Call Sheet

Behind The Scenes

Here is a collection of photos and videos that depict the making of the music video.

Actor: Philippa - Why I Chose Her

Philippa is an aspiring model, that does unpaid modelling work in her spare time. For example, she has taken part in several hair shows for Hob salon. I have worked with her on several of my previous projects and I find her easy to work with. As we have a good working relationship, using her will essentially make it easier for me.

I used her to play this character specifically as she has experience in modelling, therefore I felt she could bring some authenticity to the character.

Here is a sample of some of her previous work:

Production Log - First Edit Breakdown

Having completed my first edit, I have identified several things I will be improving when working towards my next edit.

1. Colour correction - I want to make the overall tone of my video is cohesive. Some of the shots have a slightly colder look, so I am going to make them warmer.
2. Jib shots - The shots of Zak lying on the grass were done in my garden. I did not notice when editing my music video that the edge of the pavestone is visible in two of the shots. Either shortening the shot or enlarging it will get rid of this issue.
3. Re-shooting - Rhian's 'first verse' scene is something that I am not 100% happy with, and having seen the footage now, I have ideas of how I would like to improve this. Therefore, I want to reshoot this part of the video.

First Edit

Costume Ideas

Above is a moodboard of the sort of costume and props my male characters will be wearing. Overall, I want all my characters wearing quite dull, muted colours to reflect their mood. In the male costumes, I feel a shirt and trousers is an effective, simple outfit. Monotone or dark, muted colours (such as wine or greyish khaki) will suit the outfit and the characters best. 

For the 'weird' character played by my actor, Zak, I considered accessories including a bow tie and a pair of glasses to give him a more 'geeky' and eccentric appearance. 

For the 'heartbroken' character played by my actor, Sohrab, I will need matches and a picture for him to burn, as part of my video involves shots of him burning a picture of him and the girl who supposedly broke his heart. 

The model character, played by my actor Philippa, will need two outfits. In the moodboard above, I have provided a selection of dresses that give the vibe I am aiming for with outfit 1. As the character will be in a photoshoot, my actor will be in a bright dress. I want to show the contrast between the vibrancy of her costume during the photoshoot and the plainness of her costume when she has come home and taken her make-up off. The crop top and shorts are simple in both colour and style, therefore highlighting how vulnerable and stripped back the character is.

The shopaholic character will, like the other female, have two outfits. One of which will reflect her unhappiness with her appearance and the other will portray her need for material things. Above is a selection of tops, trousers and dresses to give an indication of the colours and styles of the clothes I want my actor to wear.

For the performer, Nick, I have used my research into the artist himself as inspiration. Justin Timberlake's style as matured since the start of his solo career in 2002. He now has a very smart, slightly vintage style. I also took influence from the name of his song 'Suit and Tie' which was the single that preceded Mirrors. Therefore, I hope to style my performer in a suit.

Progress

Next steps?

• Finish editing first draft
• Colour correct
• Use first draft to work out if I need to re-shoot anything

Question:

Are some shots too long?

Production Log - Half Way First Edit - Progress

I am currently half way through my first edit of my music video. Though I am happy with much of the footage I have shot and the way it looks as part of the video, there are some shots that I think are slightly too long. I may need to shoot some extra footage so I can speed up the editing pace in some parts.

I am pleased with the mise-en-scene I have used in my video and how each character has a very distinctly different look in terms of set and costume. I think this helps to portray my message that all of these very different people are experiencing similar issues.

Raw Footage - Nick De Cruz

Raw Footage - Sohrab Cooper

Raw Footage - Rhian Mitten

Raw Footage - Philippa Aedy

Raw Footage - Zak Labiad

Production Log - Studio Shoot

Yesterday, I shot my actor, Nick, in a black box studio. I decided to use a low aperture lens, as this allowed me to shoot at a lower ISO. Therefore, I will have a better picture quality.

I backlit Nick with a studio light in the left corner of the frame, producing a lens flare across the image.

Production Log - Reshooting

Having looked at my raw footage, there are several shots I am not happy with. I am now planning to reshoot those parts of the video, making sure to correct what didn't work previously. In my first shoot, I don't think the lighting is as effective as it became once I'd become more familiar with the equipment, therefore I want to reshoot Zak's (The Different Character) indoor footage. Rhian's (The Vain Character) outdoor footage was the part I was not happy with. One shot in particular was very slightly out of focus, and this is very noticable when played alongside another shot.

Influences of Music Style: Justin Timberlake

Below is a video, in which I discuss the musical genres that have influenced Justin Timberlake's style. I feel that this will help me in styling my music video, as he is the artist of the song I am using.

Conventions of Music Videos

Research into Music Genre: R&B

Audience Research

 

Analysis of Digipak

Research Equipment

Tracking an Artist: Justin Timberlake

Above is a timeline I have created for Justin Timberlake's career. Click on any of the timeline entries to take you to the TimeRime website, where there is more information on many of the dates (rather than the brief outline you can see above). Alternatively, you can view the timeline via this link.

Analysis of Previous A2 Student's Work: Bad Blood - Bastille (Alfie Green)

 



 

 

The music video is an example of work done by Alfie Green, a candidate who comleted the course last year.

Out of all of the previous year's A2 music videos, this one appealed to me most. One of the reasons is because he has experimented with his use of light. The wash of red used through the majority of the video is successful in mirroring the title of the song 'Bad Blood'. Contrasting this with an occasional wash of blue light holds the audience's focus. Also, as I interpret this video to mean that she has killed the missing man, the red and blue lights serve to reflect the 'blood' from the murder and the police searching for what happened to him.

 

It is clear that Alfie Green thought about the mise-en-scene when constructing his video, using significant props such as the police tape that contribute to the audience's overall understanding of the narrative. The writing on the mirror also made the shots of it very interesting. The shots would have worked if the actress stood in front of a plain mirror; however, adding this element contributed to the creepy atmosphere of the video.

 

Another reason why I found this video so effective is because of the narrative. Having a narrative that was not too obvious of cliche captured my attention. The video is not repetitious, mainly because of the variation in shots and location. Again, this prevented it from feeling boring. Some A2 music video examples I have researched have had little variation and/or a weak narrative. This is what I have found to be the most noticeable difference in those that were more or less entertaining (and therefore more or less effective).

 

A tip that I have picked up from this video and other successful videos, that I shall incorporate into my own work, is the editing style. When shots do not change on the beat, this is very noticable and makes it difficult to follow the video. Therefore, I think it is vital in the editing of my work to change shots on the beat.

Music Channels

Music channels televise music videos almost exclusively. This type of channel became popular with the start of MTV. MTV is by far the most well known and successful music channel in the world.

Since MTV started broadcasting in 1981, MTV has revolutionized the music industry, not only contributing to the rise in music video production, but has started a whole host of award shows for popular culture including the MTV EMAs, MTV Movie Awards and the MTV VMAs. MTV award shows are known to be controversial, therefore many celebrities try hard to find a way to be more outrageous than the previous year and be the star that everyone is talking about afterwards.

The success of the channel has also spawned multiple others under the MTV brand. This include MTV Rocks, MTV Hits, MTV Classic and MTV Dance. All of these play music of a specific genre rather than the broader spectrum of music played on the standard MTV channel.

 

Following the success of MTV, many other music channels have begun broadcasting including Viva, 4Music and TheBox.

TheBox in Britain and Ireland is a music channel brought over by Vincent Monsey who discovered the American channel in Miami in 1991.

The American version of the channel was originally called 'The Jukebox Network', started in 1985.

The channel is best known for often having first play of music videos. Many videos make their UK or world premiere on the channel. This was particularly influential in the release of the Spice Girls song 'Wannabe'. The music video premiered on TheBox months before the songs official release date. The channel is heralded as one of the forces that propelled the Spice Girls to stardom.







What is a Digipak?

As one of our ancillary tasks we have been asked to create a digipak.

A digipak is a patented style of CD packaging. They are usually produced to have a paperboard outer binding and a plastic CD holder inside (attached to the paperboard). Digipaks are most often used for the release of singles and special edition albums.

For albums with multiple CDs, there will often be multiple sections that fold up rather than the standard front cover, binding and back cover.

Music Video Theory: Andrew Goodwin

Andrew Goodwin, writer of ‘Dancing in The Distraction Factory’ (1992), has conducted years of research on both the music video and the music industry. He proposed 5 key aspects to a music video.

·         ‘Thought Through Beat’

·         Relationship Between Song and Visuals

·         Narrative and Performance

·         Technical Aspect

·         Star Image

 

“Music videos ignore common narrative as they are essentially advertisements. As consumers, we make up our own meaning of a song in our minds: a music video can anchor meaning and gives the record company/artist a method of anchoring meaning.”

Andrew Goodwin.

Relationship Between Song and Visuals

Goodwin proposed that in every music video, there is a relationship between the song lyrics and the images being displayed on screen. He believes that the relationship is one of three types:

·         Amplify – This is also known as repeatability. In this type of video, the images presented are manipulated and shown repeatedly through the music video, drumming it into the audience’s vision.

·         Illustrate – Using the visuals to depict the meaning to the song and ‘bring it to life’. The most common type of relationship between song and visuals.

·         Disjuncture – The meaning of the song is completely ignored and the visuals do not relate to it in any way.

‘Thought Beats’

There are three steps to this process.

The first step is taking into account the musical structure, including the verses and choruses.

The second step is considering the voice of the artist(s). Many artists have a very unique voice. This is often referred to as being a good ‘recording voice’, as people are more likely to identify them when they hear their voice (e.g. on the radio etc.). Therefore, Goodwin believes that the artist’s voice forms an important part of their star image.

This links to Roland Barthes’ theory of the ‘grain of voice’, in which he suggests that the voice is an ‘expressive instrument’. Therefore, he believes we should be able to make associations through the vocal expression.

The third step is to consider the story the artist is telling. In this way, the artist should be viewed as the storyteller and the music video a device to make the story come to life.

 

Narrative and Performance

Andrew Goodwin believes that songs do not give us a complete narrative; they tend to imply that certain things are trying to be said. For this reason, we tend to make up our own ideas of what the song means, and this is often influenced by what the song means to an individual personally. Many times, people can have very different interpretations of a song’s meaning. Therefore, the music video, as a promotional device, should avoid a standard narrative structure.

Music videos should have coherent repeatability, meaning that the audience should be able to watch the video repeatedly without losing interest. Having both a narrative and performance structure helps to hold the audience’s attention.

Goodwin suggests that having the artist themselves as the central ‘character’ and focus of the video is most beneficial to the promotion of the song. He believes this gives the video the most believability, particularly with the emphasis largely on the use of lip-syncing.

Star Image

The artist’s image is extremely important in the making of the music video. The image the artist portrays to the public needs to be consistent, so elements such as costume need to be consistent with previous looks.

Also, the demands of the record label need to be met. Generally, the label will want to see the artist as being the ‘centre of attention’. This will be executed through lots of CUs of the artist’s face, their image or ‘look’ is one of the most identifiable features of the ‘star’. If the artist is relatively new, CUs will be important in making their face known and linking their image/’look’ to their music. As the music video is a promotional video for the song, it is important that the audience can connect the voice of the artist to the face of the artist.

Furthermore, the belief that sexualising the artist, particularly when female, will help to promote the song, is becoming increasingly common in the industry. A very prominent and relatively current example is Miley Cyrus in her videos for Wrecking Ball and Adore You.

In this case, it is true that the controversy created through the sexualisation of Cyrus herself helped to promote the song. In fact, the video was deemed so effective it won Video of The Year at the MTV VMAs 2014.

Another way in which star image is important to the video is through genre characteristics. Music videos often use stereotypes of the musical genre, in terms of both the mise-en-scene (what we see on screen) and the style of music video that has been created. For example, music videos of the rock genre are expected to depict a live performance. The stars themselves and any actors in the video are expected to wear gothic, mainly black clothing. Goodwin believes that music videos do stick to these stereotypes, particularly as these help to advertise the song to a specific audience.
 

Technical Aspect

The technical aspects refers to the way in which the music video was constructed. More specifically, this encompasses the micro-features camera, editing, sound and mise-en-scene.

Analysis of Music Video: Pull Me Down - Mikky Ekko

Pull Me Down - Mikky Ekko


 

I will be looking at the music video for ‘Pull Me Down’ by Mikky Ekko for an analysis of mise-en-scene, including set, costume, lighting and acting.

Through a series of pans, the audience are shown a floor covered with broken glass. There are fallen lamps and shoes strewn around it. This implies that there has been an argument. The pair of broken glasses suggest it could have been between two people on a relationship. From the CUs the audience’s eye is drawn to the expensive look and quality to the items. For example, there is a leopard print sofa and a black high heel with gem stones around the ankle.

 

Both of these items contrast the next shot, still a pan, of a white walled corridor. After the variety of colours and textures displayed in the previous shot, the simplicity of this location reinforces the chaos the audience has previously seen. This allows them to process it, as the information implied in the earlier shots is important to understanding the narrative.

The dimly lit room reflects the mood of the character, who is also in this case the artist. This is emphasised by the dull colours used in both the set and costume. For example, the blinds through which the only light is coming from, are a light grey colour. This is emphasised even further by a CU of the blinds. The audience’s attention is also drawn to the movement of the blinds, which again helps to create the reflective, melancholy atmosphere of the song. The colours used in the set of the bedroom are dull but quite light, drawing attention to Mikky Ekko, who is almost silhouetted by the dim backlight in the shot.

A dolly shot then draws the audience’s attention to Ekko’s costume. As with the bedroom set, they are fairly plain, with a simple monochrome colour scheme. Though the clothes are simple, through the use of a necklace it can be assumed that the costume reflects Ekko’s style. Therefore, this helps portray Ekko’s persona as an artist.

There is unconventional use of lighting at many points throughout the video. A great deal of it is shot using low key lighting, with Ekko being largely if not entirely in shadow at some points. Again, this contributes to the moodiness of the piece. The technique only works, as there are also a great deal of CU shots of the artist. These are well lit, and used to portray him miming the song.

Admired Videos

Coldplay - Magic - Semiotics

The Coldplay music video emulates the style of an old silent movie. This is reinforced excellently by the semiotics, capturing the difference in status between Christophe (played by lead singer Chris Martin) and Cecile. These connotations are drawn particularly from the costumes, as Christophe is dressed in a simple shirt and trousers, whereas Cecile wears glamorous, jeweled outfits.



Bruno Mars - It Will Rain - Lighting

I admire this video, as the lighting effectively distinguishes between the flashbacks of his happy relationship and the 'present' in which he is singing the song. The happy flashbacks use high key lighting, giving the shots a slight glow. This reinforces the positive feelings the audience should be feeling and juxtaposes the low key lighting used to indicate the 'present'. The low key lighting contributes to the creation of a sad and reflective mood.

Rihanna ft. Mikky Ekko - Stay - Location
In the music video for Stay by Rihanna ft. Mikky Ekko, I like the locations used and feel they are very effective in complementing the reflective mood of the song. This video inspires me as I would like to create a music video with this sort of atmosphere. However, through studying multiple videos, I feel coupling this type of location with a narrative to bring the song's lyrics to life would be most effective.

Ed Sheeran - Lego House - Narrative

In contrast to the previous video, I particularly admire the narrative structure of Lego House by Ed Sheeran. Throughout the video, the audience assume that Rupert Grint (a well known actor, most recognized as Ron Weasley from the Harry Potter franchise) is depicting Ed Sheeran. However, it is towards the end of the video that the audience learns he is in fact an obsessed fan who is going to desperate and slightly crazy lengths to be like his idol. Giving the video a sense of unpredictability is something that I found particularly engaging in this video. Therefore, when creating my music video, I will aim to avoid creating something that is predictable to the audience, as this may cause people to lose interest.

Production Log - Director Research

Over the past week, I have been researching four very different music video directors. I have come to the conclusion that they each have a very different style, with certain elements being a recurring theme through their videos. The style of their videos has given me ideas as to what sort of 'style' my music video should have. For example, I am hoping to use a similar lighting style and create a similar atmosphere to music video director Sam Pilling.

Research into Artist - Justin Timberlake

Research into Music Video Directors

Analysis of Lyrics

Pitch of Music Video Idea

 

Above is the powerpoint that I used as a prompt to pitch my idea. Below is a video of my pitching my idea. In the pitch, I cover:

- My reasons for choosing the song

- A brief outline of my idea

- What audience I am targeting

- How I will use Uses and Gratifications theory in my work

- A music video that inspired my idea

- A selection of shots that I would like to replicate in my music video

 

Photos for Model Character

One of the characters in my music video is a model. Therefore, I needed an actor who has photos of herself so she can look at them in several shots.
I have chosen an actor who models as a hobby and has a portfolio of photos that I could choose from, some of which I have personally taken.

I have looked through her portfolio and selected a collection of images that I would like to have her look at in my video. I chose a total of 25 photos, some from the same photoshoot and portraying a variety of different styles. I wanted to use a variety of styles as this highlights the insecurity the character is representing. The character feels that modelling is just a 'facade' and that the make-up and costumes hide who she really is. She is not as 'perfect' as her modelling photos make her out to be. Having a variety of different styles highlights this.

Below are some examples of the photos I chose:

 

 

 

 

 

History of The Music Video

Above is a timeline I have created in relation to the history of music videos. Click on any of the timeline entries to take you to the TimeRime website, where there is more information on each date (rather than the brief outline you can see above). Alternatively, you can view the timeline via this link. 

Existing Record Labels

Production Log - Shooting: Day 1

Today was my first day of shooting, in which I got all of the footage needed with actor Zak Labiad.

I was using some of the equipment for the first time, so setting up took a little longer than expected. I experimented with lighting positions to check what made my actor look best and minimized shadow.

A problem I had was that, towards the end of the day when I shot my outdoor scenes, the sun had moved past the trees in the garden I was shooting in, meaning the patch of grass I had to obtain my jib shots was severely reduced (for the shot to look like it was taken in the middle of the field, Zak could not be lying in shadow).

Overall, I found today's shoot to be very successful, and I feel that the experience of setting up the lights in relation to the mirrors and the actors in relation to the mirrors, will make the next three shoots much easier.

Storyboard

Here are pictures of the storyboard I have devised of how my music video should look.

Animatic

Production Log - Selecting Locations

Over the past week, I have been considering potential locations for me to shoot my music video. I have decided that I need to use a studio or backdrop for my performer, as that will conform to the R&B stereotype. I have noticed it is a convention to have performers as successful as Justin Timberlake to be shot performing in a separate location to the narrative.

As I have four separate storylines, I need four separate locations for my actors.

The shopaholic character needs a location that represents her obsession with material things, therefore I'm considering using a room that is very luxurious looking, with vibrant colours to show off her materialism.

The vain character is a model, so I will need a photoshoot location - for example, a street or a woods - and a room from her home that she will be taking her make-up off in. This is why I'm thinking a bathroom would be a good idea, because, where the shopaholic is dressing herself up, the vain character is stripping back the 'mask' of make-up etc. that is placed on her when she models.

The heartbroken character needs a location that will showcase his loneliness. I have a few ideas, such as a lone park bench or a bedroom. I am yet to decide the direction I'm going to take. 

The weird character will need two locations. A home location and an outdoor location. For the home location, I am unsure at the moment what is best to highlight what he represents. For the exterior location, I have the idea of using a large, open field to highlight how ostracized he feels.

Production Log - Casting

This week I have been considering who I will cast for my music video.

Firstly, I need a performer who will be able to lip sync the song and move/perform in a way that you would expect Justin Timberlake to. Therefore, I have decided to cast A Level Drama student Nick De Cruz.

I also need four actors to play the four characters in my video. I have two male characters and two female as, though JT has a predominantly female fan base, he does have a large male fan base also (compared to other younger male artists such as Justin Beiber or One Direction who are more specifically targeted at females).

I have decided to use model Philippa Aedy to play the vain character who is a model. As she is a part-time model herself, I feel that she will be able to bring some past experience into my video to make it more accurate and 'real'.

For the shopaholic character, I have used another A Level Drama student, Rhian Mitten. Again, her previous acting experience will help in the filming of my video, as it will be easier to direct her to produce what I want. Furthermore, her 'girl next door' image will allow the audience to relate to her character, who is largely relaltable to the primary target audience.

For the weird character, I have chosen another A Level Drama student, Zak Labiad. He has a very unique look, which I think works brilliantly for this character. Also, his experience as the lead in an amateur production of the 39 Steps will mean he is better equipped to be the central character for my narrative. He is very tall, and has styled curly hair which I feel will help create the unique character I envisioned.

Finally, the heartbroken character will be played by Sohrab Cooper, also an A Level Drama student. As this character is probably one of the most relatable to the audience, I feel that his 'laid back' appearance will male him extremely relatable to the audience.

Music Video Plan - Shot by Shot

Props List

Moodboard

Above is a moodboard of images I collected to portray the ideas and style of the music video I intend to create. Through this, I have tried to include images that illustrate the ideas I have for each 'section' of the video. For example, I will have people writing their insecurities on the mirror, so this relates to the two bottom left images and the bottom right image.

Initial Planning Ideas