MUSIC VIDEO
CONTEXT
Frist we choose the job we desired.
We began context by learning about what makes the music video. Then looked at different music videos from the time and how they interact with the poulur culture. My group was given the 1980s and looked at Micheal Jacksons Thriller.
Thriller by Michael Jackson, directed by John Landis is a conceptual music video. It contains fashion from the era, whilst also integrating a conventional view of zombies and the supernatural. It utilizes a lot of horror conventions in its cinematography, lighting and sound fitting the songs theme, such as low key lighting, the sound of wolves howling, and gory makeup. Thriller was created in 1982 and was very popular within the public, becoming significant as it was ahead of its time and was praised for its unique and innovative nature.
Feel anything
REASERCH
-
Have I showcased a full understanding of my job role? Research this in relation to the music video sector. Give case studies to people in your role you look up to/ aspire to be like
Music videos hope to visually match and represent an artists song. In the production I will be taking the role as Producer and first AD. Producers organise a production determining what type of images would be appropriate for the song, whether it be a live performance, an animated feature, a short film, or something else. They alculstarghit the planning process making call sheets and oranginzein the cast and crew. Assistant directors take a similar role in the actual production, making sure everything is set up in the interested and vision of the director, assuring cast and crew are ok and know their role. Producers are less well known as they hae less creative input.
​I looked at some music producers who have made music videos I enjoy. Geena Krisht is a freelance music video and feature film producer based in the Miami area. Before becoming a music video producer she spent three years producing commercials, non-scripted television pilots, and talk shows for Dallas-based indie film company Dreamfly Productions. She was an undergraduate at Southern Methodist University where she earned degrees in both journalism and film and media arts. She produced works such as Dominic Fikes ``Vampire” amd Lil Nas Xs “When the sun goes down”. Producers often work with the same artist multiple times if they work well together or match style, this such event happened between Krisht and Dominic Fikes with Krisht also producing Paul McCartney - The Kiss of Venus III Imagined: Dominic Fike (Official Video) and Dominic Fike - Chicken Tenders (Official Video). Kristki specialises in pop or generally energetic music.
​
-
Have you researched your genre in terms of common codes and conventions in these kinds of music videos? Consider all areas of film form and narrative
Our genre of music video is indie-pop, to understand the genre I looked at the common codes and conventions presented in examples. Midnight in the city by M83 is one such example, it explores through an entirely narrative concept children with superhuman abilities escaping their boarding school at night. The video thematically matches the song lyrics thought doesn't fit identically to the action in the visuals. The cimatphatyy style uses soft focus and dark lighting with a lot of close-ups. The sound uses ambient background noise to help create atmosphere. The set is often wide and open.
The next music video I looked at was Ho Hey by The Luminaires. Directed by Ben Fee the video is a performative video watching the band walk through a lit bulb lit building. The soft, Boca lighting matches the tone of the music. The shooting style is slow with a lot of tracking shots following the artist.
Finally, I looked at little secrets by Passion Pit. This video is odd mixing narrative and performances. We start by seeing a woman in a shop who then goes to a hall of an audience where paper bags over their heads with sad faces draw on. The visuals utilize shadows behind vibrant lights. Some of the footage is shot in a slower frame rate making the footage in slow motion such as the confetti shots.
​
From researching these I gather the conventions of the indie music video to be slow, soft lighting. Prominent use of shadows of silhouettes. Featuring of the artist alongside a loes narrative. The frame rate is often slow, and the shots use a range of close0ups and wides within an open plan space.
-
Have you researched your artist e.g. interviewed them to discuss what they want in terms of showing their personality, identity as an artist , meaning of the song etc.
The group and the artist met within the first week discussing our vision for the video with the assistance of our treatment. She liked our thoughts and went away to think about elements she wanted to see or have the video linked to. In the meeting we also asked what the artist was comfortable with for example:
Did she want to be in the video? - She was happy to be in the video if that was our vision
How far was she willing to go to travel? - As far as needs be that were practical and on days without school
Then we asked her more creative based questions such as:
What themes are most important/prominent in the song? - Up to interpretation
After the meeting she sent us her ideas for the piece.
From this we had a team meeting on how to incorporate this into the piece.
Notes from artist
Meeting notes
Have you researched your locations beyond chucking in a location recce? E.g. feasibility of using the space, gaining permissions etc.
Cormac, one of the Co directors, partook in two location recess in the second week of planning. Because all crew live on opposite ends of london each location potential was inconvenient so we made do with Richmond park which was accessible to everyone within a 2 hour travel distance. Parks are public areas so don't need permissions to film though we have to be considerate of the general public not wanting to be filmed.
Have you conducted any primary research? E.g. survey, questionnaire, interviews, focus groups etc.
-
Have you researched similar music videos in terms of gaining an insight into editing techniques, aesthetics, narrative, performance, abstract videography etc?
For the final part of the research, I looked at music videos similar to our own. After searching the Indie artist Wikipedia I settled on researching Dodie clack.
​
In their album build a problem diode covers similar topics to those covered in the music video we will be making. First, the video “Air so Sweet” has a similar cinematic style into the filming of the train scene in our video, with one static shot watching the artist in an outfit (in Dodie case a fairy costume) making the audience question where she’s going as the streets pass by in the window. The couleur planet is cold blues with a soft orange light illuminating the subject. In every video of this series, dodie uses subtitles giving me some insight on the aesthetics of the genre, presenting the lyrics as poetry. The make-up and costume match the theme of the song in each video for example the innocent naivety is matched by the angel costume in the first videos in the series then the guilty regret of the last is matched by the darker costumes in videos such as “I kissed someone it wasn't you”.
Lighting work shop
Shutter speed practical
We were taught about shutter speed and its use in music videos. Often music videos will shoot with a high shutter speed to give the video a look of slow motion. Then opersitely a low shutter peed to make the action speed up in the edit. We then went out and practised these techniques in our groups. On the right you will see Milo mouth the words first to a low FPS and then a high one with the leaves falling.
We liked the look of the 50fps and decide to invoke it in our production, I then looked at other examples of when this was used I found that it generally was used in slower music videos, adding a dreamy fluid look.
Planning docs
Treatment - by team
We showed Lola the treatment on the 4th and over the next few day she completed a slide of her own on her thoughts. With the knowledge of her imagined vision a little clearer we worked to make the flashback scenes stronger.
Art director Mood board - By Rukky
Risk assessment 1 and 2 - By Arlo
Call sheet 1 and 2 - By Arlo
list of lists
Story bourds - by Cormac
Shortlist and mood bourd by Emma
PRODUCTION
Shoot day one
Shoot day one went fairly to plan. With a slow start due to techniqcal issues in the TV studio we began the schedule 30 mins later than expected running slightly onto lunch. But we collected all the shoots we intended plus some experimental ones as outlined in the schedule. Above, we have videos from the Tv studio with our Artist Lola posing a front Emma on camera.
Shoot day two
Shoot day two went less well. We collected to shots then it began to rain and we had to postpone filming, thought the day worked well for test shoots - understanding the restrictions of our capability and bonding with our artist.
Shoot day three
Shoot day three was considerably better. We had a fall team and more set out shooting plan. We started the shoot at 2.00 and though we started slow we managed to collect all the footage we needed.
EDITING
Draft one
.png)