Editing reflection

I have had a successful time editing my music video as I have had experience on final cut express a couple of times before so i was familiar with it. However I did struggle slightly with the lip syncing as my actor in the video was not entirely confident in some parts of the song, however I layered over the lip syncing which wasn't as good so it is not noticeable.

Important decisions I have made whilst editing were the effects that I used, which were kaleidoscope and kaleidotile and also changing the opacity on some of my video. The use of faster cuts were important so that audiences would understand the storyline and genre of my music video. I also found it useful to film more as it added more visual metaphors so again, the audiences would understand the video more.

During editing, I  found everything ran smoothly, I got the rough cut done fast which made it easier and less time consuming when I added other parts in as I knew exactly what I needed and if I needed to add more.

My biggest hurdle whilst filming was the lip syncing as I found it difficult to get it at the right point.

Filming

I decided to film a little bit more last weekend to add some visual metaphors to my video, I filmed various objects which I feel went well with the storyline, such cigarettes and alcohol. The filming I did made a massive difference to my video as I was able to make it faster with quicker cuts and editing.

White Stripes music video

I recently looked at a White Stripes music video, the song was The Hardest Button To Button. In the video the cuts are very smooth and match up with each beat well. As my song is the same genre as the song I got ideas from the video to make my video a much faster pace.

White Stripes- Hardest Button To Button

Shot list

Shot/s	Location	Duration
POV	Bathroom- looking into the sink	10 seconds
Establishing shot	Bedroom- Leo in bed	20 seconds
High angle shot	Bedroom- Leo in bed	20 seconds
Tracking shot	Street- Leo walking/running	10 seconds
Low angle shot	Stairway- Leo/Hector running down the stairs	20 seconds
Mid shot	Lip syncing (Leo)	2 minutes 30 seconds
Mid shot	Lip syncing (Hector)	2 minutes 30 seconds
Mid shot	Lip syncing (Isaac)	2 minutes 30 seconds
Full length shot	Band performing- In the box	3 minutes
Long shot	Bridge- Hector going crazy	20 seconds
Tracking shot	Leo running	10 seconds
Close up	Leo’s face	10 seconds
Extreme Close up	Leo’s eyes	10 seconds
Two shot	Band performing- In the box	3 minutes
Panning shot	Graveyard	10 seconds
Long shot	Woods- Leo standing still	10 seconds

Effects- extra research

After looking through the different effects and transitions I decided to add in some effects which have made my music video look very psychedelic. My music video now looks more the part, like a music video for Oasis or Blur. I did some extra research and admired the Oasis song- Champagne Supernova and also Lucy Sky With Diamonds by The Beatles video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g3C7DECI0jU

Editing update

Today I carried on editing my music video. I made the video a lot more fast pace with more quick cuts and shorter scenes. I also added more shots of the band playing together to make the genre obvious as they are an indie/rock band.

RE Equipment

Hi Kelly, Will have booked equipment ready for you.
Mrs Excell

Risk assessment

This is my risk assessment where i looked over the possibly health and safety issues that may arise when filming, so far all filming has run smoothly and nothing has gotten in the way.

Target audience outfits

These are collages that I made to give an idea of what my target audience may wear. I made the collages on a website called http://www.polyvore.com where you can put together outfits. My outfits are quite vintage looking because of the genre of my song being easy listening/ rock.

Filming

I did my first set of filming on Wednesday 24th October. The session was very successful and I managed to get around 16 minutes of film so I have a lot to choose from which i can edit for my final piece. I filmed the first scene with the main character waking up in bed, I focused a lot on the mise en scene in this scene and made sure there was bold colours to grab the audiences attention and give a straight idea of what the characters personality is like. I then filmed on a bridge, where the character is running along away from his stalker, i used a tracking shot to follow the camera and a still shot as he ran away from the camera. Whilst filming I found a nice stairway in an outdoors area which had good colour and helped to make an effective scene for my video.

Storyboard

This is my original basic storyboard. I am going to keep in line with this however I will not be afraid to take a risk and change my ideas and film extra.

Filming schedule

This is the timetable I made so I can keep on track of when and what I am filming and who I will need in the shot.

Band confirmation

This is a screen shot to show that I got permission from my band to use their music.

Equipment

Hi Kelly,
You may pick up the equipment on Monday 22nd.
Could you let me know when you are going to return it.
Many Thanks
Mrs Excell

Post it note ideas

This is my post it note storyboard I have created from my peer feedback. It includes the different shots, editing and mise en scene I am going to use in my music video. It will provide me with a general over view before I complete my final detailed storyboard.

Peer feedback

These are the ideas I have got from the peer feedback task. I like the idea of using canted angles because it will suit the mood of the song which is wild and exciting. By using flash cuts I will be able to show flashbacks of the main protagonists past and future life which will be shown through fast pace and parallel editing moving between the protagonists life and the band performing. Feedback I got given about the use of colour was dark colours, I do like this idea although I think to show the party side of the video I will also have to include some bright colours to show the fun side of it. This feedback has been very helpful and I am not going to move on to making a rough storyboard using post it notes before making my final storyboard.

Music Video Planning

Music Video Planning

The song that my music video is going to be about is a pain killer, called Tramadol. The band’s music is easy listening/garage giving a sort of psychedelic feel, with upbeat tunes. The subject of the song is very ‘out there’ but interesting, especially seeing as in many music videos and other media texts of today drug culture has grown into the party lifestyle, however the song does not promote or give any recommendation to taking the drug in any way. The song is about the highs and lows of someone’s experience on the drug that has been prescribe.

Bands that I would say are similar to Bagdad Scraps are Led Zeppelin and maybe the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Both these two bands inspire me, especially the Red Hot Chili Peppers music video to ‘give it away’ and ‘snow (hey oh)’ as they are something i would like to use as a guideline in a way to making my music video successful as I think although their music videos have quite a lot going on in them, they are also simple and sweet but creative and effective at the same time.

The locations I have been looking at as research are in a woods, quite typical but I am going to make it effective in my own way so it does not look samey. I’m going to try to get permission from different venues where the band performs to film them during performances so whilst I have a storyline going on I can also have cuts to the band in action during parts of the chorus.

 Many music videos that I have been looking at have different special effects and the ones that have especially stood out to me were in black and white such as Back To Black by Amy Winehouse, Good Song by Blur and I Just Don’t Know What To Do With Myself by White Stripes so I am going to consider using this as an effect on my own work.

I also like the idea of other people outside of the band doing some lip syncing, especially the idea of a younger person, like in the Black Eyed Peas music video to ‘Where Is The Love’. Camera shots that I also would like to use are long shots and maybe some hand held and point of view shots which may be quite risky but I do think it looks good, for example in Rockwell’s music video to Somebody’s Watching Me which worked very well with the meaning of the song and I could apply this well in my music video.

I was looking at music videos the other day and also liked the idea of the band members names coming up on the screen at the beginning of the video introducing who they are.

Target audience profile

The band

This is a picture of the band I am using, Bagdad Scraps. The bands brand image is laid back and quite casual but also wild and exciting at the same time which could be a challenge making the video although I think it will work because of the energy coming from both the band and the song.

Mood Board

This is a mood board I have created which involves the colours, events and people that the song relates to. I have used very bright colours to represent the party life style. The people you can see all have the typical 'rave' look which brings in the use of the images of the cigarettes and alcohol creating the 'rockstar' image.

Song lyrics- Tramadol by Bagdad Scraps

Tramadol

Tramadol, drives me up the fucking wall 


Day and night, i'm sick as a dog 


The doctors say, this one takes the pain away 


And i know they're right

So i don't put up a fight

What’s going down hit the town with a dose of powder

Broken bones getting stoned every 20 hours

Dividing your chromosomes while you're in the shower

Lets watch the moon shine girl put away your powder

…….now im delirious

You don’t watch the fuss when your delirious

…………when your delirious

I'm getting serious now I’m delirious

Woah woah woah woah x 4

Tramadol, a kick I’m trying to give it the slip

It's never gone when you're dodging the bed

Day and night aint nothing but a........

The morning light, so I can wait for the dark

What’s going down hit the town with a dose of power

Broken bones getting stoned every 20 hours

Dividing your chromosomes while you're in the shower

Lets watch the moon shine girl put away your powder

Hype Williams

Hype Williams

Harold ‘Hype’ Williams is an American music video and film director.The auteur theory comes into action with Hype Williams with many signature styles that he has.

A signature style used by Williams throughout the vast majority of his videos was the fish eye lens which distorted the camera view around the central focus. This was used in "Gimme Some More” by Busta Rhymes and “The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)" by Missy Eliott.

 Another "signature style" involves placing shots in regular widescreen ratio, while a second shot is split and placed in the upper and lower bars which are called banners. Videos that use this style include "Diamonds On My Neck" by Smitty, "So Sick" by Ne-Yo. "Check On It" by Beyonce and many others. In addition to this, he frequently uses aerial and tracking shots which often move backwards or forwards which can often be seen in "She's A Bitch" by Missy Elliott, "Not Myself Tonight" by Christina Aguilera and "Only U" by Ashanti.

Since 2003, Williams has adopted a signature style combining a centre camera focus on the artist or actor's body from the torso upward and a solid colour background with a soft different-colour light being shown in the centre of the background,. This has been displayed in "Gold Digger" by Kanye West, "Digital Girl" (Remix) by Jamie Foxx and Beyoncé's "Video Phone".

Other signature styles that Hype Williams has are the use of quick/flash cuts for example at the beginning of  Gold Digger and throughout Nicki Minaj's song Stupid Hoe. He also uses a lot of bold backdrops, again shown in Gold Digger. And as I have mentioned before, like in many R&B videos Hype Williams uses a lot of dancing girls, in videos such as TLC's- No scrubs and in Will Smiths song, get Jiggy With It.

Case study of Goodwin's theory on Gold Digger

 

 Goodwin's Theory On Kanye West Video-

Gold Digger

In Goodwin's theory there are 6 different

perspectives. Each of which I have looked at and found in Gold Digger

 Lyrics and Visuals

 

The message of the song is portrayed through

 many different themes such as the lyrics. 

On some occasions when Kanye says a line, a word is shown to represent it. For example when Kanye says ‘we want pre nupt, we want pre nupt’ a picture of a girl with the headline ‘pre nupt’ appears on the cover of a magazine. The mise en scene in the video is the use of loads of different beautiful girls who are obviously what Kanye West is referring to. The girls are all dressed quite provocatively which makes it obvious that the video is aimed at a male audience. 

                                                                                    Sound and Visuals

During the 20^th-23^rd second there is very quick cut editing of a woman in a shaky motion.  Each cut flashes to the sound of a drum beat. There are several images that the audience’s attention is drawn to in this editing which are the woman’s eyes, lips and body  which all looking very enticing for a male audience. 

 Genre characteristics 

Gold digger is clearly an R&B song and you can tell this in the music video through the video revolving around women who are wearing very seductive clothing. The dancing is also a clear convention of an R&B song as the music is upbeat adding to the clubbing feel.

 

                                                      

                                                       Demands of the record label

The demands of the record label are promoted on a couple of occasion during gold digger. For example Kanye’s known for starting the ‘shirt half tucked in half tucked out’ trend which he does in the video and many others. Also another that could be mentioned would be when Kanye is teaching one of the women his signature dance. There are a few close ups high lighting Kanye although it is usually expected that there would be more to help promote a set image of the singer.

 

 

 Emphasis on the look

As I have mentioned before, there is a lot of emphasis on women, with very few men in the video. There are loads of close ups of female body parts and women dancing and posing which supports the male gaze. The women are often looking straight forward into the camera connecting the audience with them

 Intertexual reference

 

 Intertexual references in the video are from the beginning where the signs ‘Beware’ and ‘Gold Digger’ are shown making it look as if it is a film. Throughout the video you see women on spread sheets of magazines making them look like models.