Storyboard - the second sequence

Storyboard from lilypeterson

Editing

To Edit my music video, I have chosen to use imovie because of the specialist editing features it provides in a simple and understandable way. 

These include:

• clip cutting, close clip cutting
• clip cropping, ken burns etc
• a range of filters e.g B&W
• a range of imovie templates
• visual effects e.g lens flare
• sound editing
• removal of sound, addition of sound effects including voice-overs,  
• the ability to add photos and video
• add text - can be used for video credits
• the ability to export files with control over their quality, and viewing devices

This is an example of me performing a form of sound control on imovie. Here, I split the sound from the motion clip, so that each could be seen separately. I then selected the green clip below the main image and deleted it. This way there will be no additional sound over the main video, distracting the audience from the main audio. As shown in my research, this is generally disliked by audiences because it takes away from the meaning of the whole song. As this is only a short clip from the video, I have had to repeat this process in producing the entirety to ensure that any background noise is removed - as in a professional music video.

Because I directed the video, there are voices in the background, in addition to the song being played as it is acted out. I utilised iTunes' feature which allows the audio to be 'split' from the video, and then deleted,  realism and professionalism. Before deleting the audio completely, I will initially turn the volume down so that it cam be raised if i need to do any fine precision editing as I continue to work on my music video.

I made use of the marker tool, which allows me to add small pointers on both the audio track on and on any images used, this means that i know where certain frames need to come in, or marking an important part of the song.

Stop-motion: The opening sequence

I tested different types of framing used in test shots before making my final decision:

Initial opinion: I thought the odd camera angle might aid in setting a darker mood

Retrospective opinion: messy, hard to focus on the letters, angle doesn't fully show the individual pieces of paper.

  

These are the final pictures I used in the introduction to my video. I decided to use this framing; inspired by a video I discovered on YouTube whilst conducting my research. I chose to line the cards up and work backwards,taking them away with each shot in order to keep them in the same place; ensuring continuity throughout the video.

Storyboarding from lilypeterson

First draft

This is the first draft of my music video; some of which isn't properly synced, with black spaces where artistic clips should be.

Shot types and their meaning

Framing or Shot Length:

Each different shot has a different purpose and effect. A change between two different shots is called a cut.

1. Extreme long shot

This can be taken from as much as a quarter of a mile away, and is generally used as a scene-setting, establishing shot. It normally shows an EXTERIOR, eg the outside of a building, or a landscape, and is often used to show scenes of thrilling action - in a war film or disaster movie. There will be very little detail visible in the shot, it's meant to give a general impression rather than specific information.

2. Long Shot

This is the most difficult to categorise precisely, but is generally one which shows the image as approximately "life" size ie corresponding to the real distance between the audience and the screen in a cinema (the figure of a man would appear as six feet tall). This category includes the FULL SHOT showing the entire human body, with the head near the top of the frame and the feet near the bottom. While the focus is on characters, plenty of background detail still emerges.

3. Medium Shot

Contains a figure from the knees/waist up and is normally used for dialogue scenes, or to show some detail of action. Variations on this include the TWO SHOT (containing two figures from the waist up) and the THREE SHOT (contains 3 figures)  Any more than three figures and the shot tends to become a long shot. Background detail is minimal, probably because location has been established earlier in the scene - the audience already know where they are and now want to focus on dialogue and character interaction. Another variation in this category is the OVER-THE-SHOULDER-SHOT, which positions the camera behind one figure, revealing the other figure, and part of the first figure's back, head and shoulder. This is useful in

4. Close-Up

This shows very little background, and concentrates on either a face, or a specific detail of mise en scène. Everything else is just a blur in the background. This shot magnifies the object (think of how big it looks on a cinema screen) and shows the importance of things, be it words written on paper, or the expression on someone's face. The close-up takes us into the mind of a character. In reality, we only let people that we really trust get THAT close to our face - mothers, children and lovers, usually - so a close up of a face is a very intimate shot. A film-maker may use this to make us feel extra comfortable or extremely uncomfortable about a character, and usually uses a zoom lens in order to get the required framing.

5. Extreme Close-Up

An extreme version of the close up - generally magnifying beyond what the human eye would experience in reality. An extreme close-up of a face, for instance, would show only the mouth or eyes, with no background detail whatsoever. This is a very artificial shot, and can be used for dramatic effect. The tight focus required means that extra care must be taken when setting up and lighting the shot - the slightest camera shake or error in focal length is very noticeable.

Camera Angles:

The relationship between the camera and the object being photographed (i.e. the ANGLE) gives emotional information to an audience, and guides their judgment about the character or object in shot. The more extreme the angle, the more symbolic and heavily-loaded the shot.

1. The Bird's-Eye view

This shows a scene from directly overhead, a very unnatural and strange angle. Familiar objects viewed from this angle might seem totally unrecognisable at first (umbrellas in a crowd, dancers' legs). This shot does, however, put the audience in a godlike position, looking down on the action. People can be made to look insignificant, ant-like, part of a wider scheme of things. Hitchcock (and his admirers, like Brian de Palma) is fond of this style of shot.

2. High Angle

Not so extreme as a bird's eye view. The camera is elevated above the action using a crane to give a general overview. High angles make the object photographed seem smaller, and less significant (or scary). The object or character often gets swallowed up by their setting - they become part of a wider picture.

3. Eye Level

A fairly neutral shot; the camera is positioned as though it is a human actually observing a scene, so that eg actors' heads are on a level with the focus. The camera will be placed approximately five to six feet from the ground.

4. Low Angle

These increase height (useful for short actors like Tom Cruise or James McAvoy) and give a sense of speeded motion. Low angles help give a sense of confusion to a viewer, of powerlessness within the action of a scene. The background of a low angle shot will tend to be just sky or ceiling, the lack of detail about the setting adding to the disorientation of the viewer. The added height of the object may make it inspire fear and insecurity in the viewer, who is psychologically dominated by the figure on the screen.

5. Oblique/Canted Angle

Sometimes the camera is tilted (ie is not placed horizontal to floor level), to suggest imbalance, transition and instability (very popular in horror movies). This technique is used to suggest POINT-OF-View shots (ie when the camera becomes the 'eyes' of one particular character, seeing what they see — a hand held camera is often used for this.

Camera Movement

A director may choose to move action along by telling the story as a series of cuts, going from one shot to another, or they may decide to move the camera with the action. Moving the camera often takes a great deal of time, and makes the action seem slower, as it takes several second for a moving camera shot to be effective, when the same information may be placed on screen in a series of fast cuts. Not only must the style of movement be chosen, but the method of actually moving the camera must be selected too. There are seven basic methods:

1. Pans

A movement which scans a scene horizontally. The camera is placed on a tripod, which operates as a stationary axis point as the camera is turned, often to follow a moving object which is kept in the middle of the frame.

2. Tilts

A movement which scans a scene vertically, otherwise similar to a pan.

3. Dolly Shots

Sometimes called TRUCKING or TRACKING shots. The camera is placed on a moving vehicle and moves alongside the action, generally following a moving figure or object. Complicated dolly shots will involve a track being laid on set for the camera to follow, hence the name. The camera might be mounted on a car, a plane, or even a shopping trolley (good method for independent film-makers looking to save a few dollars). A dolly shot may be a good way of portraying movement, the journey of a character for instance, or for moving from a long shot to a close-up, gradually focusing the audience on a particular object or character.

4. Hand-held shots

The hand-held movie camera first saw widespread use during World War II, when news reporters took their windup Arriflexes and Eyemos into the heat of battle. After the war, it took a while for commercially produced movies to catch up, and documentary makers led the way, demanding the production of smaller, lighter cameras that could be moved in and out of a scene with speed, producing a "fly-on-the-wall" effect.This aesthetic took a while to catch on with mainstream Hollywood, as it gives a jerky, ragged effect,contrasting the smoothness that a dolly shot provides. The Steadicam (a heavy contraption which is attached a camera to an operator by a harness. The camera is stabilized so it moves independently) was debuted in Marathon Man (1976), bringing a new smoothness to hand held camera movement and has been used to great effect in movies and TV shows ever since. Hand held cameras denote a certain kind of gritty realism, and they can make the audience feel as though they are part of a scene, rather than viewing it from a detached, frozen position.

5. Crane Shots

(Dolly-shots-in-the-air.) A crane has the ability move up, down, left, right, swooping in on action or moving diagonally out of it. The camera operator and camera are counter-balanced by a heavy weight, and trust their safety to a skilled crane/jib operator.

6. Zoom Lenses

A zoom lens contains a mechanism that changes the magnification of an image. On a still camera, this means that the photographer can get a 'close up' shot while still being some distance from the subject. A video zoom lens can change the position of the audience, either very quickly (a smash zoom) or slowly, without moving the camera an inch, thus saving a lot of time and trouble. The drawbacks to zoom use include the fact that while a dolly shot involves a steady movement similar to the focusing change in the human eye, the zoom lens tends to be jerky (unless used very slowly) and to distort an image, making objects appear closer together than they really are. Zoom lenses are also drastically over-used by many directors (including those holding palmcorders), who try to give the impression of movement and excitement in a scene where it does not exist. Use with caution - and a tripod!

7. The Aerial Shot

Health and Safety Grid

In making a music video, it is important that possible risk factors are established prior to filming. This means that controls can be put in place to reduce, or minimise the risk at hand. Below shows a table which I will refer to during the planning, filming, and production to ensure my product is of the highest standard possible.

Set and costume design

Mise-en-scene: Lighting I have to consider the lighting of the frame for several reasons: -visibility of the actor -to reflect the mood of piece -conform/contrast existing videos -etc. Location Choreography Cast: . Physical attributes that aid character development: Braces, dark brown hair, average height, does not have 'clear' skin, pale.  This person was chosen because he fits the stereotype that I am aiming to reflect in my video. He also has the ability to play the guitar, which is a crucial element of my video, as it is something that the audience specified that they like to see in a narrative music video. In addition to this, he is an 'arts' student, meaning that being in the video will enable him to further develop his acting techniques. This is also beneficial in terms of the communication of meaning and emotion; this should be heightened because of his prior acting experience, adding an element of professionalism to my work. The issue with using a minor in my work is that I need to make sure that I have parental consent to post pictures, and videos of him for it to be deemed ethical. The right 'image' for my protagonist is essential in making it visually obvious to the audience what kind of person he is, and the type of lifestyle that he may live because of the lack of dialogue which would clarify this. My audience research showed that an audience is likely to get bored of watching the video if it is longer than the actual song; and can detract from how much they like it.  original prop list revised prop list including original costs I have put together a props list consisting of all that is essential to have during filming. Each time that I film part of my video, I will refer back to this list to ensure I have everything I need; thus making my filming easier, more efficient, and overall more organised. By creating this list I have worked out the amount of extra money I would need to produce them, which I can then plan for and organise my filming dates based on when I get the money for the props required, and the time to go and get them. Fortunately, most of the necessary props I already own, or have at home meaning that I have far less to shop for. Costume & Props: The original costumes: I originally used images gathered from google to help me plan costumes because of the vast amount of different images of different clothing which aided me in developing the most ideal costume with reference to the narrative. I then applied the basic ideas, as gathered from google images, to what I can realistically utilise in the production of my video. The final cosumes are presented below. The 'bed' costume: Adidas joggers: recognisably 'chavy' brand, hole in the leg reinforces this. Dark colours reinforce genre characteristics. Socks: Add an element of colour and add individualism to his personality.  Shirt-less: Adds realism; many people sleep shirt-less.  The 'street' costume: Hat: The style of the hat connotes youth and rebellion. I chose orange because it makes his character stand out more, and separates him from the generally dark colours that are used within the general mise-en-scene, aided by the low key lighting.  Jeans: Dark colours reinforce genre characteristics. Hoodie: Dark colours reinforce genre characteristics, the concept of a hoodie connotes youth  Shoes: Dark colours reinforce genre characteristics. The 'home' costume: Jeans: Dark colours reinforce genre characteristics.  Socks: Add an element of colour and individualism to his personality.  T-shirt: Dark colours reinforce genre characteristics. Plain black helps keep distraction away from his face in shots ranging from mid-shot to close up. Hair & Make up: After: During:      During:      Filming diary:  talking to camera (video)  updated regularly an on location.  Communication:  E-mails NO EMAILS SENT In the production of my music video and ancillary texts I have not needed to send an email, this is because everyone I have needed to contact for the production I have had phone numbers for, and as this method of communication allows quick questions to be asked with a quick response; it seemed most fitting to disregard the use of e-mail. However, e-mail has certain advantages that I had not accounted for such as having a record of what was discussed. Letters NO LETTERS SENT As with e-mail, in the production of my music video and ancillary texts I have not needed to send a letter because everyone I have needed to contact for the production I have had phone numbers for. Because letters take much more time and require further planning in contrast to other forms of communication, they are not as efficient, therefore remained unused. Texts messages 1. Asking for the earphones - needed to edit the first lot of filming. As he had them on him, that meant that I could not edit that day, which slowed my progress. 2. Thursday's skateboard filming (continued below)- This went well. In the phone call I instructed him on what CLOTHES,and SHOES he should wear. Add caption Summary of phone calls to show organisational skills  Weather forecasts:  Doing prior planing around weather means that I can select dates to film based on the visual aesthetic it provides. As the video aims to reflect a melancholic atmosphere; the weather must also reflect this in order to provide realism, and to heighten the mood that I am trying to create.

Behind the scenes: 

evidence of preparation of production e.g. setting up tracking, tripods and directing cast. 

Exploring the relationship between social class and music taste.

I failed to understand the relationship between social class and music taste prior to Tim, and Becky's teaching. I then wanted to explore this further to aid my understanding of the work I am producing. In addition to this; I now understand how and why a music video, and music in general will appeal to certain demographics of society, so that i can specifically target them in my production. Below shows some of the websites I visited in my research.

http://news.ubc.ca/2015/06/03/what-musical-taste-tells-us-about-social-class/

This page focuses on music taste with reference to  a study whereby around 1,600 telephone interviews took place with adults in Vancouver and Toronto, who were asked about their likes and dislikes of 21 musical genres. 

The study, “Class Position and Musical Tastes: A Sing-Off between the Cultural Omnivorism and Bourdieusian Homology Frameworks” is published in the Canadian Review of Sociology

The page concludes that:

•Poorer, less-educated people tended to like country, disco, easy listening, golden oldies, heavy metal and rap. Meanwhile, their wealthier and better-educated counterparts preferred genres such as classical, blues, jazz, opera, choral, pop, reggae, rock, world and musical theatre.•Wealth and education do not influence a person’s breadth of musical taste. However, class and other factors – such as age, gender, immigrant status and ethnicity – shape our musical tastes in interesting and complex ways.•What people don’t want to listen to also plays a key role in creating class boundaries. Veentsra states that “What upper class people like is disliked by the lower class, and vice versa,”. For example, the least-educated people in the study were over eight times more likely to dislike classical music compared to the best-educated respondents. Meanwhile, lowbrow genres such as country, easy listening and golden oldies were disliked by higher-class listeners.
•"Breadth of taste is not linked to class. But class filters into specific likes and dislikes," said Gerry Veenstra, study author and professor at UBC's Department of Sociology.
•The study involved nearly 1,600 telephone interviews with adults in Vancouver and Toronto, who were asked about their likes and dislikes of 21 musical genres. Veenstra himself is partial to easy listening, musical theatre and pop.
•Poorer, less-educated people tended to like country, disco, easy listening, golden oldies, heavy metal and rap. Meanwhile, their wealthier and better-educated counterparts preferred genres such as classical, blues, jazz, opera, choral, pop, reggae, rock, world and musical theatre.

http://phys.org/news/2015-06-musical-social-class.html

This page also focuses on music taste with reference to the same study using telephone interviews concerning the likes and dislikes of 21 musical genres in the adult population. 

•"Breadth of taste is not linked to class. But class filters into specific likes and dislikes," said Gerry Veenstra, study author and professor at UBC's Department of Sociology.
•The study involved nearly 1,600 telephone interviews with adults in Vancouver and Toronto, who were asked about their likes and dislikes of 21 musical genres. Veenstra himself is partial to easy listening, musical theatre and pop.
•Poorer, less-educated people tended to like country, disco, easy listening, golden oldies, heavy metal and rap. Meanwhile, their wealthier and better-educated counterparts preferred genres such as classical, blues, jazz, opera, choral, pop, reggae, rock, world and musical theatre.

http://www.psmag.com/books-and-culture/musical-tastes-mirror-class-divides

Summary of webpage:

• "The odds of postgraduates claiming to like classical music in my sample was more than three times as high as the odds of people with less than a high school diploma claiming the same." 

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/cars.12068/abstract;jsessionid=B40B548CDDE9CD526CF73CFB84EF744A.f01t02

Class Position and Musical Tastes: A Sing-Off between the Cultural Omnivorism and Bourdieusian Homology Frameworks

"The longstanding debate between the homology and omnivorism approaches to the class bases of cultural tastes and practices rages on in cultural sociology. The homology thesis claims that class positions throughout the class hierarchy are accompanied by specified cultural tastes and specialized modes of appreciating them while the cultural omnivorism thesis contends that elites are (increasingly) characterized by a breadth of cultural tastes of any and all kinds."

Where the video may feature

Youtube

Statistics from https://www.youtube.com/yt/press/statistics.html

• More than 1 billion unique users visit YouTube each month

• Over 6 billion hours of video are watched each month on YouTube—that's almost an hour for every person on Earth

• 100 hours of video are uploaded to YouTube every minute

• 80% of YouTube traffic comes from outside the US

• YouTube is localized in 61 countries and across 61 languages

• According to Nielsen, YouTube reaches more US adults ages 18-34 than any cable network

• Millions of subscriptions happen each day. The number of people subscribing daily is up more than 3x since last year, and the number of daily subscriptions is up more than 4x since last year

Youtube is a reasonable option to upload my video to because I can gain feedback on the video through web2.0; allowing the audience to make any comments that they have on the video. This makes it an effective way of promotion.  In addition to this, posting to YouTube is easy and free, and allows for 1080p quality videos. The downside to YouTube is the vast amount of other videos that are on the site -not all of which are music related. Because there is such a huge choice for the audience, it means that competition for views is increased.  overcome through means of external promotion on social media.