Here is part of my analysis for the homepage / website for the band "Breaking Benjamin" this presentation describes and details the various features that the website includes. This part of my analysis is based off of the features of a website that I found in the music video coursework booklet. These are the features that a website should have:
- Relevant and up to date information about the band that promotes them and their activities.
- Should not be too text heavy.
- Clear house style.
- Inclusion of fast links to points of sale.
- Easy navigation to internal and external sites, including social media platforms.
I will be creating another presentation that will analyse the Mise En Scene of the website.
Jordan- the analysis is thorough here- try and link together the videos in terms of any common features they have in terms of genre that you can build upon. The comments on intertextuality are a bit brief and misplaced; you comment on them but then say you will not use intertextual references without exploring why that is?
"Iron man 2" is a soundtrack album released by ACDC in 2010. Two of the songs in this album were fully featured in the film, whilst another song was used in the previous film. Three more of ACDC's songs were included in trailers and commercials for the film. A music video was also released for the song "Shoot to Thrill" which had exclusive footage from the second Iron Man film.
What conventions of a CD cover does this Digipak include / leave out?
Front / back cover: The front cover of this CD cover features a simple design that clearly shows off what is was created for. For examplce, it is very clear that this Digipak was made for film "Iron man 2" this can be identified just by seeing the iconic super hero displayed on the front.
Red is used for most of the front text and the lightning bolt on the back, with these being the bands main colour. Uses a different font to the album title. Colours used mainly include whites and blues for the background, with red and yellows for the fonts.
Song titles are neatly listed in the middle of the back cover, includes copyright information, barcode in the right hand corner, and the record company.
Inside / contents: The insides of the Digipak feature a colour scheme that is similar what is used on the front, using dark blues / black, and reds. Includes a picture from the Iron man film, and another picture of the band at a live performance. No text is used inside the Digipak.
The spine of the Digipak includes the name of the band only. Does not include the names of the album, or the record company.
What is
intertextuality? Intertextuality is the process of creating references
to any kind of media text in another media text. Can be reflected in the style
of the video, can also include parodies. Making references to the genre in
general and to other videos.
Examples of
intertextuality:An example of intertextuality includes the
music video for the song “Dope hat” by Marilyn Manson. The entire video is a
very clear reference to the Willy Wonka film, being set and based around one
specific scene from the original film.
Why is it used to
appeal to an audience? Using intertextuality can help to appeal to an audience because it can help create a possibly more interesting video that the viewer can likely relate to more. People can enjoy seeing all the references that are being made to other pieces of media that they like.
Do I plan to use
any intertextuality in my video? I
do not plan to use any forms of intertextuality within my music video.
The music video for “Back in Black” By ACDC is a performance
based video, featuring only the
band throughout. It features different shots
and angles of each member and the whole band playing instruments and performing
the song.
Lighting: The main source of lighting in this video
includes the artificial white lights provided by the stage / venue that the
band are playing at. There are different coloured stage lights throughout too,
such as greens, reds, and blues. However these coloured lights do not make much
of an impact on the colouring of the shots. Dark / low-key lighting. Start off
very minimal and dark at the star / introduction of the song. Lights start to
turn on and build up a minute into the song, lights are constantly flashing
after the solo halfway through. The lighting is used to suit the slower paced /
calm moods, or the fast paced / hyperactive moods of the song.
Camera movement + shots: Start of the song uses
panning to slowly reveal each member of the band one at time, pans to the left.
The camera then zooms out on the left side to reveal the singer. Close up shots
throughout of band members performing. Medium shots are also used to show a
couple members performing at a single time. More distant shots are used to show
the entire band at once. There is a lot of focus on the guitarist of the band
when the solo is being played.
Editing transitions: Throughout the video there are
numerous quick cuts to different camera angles and shots. No special
transitions or effects are used to edit shots together.
Representation - how the artist / band / characters are represented through the technical elements:
Dominant ideologies:
Genre of the music and how this is signified in the
video: ACDC
are a hard rock / blues band, sometimes considered as a heavy metal band. These
genres of music are signified in the music video through the focus on the band
and their performance, along with the instruments being used are very common
for these genres.
Intertextuality – whether the video features any
intertextual references, where, to what and why?
This
video contains no obvious intertextual references to any other videos or topics.
Relationship between lyrics and visuals: The main visuals of the song heavily feature black colours, this could be linked to the lyrics "Back in black.." and could have been chosen to fit with the song lyrics.
Relationship between music and visuals - Tone and atmosphere of the visual reflect that of the music.
Demonstrate genre characteristics: The
characteristics of Rock that are shown throughout can include the range and use
of their instruments, and members stomping or head banging in time with the
music. The hard and loud vocals of the singer is also a common characteristic
of hard rock
Props: The props used in this video feature common
things included in and associated with the genre of rock music. This includes:
Guitars, microphones, drum kits, bass, and guitars. General instruments played
by each member of the band.
Outfits: The outfits used by each band member are
unique to each member and follows the specific style of the band. One main
feature / outfit is used by the main guitarist, whose signature style and
identity in the band includes wearing a classic school boy costume, which he
has done for many years. The singer of the band is wearing a specific hat,
which has become his unique identity within the band.
Hair and Makeup: Natural styles of each band member,
being long hair. Variety of long straight hair, or curly and messy. Hair of the
band members feels and suits the genre of Rock, especially from the time of
80’s rock.
Location: The video is based on a stage, making the
video look as if it is performed in front of an audience, or at a rehearsal –
the atmosphere and location helps show that the band is performing the song at
a possible gig or venue. Location of a venue or staging is a common theme for
ACDC videos, or other rock videos.
Colour: Black is a very common colour used throughout
the video, using a black background in most shots, and black clothing. Other
colours are faintly provided by the stage lights, these are not very obvious in
the video though. But there are faint uses of dark greens, reds, and blues that
show.
The music video for “I will not bow” by Breaking Benjamin is
a video purely based and filmed around performance, there are no story elements
included in the video. The video focuses on showing the band performing the
song, showing many different shots throughout of each band member.
Lighting: Natural lighting, being lit from the windows and outside.
There was possibly other studio lighting equipment used to prevent under
exposure, but it is not too obvious.
Camera movement + shots: The first 8 seconds of the
song shows an establishing shot with the singer included, this is setting the
scene and showing where the music video is placed. There is a build-up in the
instrumentals of the song up until the 9th second, at which point
the camera cuts to a close up shot of the singer. There are many close up shots
in the video of the singer. Medium shots are used on individual members, or to
include two members at once. Long shots are used show most of / the entire band
playing at once.
Editing transitions: No
special editing transitions are used to edit shots together, there are a lot of
quick cuts used to jump between shots though.
Representation - how the artist / band / characters are represented through the technical elements:
Dominant ideologies:
Genre of the music and how this is signified in the
video: The
band are a hard rock / alternative metal band, and this is genre of music is
signified throughout the video by the actions of the band members who are all
heavily rocking their heads in time with the music / head banging. The range of
instruments that they use can also help to show the genre of music being
played, as they are common instruments used within rock and metal. Focus on
them playing together.
Intertextuality – whether the video features any
intertextual references, where, to what and why?
This
video contains no obvious intertextual references to any other videos or topics.
Relationship between lyrics and visuals: The
visuals in the video are not made to match or created to show and exactly what
the lyrics are saying (Not amplified) The visuals are not contradictive to the
lyrics.
Relationship between music and visuals - Tone and atmosphere of the visual reflect that of the music:
Demonstrate genre characteristics: The
band are a hard rock / alternative metal band, and this is genre of music is
signified throughout the video by the actions of the band members who are all
heavily rocking their heads in time with the music / head banging.
Props: The props used in this video includes the
typical instruments and equipment used and associated with Rock / metal music.
This is including Amplifiers and cables, guitars, drum kits, and bass guitars.
Outfits: The members of the band are not wearing the
exact same clothing / outfits throughout. However, they are all following a
style of wearing black clothing. There is a variety of clothing that includes
tank tops, t-shirts, or jackets, all of which are black. Jeans are worn by each
member of the band. Casual clothing.
Hair and Makeup: The hair styles of the band include short
and simple hair, not styled in any specific way. No long hair styles. One
member of the band is wearing a hat backwards. These hairstyles are different
to the styles shown in the ACDC video, where members have long messy hair.
Location: The music video is set in an empty
apartment / office high up in Skyscraper in the middle of a city. Specifically
the 7 World Trade Centre in Manhattan, New York. The emptiness of the setting
provides a simple, clean and spacious area for the band to perform. The
director of the video has said previously that he chose the location as he felt
it was an eerie place to film.
Colour: The colouring of the music video is very
limited in range, mainly featuring pale greys and blues, black is also a very common
colour throughout. The background mostly features the dull and pale colours. Simple
colours, works well with the city environment, looks very modern and clean.
The music video for the song “Catalyst” by Dorje is a music
video that is based purely on performance, focusing heavily on the playing
skills of each band member.
Lighting: High key lighting, natural light from outside
where the video is set, strong shadows are produced. No under or over exposure.
Camera movement + shots:Long distance / establishing shot that last 3 or 4 seconds,
shows the whole area of where the band is playing. This shot is also possibly
taken from the air, helps give a better overview. Introduction of the song cuts
between medium shots of the members performing, and aerial shots of the setting
(very fast cuts and shots). The camera pans when the band members are being
filmed. Shot durations slow down once the introduction has finished and the
song calms down, longer shots. Distant and aerial shots are used throughout.
Close up and focus on the guitarists and their playing during the solo.
Editing transitions: Very fast multiple cuts during
the introduction, choruses, and solo of the song. No special edits or
transitions are used in the video. In the build up to the first chorus, there
are multiple rapid cuts between a shot of the drummer, shots of the singer, and
aerial shots of the location.
Representation - how the artist / band / characters are represented through the technical elements:
Dominant ideologies:
Genre of the music and how this is signified in the
video: The band are a rock / progressive metal band, and this genre
of music is signified in the video through the range of instruments that are
being shown throughout as these are common instruments used and associated with
these genres. The video is also focused primarily on them playing together as a
band, which is a very common thing in rock and metal videos.
Intertextuality – whether the video features any
intertextual references, where, to what and why?
This
video contains no obvious intertextual references to any other videos or topics.
Relationship between lyrics and visuals: The
visuals in the video are not made to match or created to show and exactly what
the lyrics are saying (Not amplified) The visuals are not contradictive to the
lyrics.
Relationship between music and visuals - Tone and atmosphere of the visual reflect that of the music:
Demonstrate genre characteristics: The
fast paced cutting and editing during the chorus in the video can fit with the
characteristic of rock / metal music being faster paced and heavy music. The
lyrics of the song also appear to be written about someone or something
happening in the singer’s life. If the lyrics have been written about someone,
then this can fit with a common characteristic of metal music, where the topic
is normally focused on someone that the singer was close to or loved.
Props: Typical equipment used and associated with
bands, Microphones, amplifiers and speakers, guitars, and bass guitar.
Outfits: Casual clothing, no specific style or
outfits followed by the band. T-shirts, shorts, jeans.
Hair and Makeup: No
specific hairstyle is followed by the band members and they are not trying to
follow a specific style that fits with the genre of music.
Location: Maltese Island – Gozo, stated in the video
description of the music video on YouTube. They us a unique location compared
to many other music videos, especially of similar genres.
Colour: The colouring of this video throughout
consist heavily of orange and blue, more likely to come from the setting and
location that the video is filmed at, rather than post production.
To start off my Music video coursework, I emailed Hollywood Records, who are the record label of the band "Breaking Benjamin", who are the band that I wish to use a song from in my project. The song I plan to use by the band is "Diary of Jane"
The screenshot above shows my sent emails list, proving that I have requested the copyright permissions to use the song in my video.
Hollywood records are an American record label of the Disney Music Group, focusing in Pop, Rock, Alternative, Hip-hop, and country genres.
Purpose of the email:
The email I have sent to Hollywood Records requests legal permission to use the song for my project, highlighting the fact that the video I create will not be distributed to a larger audience, as it will only be shown moderators and my media class. It is mentioned in the email that the band and record label will be credited throughout the production and final stages of my video.
I am still awaiting a response from the record label, hopefully with permission for me to use their song to base my music video upon.
