Booking my Location - College Drama Studio

I chose to use the drama studio at my college as my location for filming, it is very convenient to get to and I have access to the camera, tripods, white screen and studio lights.
The white wall/screen was the most important thing to me because that is what I wanted the whole background to be covered by to reinforce my continuous image of focalisation of my artist. 
The white background also contrasts with the high amount of colour in my video which makes it stand out more, another aspect I wanted to achieve following with the genre of pop.
However it is often used for the drama classes and you need to book in advance, this causing a problem and has caused delays to my filming schedule so I needed to compromise and in some cases I filmed in my own home such as, the extreme close ups of the lips singing as lighting wasn't as needed, also the filming I did for my overlays and colour effects I filmed outside in natural daylight over a white background as I wouldn't be able to use the TV studio for this because of how messy it would be, and the need for a high amount of water because of the constant re filming to get the shots looking perfect.

Analysing my video - In terms of feminism

Male Gaze

From researching and watching a lot of music videos where the main artist is a woman, I have noticed how often they are represented and shown under the ‘male gaze’ (Laura Mulvey) and are sexualised and objectified for the visual pleasure of a man. However I feel my own video takes a feminist approach and breaks these boundaries. Common features of the male gaze in music videos are; the camera lingering on a woman’s body, especially curves and bare skin. Also women being identified and relegated to a status lower than that of a man.

I always wanted my artist to be a key, strong and independent female icon. I didn't feel the need to include other characters in the video, especially not a love interest or a male as it wouldn't fit with the song and wouldn't be necessary. By only having one ‘character’ it creates the image that I wanted to portray of a key figure and keeps the focus on the actions of my artist.

This also links with my target audience where my intention was to present my artist in a positive way as a role model and icon for teenagers and young adults, I think that this works well as she is not promoting any harmful or explicit messages to the audience.

Clothing and exposure are also a key part of the male gaze, especially where the less a woman is wearing the 'better'. Even though my target audience is young adults who would most likely be interested in fashion and clothing, I chose not to highlight what my artist was wearing as again, I wanted her to be the main focus and not material items like her clothing, which wouldn't really show her personality which was one of my aims. I kept the outfit simple with a black t shirt and jeans(which were hardly visible throughout the video) as the rest of the video was incredibly busy with colours, textures and effects and I thought block coloured clothing would work best against this.

To conclude, the idea and aim of my video is to focus on the message my artist is putting across, through her song and her actions, that women can be independent and do what they want. Instead of a focus on what she is wearing and how she looks. This extremely contrasts with the post modern view of 'style over substance' as my video almost criticizes this too, where the meaning is valued higher than the appearance. 

Rihanna and Shakira 

Lorde

Robin Thicke 

Audience Feedback for my Music Video

As part of my audience feedback to help improve my music video, our media class conducted a session where we rotated around the classroom watching and giving anonymous feedback on each others music videos, only one of the questionnaires isn't anonymous as the respondant gave her name in error but this hasn't caused any problems during my changes.
Below are the scanned copies of the questionnaires which I asked my class mates to fill in after watching my video.

Strengths of my music video:
From my audience feedback I have noted the things in which other people like about my video, some which I didn't necessarily think worked but it has helped me to get other peoples perspectives of my work.

Most of the respondents liked the use of text/title at the beginning and end of my video 
which is something I also like and will definitely keep it.

A lot of people also liked the overlay I used throughout the video of food colouring and ink.

Another strength and something I learnt from the audience feedback was how people understood the signs throughout my video such as pop and being out of control. The majority interpreted it the way I wanted them too and understood why I chose to include certain props etc.

Weaknesses and things to improve:
Most people mentioned that some of my footage including lip syncing is out of place which is something I can fix by simple editing and moving the clips to fit with the timing of the music. I may also need to cut some of my footage to fit in time with the music.

Another thing I need to change about my video which I learnt from the audience feedback was an issue with the colours and coverage at certain parts of my video where the overlay looks too heavy and you can't see the artist well enough, causing an issue with my idea and picture of a strong and iconic artist who should be bold and constantly the focus of the video. To recover this I am going to need to re watch my whole video and make sure the percentage of the opacity is correct and works well with the image underneath it. 

Another area of my video I need to improve on which was suggested by my audience feedback is how the artist is static and we only really get one camera angle focusing on the front of the artist. I agree with this feedback because I feel that the video gets slightly 'boring' with just one perspective, however my idea was to keep all focus on the artist and their strong image and in some aspects using a range of different perspectives and camera angles may have taken this image away and brought more focus onto the way the music video has been filmed instead of who is in the video and what I want to represent. Now that I have nearly finished my video and have certainly finished all filming for it, it will be a challenge to re film parts in different angles, this leads on to my reason for adding more depth and dimension to my video by adding colour and dripping water which makes it aesthetic and 'visually interesting' 

Skills Development Journal: Tutorials

Being the first time I have edited footage, especially on Premier Pro -  there were some effects and editing techniques that I hadn't mastered but wanted to use in my video. Because of this I looked into searching for tutorials on Youtube, here are some of the tutorials I found, and how they helped me.
I have overlays over the majority of my video, the aim being to add depth and meaning, especially as the added colours act as a sign

Overlays and opacity

 To create this effect of my actress with the colours falling behind her I needed to create layers and use opacity.
I imported the footage I needed, in this case - my actress lip syncing and extreme close up footage of food colouring going into a bowl of water. I aligned my footage so the overlay was on top of my lip syncing. I then brought down the opacity  of the colour and water because it is on the top, priority, line. To reduce the opacity I just dragged the thin yellow line down to whatever percentage suited, in some cases it would be more because of the lighting.
I don't need to adjust the opacity in the footage of my actress because I want her to be as bold as possible with the colour over the top.

Test Footage

This is the test footage I filmed for my music video before finishing the whole video. 
I do not have enough footage to produce a full video, therefore I have created this small video to show examples of shots and styles I want to include in my original video.
I have included captions throughout the video of why I filmed/included the certain shots.

I have decided that I will continue filming in the same location as I filmed my test footage in, the lighting works well and produces a clear image of the artist. I also like how the white background contrasts with my models hair and black shirt, and this has come out well from exporting the final test footage. 

To film in the same studio I need to contact my model and also the tutor who's room it is, this has caused problems and delays to my filming due to the studio frequently being fully booked and booking is hard for my model as it clashes with things shes already booked in. 

I will be including some of the shots from my test footage to the original video and so will need to make sure the artist looks exactly the same - same hairstyle, make up and outfit.


Editing this test footage has given me an insight of how I will edit the overall video, and the importance of keeping the clips short and cutting to the beat to keep the fun and vibrant feel to the video.

After importing and editing this footage I also noticed parts of it weren't in focus, something I didn't notice whilst I was filming. I wouldn't include this footage in the video as it is unclear and doesn't match the rest of the focused footage.

I have also learnt that I need to include more props and colours - which is why I wrote an updated prop list of things I need to buy and bring to my next shoot. You can read this here

UPDATED PROP LIST

Popcorn
Popcorn holder (bowl/box)
Balloons 
Models own shoes - 3 different pairs.
Bubble gum (pink)
Various hats
A chair or a stool
Models own jacket - to take off and on
Black T Shirt
Fake Moustaches
Party Poppers

To Do - Film and Shots List

Below is a list of footage I need to film for my video, I decided to make a 'To-Do' list to keep all my ideas organised and so I can clearly check what I have filmed and what I haven't.

-Overall lip syncing; a range of both close ups and medium shots to provide a range of footage.

-Blowing a bubble from bubble gum; to retain the house style and constant theme of 'pop' from both the name of the song and genre of the song. Close up shot.

-Blowing a kiss; Medium shot.

-Eating popcorn; Again, a reference to 'pop'. Long shot 

-Chucking popcorn at camera and in the air; Long shot

-Jumping in and out of shot with different shoes on. Close up from a 'worms view' or low angle but also a high angle to get a range of different perspectives. Also film feet - dancing, tapping foot in time to the music

-Facial Expressions; winking, laughing, blowing a kiss, smiling - focus on features.

- Speed up footage; Long shot, trying different jackets/hats on and walking in and out of shot.

Pre Production Planning; Production Treatment - Lyrics, Timing

As part of my pre production planning, I wrote out the lyrics to my song and matched the timing with what visuals I would want to film at that time.

The time is the time that the certain lyrics recorded finish.

The language is informal and slang like because they are rough notes and I had to note them down quickly with the pace of the music.

When filming, this document has proven to be very useful as I have already planned what I want the actress to do/sing etc which has saved time but I can change and edit this as I go along and film different sections if things don't work out, it is just a rough plan of my ideas.

Target Audience Moodboard

I decided to make a moodboard to identify my specific target audience, I am aiming my music video at 16-21 year olds (more specifically - females). I chose to represent this through a mood board as you can easily see the visual influences my music video has had, the interests of my target audience, similar artists I think they would like, and artists who influence them.
Firstly I included 3 images of Lady Gaga, I chose to include these images because she was a key influence for myself when deciding what style of music video I wanted to create, and also what style of music I should choose to use for my video. She is a key pop icon and has an incredibly unique and quirky style, I liked this as I wanted my video to be a bit different and unusual. 

I included two images of Marina and the diamonds, Here you can tell her makeup is very bold and strong and is an image I wanted to re create. I have tried to create that in this look with a simple and bold eye and bright lip. (INCLUDE PICTURE) To me, as well as Lady Gaga she is a key female pop musician and this is shown by her music. Marina has a somewhat 'bubble gum pop' feel to her music. Key colours are pink and white and has a 'soft grunge' feel to her style. This was one of my major influences of my music video. She is the most musical influence for my song too.

The third musician I included in my target audience was Katy Perry, I am not as influenced by her music style other than the pop genre. But of her colourfulness and this is what she is represented as in the media. Her style represents the genre of music she produces well. She also produces chart music, which is something I do not neccesarily want to re create because I want an aspect of originality. However she is played on the station BBC Radio 1 a lot, and this is something I would imagine my song being played on. 

I have also included one image of Lorde, who has just made an appearance on the music scene. She is only 16 years old and is already an icon to a lot of people. My model is going to be playing a young artist, around the age of 18 so I thought including Lorde would present the age area I will be trying to direct my music at, but also the age of the artist them self and how this will influence their music.

Alexa Chung is seen as a style icon to many, but I included her in my mood board as her style is very relatable to the fashion taste of those in my target audience. Also because of aspects of Alexa's private life which would interest my audience as she has had relationships with recent band members like Alex Turner from The Arctic Monkeys which would interest most young people who are interested into that style of music.

I also included images I found from the internet to help present the style of my music. I created a sense of Pop Art with the 4 contrasting coloured images of the lips. Especially influenced by Andy Warhol's art. Also with the splattered paint image which creates a grunge and rebellious image - subtly linking with the youth aspect.
The 'Pop' image links with the pop art image I am trying to create, as does the pink tape, it is contrasting with the youthful image as tapes are very out dated and can now be seen as stylish and retro - something that is loved by a lot of young people today.

Two more images I included were of make up looks I would like to re create for my video. The close up of the eye shows a pop of colour on the eye lid - pink to match my 'bubble gum' house style.

As said before, I included the BBC Radio 1 logo, just for emphasis on the kind of media/radio market I would be trying to reach with my song and video. This channel would also be on the interests of my target audience as they play to audiences similar to mine and also play a lot of popular music but new and upcoming bands too.

The TV channels I think my target audience would like to watch are BBC Three and E4, both which are aimed at the younger market compared to most channels.  This is just an emphasis on my target audience as they would like entertainment shows which have been specifically aimed at them. 

The interests of my target audience would be; reading magazines such as Company and NME, possibly online blogs including style,make up and fashion on sites such as Tumblr and Blogger. Also using other social media sites such as Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. 
They would also be interested in fashion with brands and shops such as Topshop, Converse, H&M and Vans - also which sell to the younger market. And make up and experimenting with styles. 

Skills Development Journal: Title

In a previous post I learnt how to include a  basic title sequence into my footage. (here)
As I have started editing for my first cut of the video I wanted to experiment with different styles of fonts and sizes until I came up with the font, colour and size I would like to use for my video. 
In the post called 'Music Video Analysis' (which you can find here) I said how I was inspired by Jessie J's music video for 'Wild' in the terms of the text at the beginning. This is how I came to creating a similar style for m

 This is part of the title editing pop up, here you can change the font, colour, style, spacing, and orientation of your text.

I chose to use the font 'Century Gothic' which is already installed on Adobe Premier Pro, I made it bigger and turned it bold. Although I liked the font used for the Jessie J video, I wanted to put my own spin on it and so instead didn't use the exact same font.

 This is a section of the editing bar where you can choose the colour of your text, here I opted for simple white to give a more polished and modern effect.

 Once I had finished editing my text, I imported it into the video editing bar. Because it is a title sequence I wanted it right at the beginning. I aligned it to start at the same time as my first shot.

 This is what the beginning of the music video will look like.

Pre Production Planning; Equipment List

Above is an equipment list I created to help me remember what equipment/accessories I would need to film part of my video, This is only suitable for an inside location (studio lights/extension lead would not be able to work outdoors) which I am filming on the 15th November in a drama studio. For any other locations I will need to create another list which would be applicable. This also links with the RECCE Checklist I completed in another post. 

Pre Production Planning; Recce Document

For safety reasons I removed the full name of the college I am working at however in the original document all parts have been filled in.

This is a Recce Checklist which I chose to fill in for the benefits of organisation, it is in more depth than my Equipment list (see other blog posts) as it addresses certain items I wouldn't have thought of. 
I have also added small notes to remind me and to go into more detail about certain aspects of the check list.
 I wouldn't have thought to do a Recce before being told about them in lessons, but it has now given me an insight of how directors and producers in the media industry would have to prepare their sets for filming which has been incredibly useful to me.

Pre Production Planning; Risk Assessment

I have removed the exact location and my mobile number for safety reasons but the original is completely filled in

I was unaware of risk assessment forms before I started to film my music video but I soon realised that it is essential to do a location risk assessment and the information you collect is very important for the safety of you and any other participants. 
If I decide to use a second location I know that I need to complete a new risk assessment form. 

Music Video Analyses

1)Gotye - Somebody that I used to know

This video is inspiration for my music video because of the use of camera angles used, for example this medium close up is an example of a shot I will use in my video, I think it draws emphasis on the face and would work well if the actor was going to lip sync, especially if they are in front of a white background. 

This shot also has very natural light, it brings out the natural features of the artists face, nothing is too harsh and relates to the genre and vibe of the song which is quite mellow. 

Another aspect of this video that I like is the use of "costumes" - I like the idea of painting parts of the body to match the walls, it looks artistic and fits with lyrics and theme of changing. I wouldn't go as far to painting the entire body but I like how the colours are the main point in these scenes, as his body gets painted over and almost disappears, I am thinking of using brightly coloured make up on my model to add to the "electro pop" vibe.
The performance in this is not too out there and wild, it is slow and calm and although the genre of my song is very different to this one I have taken the idea from this video that my actress wont need to go too crazy and wild, and performing in front of a plain background can work, this also links with the use of editing and camera work, both are quite slow and no harsh cuts are used which I like, however I may have to do some quick cuts for my own video especially when the beat drops. But the main aspect I will take from this video is that you do not need to go over board with effects and editing and can still make an iconic video especially by the quality of filming. 

2) Jessie J-  Wild 
This video has inspired my own music video in many ways, firstly the fashion and style of the main artist, she wears statement jewelry and a simple outfit the make her self stand out in front of the simple background. 
The background has also inspired the back drop for my video, I want it to be shot in a studio with clips establishing this with examples of screens within screens, studio lights and professional camera equipment to set the scene. 

I was inspired to just use one model as I think it creates a sense of power and independence, it also fits with the style of my song which is electro pop and this is similar to the pop genre of "Wild" 
The target audience for this song is also similar to mine of 16-21 year olds especially women, I would also want my song to appear in the same places as this song, such as on Radio One, and the top 40 chart.
Another part of the video I like how the artists name and the title of the song are in a very simple sans serif font, It creates the image of simplicity and looks very modern and works well with the style of the music, I also think it would fit well with my genre and as my house style is going to be white and pink I would probably include the contrast of the font as pink on a white background. 

The editing style of this video has also inspired how I would edit my footage, when the tempo is fast and parts of the song are up beat the cuts are very quick, I have decided to use this as I think it would add to the "electro" theme. But when the artist is singing in depth and the beat is quite slow, the cuts aren't as quick and I like this as I think it gives a wide variety of editing styles and makes sure the footage relates to the tempo of the song.
A camera angle which I am going to use for my own video is a close up of the artists face. 
Another shot I may use from inspiration of this video is an establishing shot of the studio and the graffiti wall. This will help to set the scene and tell the audience where the video is being filmed. I think it will also create more of a range of angles as I planned to use a lot of close ups and a range of shots will help give my video a more professional look.

This is a mind map I made whilst watching the video, I then turned these notes into the above text.

McFly - Love Is On The Radio
The third music video I have chosen to analyse is of a similar genre to the song I have chosen for my own music video (pop) it also relates to the same target audience of young people - mainly girls - and will also be aiming to reach the weekly top 40 charts.
One of the aspects I like about this video is the colouring and filters, the studio backdrop is obviously very bright but it doesn't look overly edited and has only probably been brightened slightly, I like this effect as I think it keeps the with a natural style(similar to Gotye) but I can change how bright I would like my video depending on what colours I include in my video.
I also like the performances of these artists, they are showing their personalities and it seems like there is no set scrip and the artists could do whatever they wanted. Because of this I think this video is a lot more fun and not as serious as the others I have analysed and is something I would like to include in my video as I want to make it seem as lively and fun as possible to fit in with the cheery pop genre.
There are only two main camera shots used in this video, the first being close ups which I have already established I would like to use in my own video, I like how in this video they use the shot of a close up to interact with the camera and the audience which also helps present their personalities. The second main angles used are long shots which establishes the scene and distinguishes the separate members of the band and sometimes the band as a whole, I also think it creates an image of a lot of space, which continues the image that they have been given free run of a studio as they're only a few props they would've brought in themselves.

This is a mind map I made whilst watching the video, I then turned these notes into the above text.

Experimental Filming

Our media teacher gave us an excercise to practise our filming and editing skills before we started filming for our actual video, we had to try and include as many examples of camera angles as possible and use continuous editing to make it look like we came out of different doors.
This was a challenge for me as I had never done something like this before, I was the model and so had to make my actions look realistic but I found it hard to match up the actions of leaving one door and entering into another. 
I feel like I have learnt from filming this small scene and editing it that I will not use continuous editing in my final video as it is something I struggle with and may take up a bit of my time trying to edit it.
Another thing that I need to improve is camera work, I didn't film this video as I was the model so another student was behind the camera filming me, because of this I didn't get much experience of filming and when it came to editing some of the shots I hadn't seen fully, I have learnt from this and before I film my actual video I am going to shoot test footage to get used to the camera I am going to use and edit the footage all by myself so I can create the product how I would like my actual music video to turn out like.
But a strong point from filming this was the way I got to use different camera shots for example; 

 I would say this is an establishing shot as it shows everything in the scene and establishes what door I am going into. 

 High medium close up, draws attention to where I am going and that I am in the lift.

 Another medium close up, we filmed me walking to link up with the next scene but I don't think it works very well and would've been something I would change.

                                                                       Long shot