Evaluation

In what ways does your media product use develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

Although all music videos are different, many of them follow along the same basic conventions. Most music videos typically use a large number of shots, many of which have fast cuts so that they add life to the video and keep the viewer interested. There is also a range of shots used; however there are predominantly close ups of the artist to show their emotion, mid shots to show their composure and their attire, and finally long shots to show the location they are in so that the viewer can get the full picture. Pan shots are also quite often used in music videos as they can make the viewer feel more involved as they are moving with the camera. Some videos also take this concept to the next level by having their whole video made up of one continuously moving shot. For most of the music videos, the editing is quite basic with most of the cuts being straight cuts as adding effects to them all can make a video too complicated for the viewer. For the audio it is mainly just the track that plays, however some videos can have sections where added dialect and sounds are added in, for example Lady Gaga’s Telephone video. Another convention of music videos is that the colour of the costume and location match the mood of the song, of if it is happy and upbeat the colours will be bright, and if the song is dark then the colours will also be dark. Colours can also reflect a genre as pop music often has bright colours and rock music usually contains darker colours. Most music videos contain the artist at some point performing the song; this is so that the viewer can clearly see that they are the artist and not an actor in the music video. Videos are often well lit, however for darker songs a low amount of lighting is used to set the mood. Mise en scene in a music video is usually used so that it can relate to the audience, or so it matches the lyrics and mood of the song. The final thing that nearly all music videos contain is a storyline. Mist music videos have some kind of message or story to portray, often which is matched to the lyrics of the song, and which keeps the audience watching.

In indie music videos, there are conventions that differ from other genres. In the majority of indie music videos, they include performances of the band playing the song. This is so the viewers can clearly tell that they are the band and can relate to them. It is quite rare that indie videos have just a narrative video; where as some pop songs go down this route as it is only the singer that can perform. In indie videos, the artist or band are shown throughout the video as it allows the audience to relate to them. A lot of indie videos are usually shot in clam settings and then as the songs builds up so does the video with an increase in noise resulting in an increase in action onscreen.

In the creation of my music video, there were many conventions that are similar to that of all music videos and specifically indie. As the track is in the genre of Indie-acoustic, it means that the song is based around love, and that is the storyline that I tried to portray in the video. My video consists of both narrative and performance as it shows shots of Adam singing and also shots of Adam and his other half. Close ups of Adam singing are used in the video as it shows that he is representing the artist and so that the viewers can relate to him. Parts of the video are also edited so that they are in black and white; this is because indie videos use them sometimes to show a change in time or to change the mood. We used it to show a change in time, as it shows a time when the couple were having fun. As in most music videos, the majority of transitions in the video are straight cuts. This is to make it look more natural and keeps the viewer interested. However a fade transition has been used to show a change in scene, this is used when cutting to the inside shots and then returning back into the woods. Pan shots have been used in the video to make the viewer feel for more involved and to add more life to the video by using movement. The final convention of indie videos that is included in my video is a hand held shot. This is used in the black and white footage and gives the impression that it is a home video being shot by the artist.

How effective is the combination of your main product and ancillary texts?

For my first ancillary text, the website, I used a layout that made the things contained on the page stand out, so I opted for a black background. By using this background, it keeps it plain but unlike using a white background it looks less boring. The artist, Ed Sheeran, actual website colour scheme consists of black and orange so I have chosen to use this as it relates to the artist. For my first draft of my website I used an orange background with black text, however is chose to reverse the colours as the orange made it to bright and made it look unprofessional and aimed at a younger audience.

I have included the final version of the music video on the homepage of the website as this is a typical convention of bands as they want to promote it straight away to the people that view their website. I have chosen to display it at the top as it makes it easy for the audience to find and combines the website with the main music video product.

In the top right corner I have included a biography on Ed Sheeran. Most band websites include a bio, some have it on a separate page and some have it on the home page. I have decided to include a short one on my homepage as people who visit the site can instantly find out some basic information on the artist before they listen to his music or go through the rest of the site.
I have included a slideshow of images on the homepage showing shots of Adam as Ed, and some of the locations where we filmed the music video so that the audience know immediately what Ed (Adam) looks like and also can relate to the music video. The slideshow moves along automatically as it saves the user having to click to view the next picture.

On my homepage I have included blog updates for Ed Sheeran. Most artists have blogs, or leave messages on social networking sites, so I decided to add some blog updates based on news stories that have been about Ed recently and made it so that the viewers can find out updates about Ed including releases, tours and chart positions.

In the bottom corner of the home page I have added a text field that allows the user to enter their email address and sign up to Ed’s mailing list. There is a submit button; however it does not add the email address to the website as it was too complicated to do. Most band websites allow fans to sign up to their mailing list so that they can keep them updated on news involving the band.

I have included an animated image that shows the logo for the main social networking sites (MySpace, Facebook and Twitter), which is promoting fans to follow Ed on his account so they can hear up to date news.

In the top corners of the page I have included 2 orange paw prints, Ed Sheeran’s logo, so that it is clear the site relates to him. Most bands have their own logo or symbol and include it on all of their products, so that is why I decided to include it on my website.

In the bottom corner I have included an advertisement for the store that I created including a t-shirt I made and the album cover of the digipack, this then links to the store page on the website. This is a convention of typical websites as bands are always trying to promote their stores.

The final thing I have included is a link to Ed’s websites email address at the bottom of the page so that people can contact him. This is typical as bands have contact details on their website so that fans can contact them and promoters can book them for gigs.

For my second ancillary text, the digipack, I have continued with a similar theme to my website by using a black background, and I have included darkened images over the top. For the front cover I have included an image of Ed (Adam) from a low angle shot with trees and a bright light behind him. I edited the colours of the image to make Adam stand out and look superior, showing that he is the artist. This is a key connotation as quite a lot of CD covers include either the singers or member of the band. I have included the title of the song and the artist over the top as this is a connotation of CD covers as it is clear to the audience who the singer is and what album it is. To make the text stand out I have has to add a white glow so that the black text stands out over the dark image.

The back cover of the CD I have made it very similar to the front so that it has a general flow to digipack and works as a whole product. I have included a barcode in the bottom corner, which is a typical convention of CD’s as they need a barcode so fans can purchase their music. At the top of the back cover I have included a track list which stands out from the image by using a glow around the text. This is a typical convention of a CD as the track listing is included on the back so that the viewer can see what songs are on the album before they purchase it.

The outside flap of the digipack is made up of a collage of images of Adam and the setting of the video. I have edited some of the images so they are darker and work with the rest of the album art. Using images of the band is a typical convention of most CD’s as it can show the audience what the artist looks like.

For the inside page I have included a basic image and then added the lyrics to the song over the top. I have used a basic image so that the lyrics clearly stand out and are readable. Most bands include the lyrics to their songs in their digipack so that the fans can read them; this is a typical convention of CD covers.

For the CD insert I have used a black background so that it continues with the dark theme and for the CD I have used and image of some leaves so that the woods theme continues through the digipack. I have also included the name of the artist and song as this is a typical convention for CD’s.

For the inside flap I have included an image of Adam in a field with mud clearly visible at the bottom of the shot. On this mud I have included text that says ‘with thanks:’ which includes Ed’s name for being the artist and me and Adam for making the video. This is a typical convention of CD covers as bands usually thank people who were involved in their music.
The similarities between my digipack and website include the colour scheme and the images that are used. The colour scheme is black all the way through my CD and website, this is so that they work as a group of products and the audience can relate them together, this is a typical convention used in promoting music. I have also used the same images from the CD cover on the website so that they look similar; this is a typical convention of music as they have pictures of the band so they can promote the image.

What have you learned from your audience feedback?

For the video we received feedback throughout and as a result there were many drafts of the video until we decided on out final one. Feedback we received from the drafts was a mix of positive and negative. Positives comments that I received were that the setting of the video was good as the video had a calm and natural feel to it which matched the feel of the song.
Feedback we received that would help us improve the video came in very useful as we took them on board so that we could make a much better video that suits the target audience. An improvement that we received was to film Adam with him putting more effort into the singing so it doesn’t look like he is mining. We used this and now the video and lip syncing are much improved. Another improvement we received was to remove the shots of Adam running as they were poorly shot and didn’t make much sense. So in the final version, we replaced these shots with shots of the female actor Annie) messing around in the snow. The two main improvements that were suggested were to improve the lip syncing and to make the narrative more clear. On the final video the lip syncing so much improved and it looks like Adam is actually singing the song. Also the narrative makes more sense as it shows that they are as couple. The fact that they didn’t look like a couple was a problem in the first drafts, so when we re-filmed we made sure that they sat closer together so the viewers could see that they were actually a couple. The final problem that we discovered from the feedback is that Annie (female actor) was laughing in some of the clips, so when we re-filmed I had to make sure that she had a calm facial expression.
Between my first draft of my website and my final one, there was a vast change in design and content. The first piece of feedback I received was to change the orange background of the website as it was too bright and didn’t look very professional, so I decided to change it to a black background and have some orange items, so that it still kept with the original colour scheme. Some more feedback I got was the lack of images and other items on the page. So I have added a picture slideshow as well as the music video and a text field that allows the user to enter their email address and sign up to the mailing list. The final improvement I got told to do was to improve the text on the page, so I decided to add a blog at the bottom of the page showing news about Ed Sheeran.

For my first digipack draft I created a very bland one with little images as I was running out of time. But when it came to the final version I spent a lot of time working on it to make the best one I could. An improvement I got told to do was to add better quality images and more of them, so I took more pictures that were relevant to the video by taking them in the woods. This makes the digipack work well and also provides a flow between the products. The other improvement I got told to make was to change the background colour to black as the grey didn’t work well and it didn’t match the website, so I changed this to make my products look similar.

How did you use new media technologies in the construction and research, planning and evaluation stages?

As new technologies are always becoming important, I have used many of them throughout this project whether it be in the research, planning or the production of my video, digipack and website. By using these I was able to increase the quality of my products, distribute them in a better way and be able to research on the internet before I decided what I wanted my video to look like.

For the research section of my project, the internet played a very key role as it helped with many things. A few months before starting the project I had been listening to a relatively unheard of singer songwriter called Ed Sheeran, and as I like his music very much I decided that I would like to use one of the songs off his album as the track for my music video. I used the internet to find his website, and once on there I filled in a message in the ‘contact’ section and got a reply a few days later from the person who runs the site saying that I could use one of his songs.

Ed Sheeran - One Night by DJDeeKay

With YouTube making video sharing so easy it played a key role in my research. I viewed 2 music videos, Spanish Sahara by Foals and Weightless by All Time Low. By viewing them on YouTube it meant that I could watch them whenever I want, how often I want and can pause it so I can take notes. This helped me realise how many shots music videos actually contain. Part of my research was to do a questionnaire asking my target audience what they would like a music video to look like for the track. Once I had the results I use Microsoft Excel to create pie charts displaying the data and then copied the charts onto my blog so that it was clearly visible what the majority of people wanted the video to look like.

For the planning of my products new technologies came in handy, especially when it involved my blog. Once me and Adam had created the storyboard, it was scanned onto a computer as images so we could then add them to out blogs and refer back to them whenever we needed to, meaning that it was more easily accessible. When I was creating a mock design for the digipack I used Microsoft PowerPoint to design it in. This was because it is easy to use basic shapes to create images and to show a rough layout.

When producing the music video, technology was very key as a digital camera was used and the editing was all done using computer software. For the first draft of the video we used a basic digital video camera that used a tape, we then captured the footage and edited it in Adobe Premier Pro and exported it to YouTube. For the second draft however, Adam had recently purchased a HD camera, so we opted to use that to see if we could get better quality footage. As there was no tape involved and the files were too big, it couldn’t be edited in Premier Pro so it had to be done on the software that came with the camera which did not work very well. For the final draft we returned back to the original camera and rerecorded it. The editing then took place in Premier Pro, which is a key new technology as it allows the shots to be manipulated and duplicated so that good products can be made. Once the video was finished, YouTube came in handy as it is where the video was uploaded. The benefit of putting the video onto YouTube is that it allows anybody to watch our video and leave comments which we can then use for feedback. Also as we have uploaded it to YouTube, the video can be embedded, meaning that it was put in my blog and also in my website that I created.

With the internet playing such a key role in general life these days, websites are becoming increasingly easier to make. For my website I made it in Dreamweaver, which allows me to import images, videos, animations, and link pages together. On my home page of the website I have embedded the final version of the music video which can be played straight off the website, meaning that it can promote my video without people having to search for it on the internet. I have also included images that I took and then edited using Fireworks. These images were then made into an animation on Fireworks which shows them running in a continuous loop so that it looks like a slideshow. With the internet being so key in life, one of the most popular things that people go on are social networking sites, so I have created an animation showing the main logos of the networking sites so it promotes people to go and follow the artist.

With technology improving it means that the ways digipacks are designed and made can have a lot of variation, which is why my digipack is a six panel product instead of the standard four. I created my digipack in fireworks as it allows me to edit images that I can import from a camera, add effects to them so that they look perfect. It also makes the layout of the digipack easy to control by moving them around and my inserting text over the top so that it shows detail about the artist and song. Once finished my product can be exported as images, which means I am then able to add them to my blog.

Final Music Video

Final Website

This is the final version of my website.
This version has changed from my original version as I have added a lot more content and have also changed the colour scheme.
I have changed the colour scheme to black with orange detail as I think it works a lot better and looks more professional.
The links on my page at the top are fully functioning and take you to there relevant pages, although there is no content on them. I have used a different font for the title as I think it suits the look of the page a lot better, I did this by using an orange font and then using a glow to make it stand out more. I have used Ed Sheeran's logo, the pawprint, either side of the title so that it makes the site more relevant to him.
Below the links I have imported a youtube video of the final video so that it can be viewed straight from the website. I have also copied by bio of Ed from my blog so that when fans visit the site they can instantly find out information about him.
I have also now imported and animated gif I made in fireworks, which consists of a slide show of images that I also used on the website, which is on a continuous loop.
I have created a blog about Ed and posted it in the middle of the page so that it looks like it is updated and so it can inform fans.
In the bottom left corner I have made an advert advertising his store by showing new items that have been added, including the CD cover and a t-shirt i made on fireworks.
On the right side of the page I have created an animated gif showing the logos of Facebook, Twitter and Myspace so that it is encouraging the user to join Ed on these sites. I have finally added a text box at the bottom so that the user can enter their email and join his mailing list, however the submit button does not work.

Final Video

This is the final version of our music video.

When we were taking pictures for our digipack and website, we found a woods near our school that we thought would be a much better place to record the video, as it provided better lighting and was more interesting than just recording on a field. We have also slightly strayed away from the storyboard by having the starting and ending sofa shots inside instead of on a sofa outside, this was because we could not find a sofa that we could take outside and also as we thought it made more sense.

The first few consisted of Adam inside, on the sofa, and then walking out into his garden. We then cut this to him entering the woods with the guitar to show and elapse of time and to show a change in location. For the first verse and chorus the shots mostly consist of different angles of Adam singing and playing the guitar. We also included shots around a campfire with our female actor Annie. We used different shots showing both Adam and Annie, before using the final shot of the verse which shows them lying on the floor next to each other, which then cuts to Adam alone to show she has left. The chorus then consists of different shots of Adam singing and playing the chorus inside the wood locations. When the second verse starts, the majority of the filming is inside. There are shots used showing Adam and Annie on the sofa inside watching TV, and then cuts to shots showing Adam making cups of tea in the kitchen. He then returns to the living room, to see that Annie has gone, which leads to him leaving the house. The shot then cuts back outside to the woods to show Adam once again singing the chorus. When the song breaks down it cuts to shots of Adam running across a field an into the woods missed together with shots of him singing without the guitar. When the final chorus comes in we use shots of Adam singing in the woods, and also a shot showing him running out of the woods, which then cuts back to the starting location where he enters the room and sits next to Annie who was already on the sofa. This shows that the video has ended where it started.

Final Digipack

This is the final version of my digipack. To view the images in their proper size, click on them to take you to their real location.

This is the final version of the outside of my digipack. I have some made so vast changes from my draft and have based the whole cover on images. Me and Adam founds some woods that were near our school and decided to take some pictures in there as they can be edited to provide some arty looking images. On the front cover I have used a high angle shot of Adam stood looking up with some trees in the background. I then changed the contrast and brightness of the images to make it look darker. I chose this image as it stands out and shows that Adam (Ed) is the singer. I have added the artist name and title of the songs using a black font and then adding a white glow on the outside of the text so that it can still be read amongst the background.

For the back cover I have used a similar technique, and have used a low angle shot showing Adam walking forward into some trees. I have used this image as Adam is only at the bottom of the image, allowing me to add the tracklisting in the space above him without ruining the image. I have used the same font technique as I have with the front cover so that their is a flow on the digipack. I have added a bar code to the back cover as that is where they are usually located. For the outside flap I have used a montage of images that5 we took whilst in the woods, including shots of Adam, me and the woods. This is to show the user the theme of the song and video and the location where it was recorded.

This is the inside to my final digipack. On the inside cover i have used a shot of some grass with the sky visible and then darkened the image as I think it provides a nice effect. I have then added the lyrics to the song over the top and used a white font with a black glow so that it stands out from the background and can be read. For the CD insert I have used a black background as it continues with the theme of the digipack and also makes the CD stand out. For the CD I have used an image of some leaves from the woods that was taken. I have then added the name of the artist and song using a white text with a black glow. For the inside of the flap I have used an image of Adam stood in a field with mud at the bottom of the image. I have used the mud and placed the text over the top so it can be read and does not disrupt the image.

Video First Draft

Website First Draft

If you go onto my college drive, and my media A2 folder, there is a html entitled WEBSITE, this is my draft webpage.



This is my first draft of my website. I have gone for the black on orange design as they are the colours that are most recognised with Ed Sheeran and are also the colours of his website. Ed Sheeran's logo is a pawprint, so I have decided to use it either side of his name on the banner at the top of the website. In the grey space is where the music video will be imported so that it is easy to find. There is a bio of Ed on the left of the home page which describes his career and what he is currently working on. In the bottom left of the screen will be a slideshow of images of Adam portraying Ed and some shots from the video filming. On the bottom right will be an animation showing the twitter, facebook and myspace logos which would be a link to the sites if the site was fully working.

CD Cover First Draft

These are my first designs for my digipack. I had to create these in a rush due to a mix up with deadlines and that is why they are of poor quality.

On the outside I have tried to make the front cover and back cover look similar by using the same scene but from two different angles. However I had a problem with the green screen which meant that the images didnt turn out the way I had hoped. On the inside flap I have gone for a similar method by having a shot of Adam facing forwards, and then showing the reverse of the shot on the other side of the flap. On the back cover, I have added a tracklist at the bottom contating 3 songs. I have used an orange font throughout as it works well with the colour of my website.



On the inside of the digipack, I have shown the reverse of the shot of Adam that is on the outside cover. I have also added the place where the CD will be, and wrote the name of the song and artist on it. Finally I have added a 'with thanks' section and also the lyrics to the song. This is to provide some information.

Treatment

For my music video, I am using the song ‘Sofa’ by Ed Sheeran. The themes that will be included in the video are teenage lovers, losing hope, and also a girl who is playing hard to get. The video will feature around one main character, a male(the singer) who is in love with a girl who keeps confusing him by disappearing. In the video it will contain clips of the main characters life, with flashbacks, and will also contain shots of the main male (portraying the singer) singing with a guitar.

For the video I would like to use a beginning and ending that are similar but with one change. The video will start with the main character lying on a sofa outside on his own; the shot will start as a close up, and then zoom out to show the rest of his body. He will then get off the sofa and walk towards the camera, a wide shot will be used to show him getting up and a long shot will show him walking towards the camera. The camera will then pan to show him picking up a guitar and begin paying and singing whilst continuing to walk, a mid shot will be used to show him singing.

The scene will then cut to a scene with him sat around a fire with some friends and a female (his partner). This is reference to the lyrics in the song ‘Hoodie still smells of the beach bonfire’, and camera shot used in this scene will be close ups of some of his friends, mid shots of the singer and the fire and wide shot to show the whole scene. The camera will then focus on the female character showing that it is the singer’s partner or the person he likes. The singer will the fall to the ground lying on his back with the girl lying next to him, a panoramic shot will show him falling and a close up shot will show their faces.

The scene will then fade, and when it come back in, he will be in the same place, it will be morning, and the camera will then zoom out to show that the girl is no longer next to him. He then picks up the guitar from near where the fire was, mid shot, and begins playing whilst walking and singing the chorus, a mid steady shot will show him walking off and mid shots will show him singing. He will then walk of shot and the scene will change.

The scene is then him sat inside on a sofa with the girl watching the TV, this is reference to the lyrics ‘So kick off the day with Friends on T4’, shot used will be over the shoulder showing them watching the TV and a two shot showing them on the sofa. It will then cut to the singer making 2 cups of tea in the kitchen, which refers to the lyrics ‘two boiled and brew, two sugars aint to sweet for you’, shots used will be over the shoulder and mid shot. The singer will then go back in to the room, see that the girl is no longer there and head for the front door. A long mid shot will be used to show him running to the door.

The scene will the show him running down streets and alleys trying to find her, using a combination of mid shot, long shot, close ups and pans. He will then fall to the ground and we will use a skateboard for him to lie on whilst the camera is on him, so we can move the skateboard and make it appear like the ground is moving beneath him. Mid shots, close ups and long shots will be used.

He will then get up and begin to walk away from the camera whilst singing the chorus, close ups and mid shots will be used to show him singing. The final scene will be a wide shot of the sofa from the beginning with the girl already sat on one side, the singer then walks in shot and sits next to her. The final shot will be a two shot close up of their faces as they look at each other.

Mock Up of CD Cover

This is the mock up CD pack I created whilst Adam created the mock website design.

When it comes to creating the real digipack, the cover, back and inside bookelt will all be photographs of Adam (signer/main character) with sofa and guitar taken on a green screen so the background can be edited



This is the mock cover for the CD. I have decided to use the name of the song and theme of the video my having the lead character (singer) sat on the 'sofa' with his guitar next to him.

This is the back of the CD case. I have chosen to make it the back view of the singer sat on the sofa as it makes it clear that this is the back of the digipack and this has been used in many CD covers before. The tracklisting will be wrote on the back on the sofa.

This is the booklet inside the CD case. I have chosen to keep to the theme of the signer and his guitar. There is also a list of thankyou's that will be included on the booklet.

This is the CD holder of the digipack. I have decided to make it look like the hole in an acoustic guitar as it keeps to the theme of acoustic music.

Mock Up of Website Homepage

This is the mock web page design Adam created whilst I mafe the digipack mock.





He decided to have the name of the artists and there paw print logo to be shown at the top as it makes them easily recognisable, and guests on the website know who it is straight away.
The link bars will be under the title and logo section, with a border either side, this allows space for fine artwork either side of the section, the video will be directly below then, but thinner, this allows for more space either side where either art work or advertisements will be placed ( More Likely Artwork).
Underneath this will be two sections, on the left will be an information bit about Ed Sheeran, and on the left hand side will be 2 picture sections. one will be advertising the CD and the other will be a GIF showing different pictures of Ed during his live and TV performances.

Risk Assessment

This is the risk assessment i created for the fliming whilst Adam devised a filming schedule for us.

Camera gets wet – could cause electrocution or other dangers - Try to shelter the camera if the weather is starting to look bad, as it is electrical and could cause serious safety problems.

Injury whilst carrying the sofa – could hurt back or slip and fall - If it is too heavy to carry, get more people to help so it reduces the strain. Also make sure that the path you are carrying it on is clear so there is nothing to fall over.

Burned by the fire - Always stay a safe distance away from the fire when filming or when off camera. Keep flammable objects away and to the minimum.

Inhale fumes from the fire - Make sure that nothing being burned on the fire is toxic and try to stay away from the smoke.

Fall over whilst running through the streets - Make sure the path is clear before filming and any hazards have been removed or avoided.

Slip in the mud (if it’s been raining) - Try to avoid filming in muddy areas as falling could damage you ankles.

Dangerous objects in the grass where filming - Check the grass where filming before shooting to make sure there are no hazards hidden away that could cause damage to the actors e.g. needles

Whilst actor is walking and staring down the camera lens they could be unaware to dangers around them - Make sure the area is clear of dangers before beginning to film as the actor will not be paying attention to what is around them.

Weather - Try to avoid filming in bad weather conditions such as rain, hail, or thunder.

Poor lighting - Use extra lighting in dark scenes (campfire scene) as the actors and cameramen will not be able to see all that is around them.

Equipment being stolen - Make sure that the equipment is always in sight and try to hide it away when other people are walking past.

Other people - Try to film in places that not many people would go as they could ruin the shots and/or become a threat.

Shooting Schedule

This is the shooting schedule Adam created whilst I was completing the risk assessment.

We have from the 11th of October to the 22nd giving us 11 days to film all the sections. We would film the piece in different sections this being chosen by the location they are being filmed in and what time we are trying to make the piece look like it is.

The outside shots will be recorded first during the day, this will include all the sofa shots with him sitting outside and the women, him walking around laying the guitar and running back to the house.We will use approximately 3-4 days to record all of these shots depending on weather.
The Morning shots will be shot the filmed next along with the night shots on the same day, these will include the shots round the fire and him falling asleep and waking up as well as at the begging on the sofa. These shots will take approximately 2 days to film, but we may need more if weather conditions are not good for the fire seen.

The inside shots will be done either last or if we cannot film any other shots due to weather as these are done inside and can be done under any weather conditions.These should only take 1 day, but no more than 2.

The days we have spare will be used up by looking at the shots we have taken and adding any extra footage we think we need to link the scenes together better.

Track Permission - Ed Sheeran

To ask for permission to use a song by Ed Sheeran, I sent an email to his website.

I asked if I could use one of his songs off of his 'Loose Change EP' and got a reply back from his mum who helps him run the website. This is the reply:

Dear Ollie

I have forwarded your request on to Ed. In principle, I don't think Ed will have any objections, though it would be nice if you could show him what you do and maybe give him an idea of what you're planning. Thanks for asking and good luck.

Imogen (Ed's mum)

Imogen Lock, Director, Sheeran Lock Ltd

Chosen Track - 'Sofa' by Ed Sheeran

This is the track that me and Adam have chosen to use for our music video.
I have had to upload a live recording as there are no studio recordings on YouTube.



We chose to do this song as Ed Sheeran is an unsigned artist that we both really love and believe that we would be able to make a video that showed the concept of the song perfectly.
We decided to sue this song as it is a love song which means that we can use typical concepts such as the boy girl romance and the boy chasing after the girl, whilst also adding in less typical concepts such as the boy keep losing the girl and having to find her.

Artist Research - Ed Sheeran

Ed Sheeran is a 19 year old acoustic folk/hip hop singer from Suffolk. In 2008 he won the Next Big Thing competition in East Anglia and since then his popularity has continued to grow. He has supported many big name artists on tour, including Just Jack, Example, Gabriella Cilmi, The Noisettes and Nizlopi.

Ed is a hard working artist having written and recorded over 100 songs to date, most of which have been included on his album and EP releases.

Over the past year ed has played nearly 300 gigs around the UK in cities including London, Birmingham, Glasgow and Nottingham. He tours as a solo artist creating all his music with his just his voice and his guitar. He does this my using a loop pedal so he can add all the sounds on top of each other to creat a final piece live.

Ed is currently unsigned and helps release his music of his website which is run by him and his mother. He has also added his songs to itunes so that it is easier for his fans to access them.
Ed has begun to colloborate with big name artists and producers, meaning that in the future he will most likely be signed up to a label by using these contacts with the industry.

He is currently working on an album that features some of the UKs best hip hop acts, proving that he is not just a folk singer but likes to bring something different to his genre.

http://www.edsheeran.com/news_article.asp?Product=106

Storyboard

The first shot (above) is of the boy (Played by me) lieing on the sofa and the camera will be looking down on him from birds eye view shot.

Second shot is of the boy, getting up and sitting on the sofa normally, starting to sing with the lyrics.

Next the boy where he is beginning to get up, still singing the lyrics.

Next is where he gets up and grabs the guitar leaning against the sofa.

The final shot of that sections is when the boy is up and playing the guitar and singing the lyrics to the song.

The next section begins with the wide pan with everyone around the fire and the boy playing guitar to them.

It then changes to a close up of the girl who the boy likes, and then to an extreme close-up of her eye.

Lastly in this section is when they will be falling down on the ground together going to sleep.

The start of the next section is a birds-eye view mid shot of the boy on the ground without the girl.

He then picks his guitar off the ground and begins to walk.

He ends with him slowly putting the guitar over to play it at this point the chorus will be playing.




The indoor section begins with a 2 shot over the shoulder of the boy and girl sitting down, with the TV in view.

In then goes to the man making tea and this will also be an over the shoulder view.

It ends when he enters back in the room and is a shot from behind with him visible and the sofa and the girl has gone.

The next part begins with the boy running down a track, this will be a mid shot extending to a long shot.

Then a mid hot of him looking unhappy.

The a midmost of him playing the chorus on his guitar at another place.

The next scene starts with the boy running back the way he came, mid-shot to long-shot.

Then the girl sitting on the sofa outside, will be a mid to long-shot.

The boy joins her on the sofa and this will be a long to mid-shot.

The final shot will be a close up of the boy and girl sat next to each other looking happy.

Questionnaire Results and Analysis

Once the questionnaire had been completed I then analysed the results using graphs to decide what our target audience would like the video to look like so adjustments could be made to the storyboard if necessary.

This shows that the target audience believe that the video should be a mxiture of sad and happy. So the best way to do this would be to have a sad video but with a happy ending.

This shows that 70% of the traget audience would want the video to be a love video as it matches the love theme of the song.

This shows that 4 in 5 people like this song. This is good as it means that people are more likely to watch the video if the like the song it is for.

This shows that 70% of the audience do not want this video to be shot in black and white as it is not really suitable for the type of song. However the 30% that did want it in non colour means that an aspect of the video may be produce in black and white.

This shows that 90% of our audeince would listen to this style of music on a regular basis. This means that the song is right for our audience meaning that the video will most probably become more popular as people enjoy the style of music.

Questionnaire

This is a questionnaire that i created and completed by asking 10 people and analysing their results whilst Adam created the animatic storyboard.

1. Should this video be a) happy b) sad c) a mix of both?

2. Should it be a love video? yes/no

3. Do you like this song? yes/no

4. Do you think this video should be in black and white? yes/no

5. would you listen to this type of music on a regular basis? yes/no

Genre Research

Indie music videos are usually either performance based, narrative based or a mix of the two. An example of a performance based music video is ‘I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor’ by Arctic Monkeys. This proved to be popular as it was their frist music video and it gave the fans a chance to see what they looked like performing, which you often don’t get with narraative based videos. An example of a narrative based video is ‘Come Back Home’ by Two Door Cinema Club. This features the members of the band going through repeat actions at the scene of a car accident and swapping clothes. Most indie music videos however tend to have a mixture of both narrative and perfromace. This is evident in ‘Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa’ by Vampire Weekend which is narrative until the ending of the song where the band are seen playing performing on a beach.

Andrew Goodwin states that in most music videos the lyrics and music to a song reflect what is shown on screen. This is evident in ‘Watch the Sun Come Up’ by Example. This video is set on a sunny island which fits in with the music and the lyrics. The lyrics are also about holiday romances which is reflected in the video as it shows Example having a romance with a woman on a sunny holiday.



We have decided to encoroporate this into our music video by using the tone of the music to match the pace, setting and style of the video. We have also decided that some of the lyrics will match what is on screen. In the song we are doing ‘Sofa’ a line is ‘Hoody still smells of the beach bonfire’ so we have decided to have that scene set around a bonfire.

Director Analysis

Hype Williams is a music video director who has become popular for directing many videos, most of them in the rap and hip hop genre. The first music video that he directed was ‘We want money’ by BWP in 1991. Since then he has gone on to create over 100 music videos for the likes of rap artists such as LL Cool J, Missy Elliot, Kelis and Jay-z. He has however stepped out of the genre of music occasionally as he created the video to Coldplay’s 2008 hit ‘Viva La Vida’. The most popular recent video that Hype has created is ‘Empire state of mind’ by Jay-z and Alicia Keys. This video became very popular for its black and white artistic look and was also nominated for a VMA in 2010.

In 2006 Williams was honoured by MTV when they gave him its Video Vanguard Award, presented in honour of his achievement as a filmmaker.



Hype Williams Style
· Fisheye lens – this distorts the camera view around the central focus
· Playing a shot in regular wide screen ration, while a second shot is split and put in the upper and lower bars of the screen.
· Camera focus on the artist from the torso up while the background is one colour and there is a soft different colour lighting being shown in the centre so it looks like the background is illuminated.


Richard Ayoade s best known for being a comedian and actor in the UK sitcom ‘The IT Crowd’. But he is also becoming a hit music video director that bands are turning to to make more arty music videos. This was evident when he produced the music video to ‘Cornerstone’ by Arctic Monkeys, which was criticised by fans due to its blandness but loved my critics. The video only consisted of one steady shot which filmed the singer in a white room with headphones on singing to the camera (audience).



He has worked with very popular indie bands including Arctic Monkeys, Vampire Weekend and Yeah Yeah Yeahs.

Props/Location/Actors/Costume/Equiptment

These are the props that are needed for our video:

Sofa
Acoustic guitar
TV
Skateboard
Campfire

These are the locations needed for the video:

Living room
Kitchen
Field
Field with the sofa
Field with the fire
Streets

These are the actors/character in our video:

Adam Turner (singer/lead role)
(female love intrest)
Ashley Grantham (lad around the campfire)
Oliver Burrows (lad around the campfire)

These are the costumes for the actors:

Adam - Hoody, jeans, trainers
Girl - T-shirt, jeans, pumps
Ashley - Hoody, jeans, pumps
Oliver (me) - Shirt, jeans, pumps

This is the equiptment needed for the video:

Camera
Tape
Tripod
Lights

Website Analysis

This is the homepage for the website of the UK indie band Foals. The website does not have a lot on the homepage like some other bands, but this is still a nice and welcoming page. As soon as you open the site, the background loads up with a screen spilt in two with different pictures each side. These pictures change every second showing member of the band in artistic shots, or other pieces of modern art photography. This is good as it makes the webpage livelier without stepping out of their typical genre of music which is melodic indie. The name of the band is clearly stated in the middle in a large font so the viewer knows what site they are on. As soon as the webpage loads, a slow piece of melodic guitar plays in the background. This is off one of Foal’s songs and it is clam which makes the viewer feel relaxed. The song is on repeat and lasts about a minute so the user can leave the homepage on if they want to hear it again. At the top of the page are all the links to the other pages on their site. These are home, music, live, gallery, forum, music shop, merch store, and newsletter and member login. The home link brings the user back to the main page. The music page allows them to listen to songs by the band so they can get a taste of what they are like, or if they are a fan listen to their songs. The ‘live’ section is where al their tour dates are listed. The gallery shows a collection of images of the band playing live and of them in photo shoots. The forum allows fans of the band to chat to each other and ask questions. The music shop allows people to buy their music, where as merch shop allows them to buy their merchandise. The newsletter allows fans to get up to date news from the band and the members login allows people to access more exclusive things from the band such as songs and videos.
These are all typical of a band website as it provides all the news and relative features to the viewer that is interested in their music.

CD Cover Analysis - 'Eliza Doolittle' by Eliza Doolittle

This is the CD cover to Eliza Doolittle’s self-titled album. This cover is very abstract as it contains images of a cat, lion, volcano and the London Gherkin building. The reason that she is able to have such a random and abstract album cover is due to the fact that she has not named her album. Usually album covers have something to do with the name of the album, but as hers is self-titled she can have her album cover as anything.
The fact that she is sat on top off all the buildings shows that she is on top of the charts with her album and that she is becoming a star from her city which can be seen at the bottom of the cover.

CD Cover Analysis - 'Nothing Personal' by All Time Low

This is the CD cover for the album ‘Nothing Personal’ by American pop-punk band All Time Low. This cover makes various references to high school/college, which suits the band audience, style of music and what most of their songs are wrote about. The cover is meant to look like an old book cover, but in the middle it is torn and shows a notebook type of paper. On this paper is the band’s name and album title wrote in graffiti type writing, which is what students often do in their school books. There are also pictures of pencils, tapes, and girls. This shows what teenagers, especially boys, lives revolve around. The album name ‘nothing personal’ also relates to teenagers as it is something they say to someone after they have insulted them to make it seem like they haven’t said anything bad.

CD Cover Analysis - 'Reach For The Sun' by The Dangerous Summer

This is the CD cover to the debut album ‘Reach for the Sun’ by American rockers The Dangerous Summer. The cover for this CD is quite simple, yet it is still artistic and suits the mood of the album well. With the album called being’ reach for the sun’ it is reflected on the fact that that the sun can be seen threw a single tree on a landscape area. This could mean that the sun is trying to reach out to the viewer, which would explain the title of the album. It also matches the name of the band ‘The dangerous summer’ as the setting of this cover is in the summer and provides a happy attitude to the album, showing the audience that this album is upbeat just by looking at the cover.

Timeline

Note:

All deadline have been pushed back a week due to college problems

Busted Music Video Class Remake

Our class were set the task of recreating the opening verse and chorus of the music video for 'What I go to school for' by busted.


My role was that of James, the student on the left during the chorus. For my role I had to look disgusted when a girl turned round and also to sing the chorus whilst jumping and playing a guitar. I believe I did this quite well and that it looks similar to the real video. To improve it I would have gotten the proper costume, but with the project being completed in a short amount of time, this was hard to do.
I believe I could have helped in the editing stage of the video, as this would have given me practice for when I make my music video and could have helped a lot.

Music Video Analysis - 'Spanish Sahara' by Foals

The Video I am analysing is ‘Spanish Sahara’ by Oxford indie band Foals, released in 2010.



The video begins with a white screen which then fades into a wide long take of a snowy mountainous area. The shot last for 1 minute and in the shot a figure can be seen in the distance, we later discover that the figure is lead singer Yannis Philippakis. The scene fits the music as it starts with a slow drum beat, that sounds almost like footsteps (which can represent Yannis walking across) and a quiet piano and guitar riff. The slow vocals then begin before the shot cuts away to a close up of Yannis lying on his side facing the camera with half of his face and his shoulder visible. This represents that he has had a long tiring journey and has to rest on the snow.
The shot cuts to show a bag floating in the sea with a rope attached to it. The contents is unknown and makes the audience wonder what could be inside. A straight cut is then used to show a shot of ice melting on the surface of the water. Shadows can be seen passing over the ice, this may be Yannis but it is not made clear. It then cuts to a close up of Yannis’ face as he sings the lyrics of the song, He is staring straight down the camera to suggest that he is singing the lyrics to the audience or a certain person that the song may be about. It once again cuts to show the bag floating in the sea, but this time it is closer to the shore as there are rocks visible.
A shot then shows a figure (Yannis) pulling on the rope that is attached to the bag, and is pulling it a shore. He is having to pull it with some force, suggesting that there is something relatively heavy inside. Once again it cuts to a close up of Yannis singing, and then back to a shot of the bag floating in the sea.
As the music builds, the cuts become faster, switching between the close up of Yannis singing and shots of him dragging the bag along the ground. When the singing stops it cuts to shots of the sea with small shards of ice gently floating atop with the waves moving them. This represents the calmness of the song at that current point.
When the singing starts again Yannis turns back to face the camera whilst staring straight down the lens at the viewer. This then cuts to a wide shot of Yannis walking uphill on the frozen ground, struggling to pull the bag and its contents. It then cuts back to show Yannis singing followed by a shot of the sea. It cuts to a shot showing Yannis walking up the hill, now holding the bag, showing that it is too hard to drag it up with him. The camera then cuts to a pan of a mountain view and then back to Yannis struggling to get up the hill, this shows how high that Yannis has to climb to get to where he is heading. A collection of different shots are used showing Yannis uphill struggle including tilts and close ups. Shots of Yannis singing close up are also added to this collection before a shot shows Yannis lying down presumably exhausted from trying to move the bag. The shot then cuts from a close up of Yannis singing to a shot of him heading over the top of the mountain and beginning to disappear down the other side. This shows that he has had to climb the whole mountain to get to where he needs to be.
As the song builds to a climax, the light shining on Yannis’ face in a close up shot becomes brighter, and when the drum is hit on the final note, the shot cuts to a log that’s is placed in the ground on fire. The shot then pans from the snow to a pile of blue dust (which is not explained what it is in the video) which makes the viewer wonder what it is.
The shot then cuts to show Yannis walking with the bag over his shoulder, showing he is more determined to get there as it is easier to carry it then drag it. He then throws the bag on the floor on top of an identical bag, suggesting that he has made this journey more than once. The camera then tilts to show him tying the two bags together, making the audience wonder what was inside of them.
Cuts between shots of the sea, Yannis tying the rope, Close up of Yannis, blue dust piles, and the logs on fire. A wide shot is used showing Yannis facing the camera with two logs standing upright on fire either side of him in the distance, this suggests that the logs may have been what were in the two bags. A tilt shot is used on one of the logs to show what it exactly is to the viewer. It then cuts to a focus shot of Yannis as he is singing the last part of the song, a tear drops down his cheek but his facial expression is unchanged, so it is not clear if it was due to sadness or the cold wind. As the music begins to break down, pan shots of the sea, dust and fire are used before the final long take of the sea which then fades to a black screen.
The video as a whole contrasts with the title of the song as it is set in an extremely cold area, where the Spanish Sahara is a very warm area.
I like this video as it is simple, and fits the mood of the song. Also it makes the viewer think, which then makes them stay interested in the video, which is vital seeing as the video is almost 7 minutes long.

Music Video Analysis - 'Weightless' by All Time Low

The video I am analysing is for the song ‘Weightless’ by American pop-punk band All Time Low. The video was directed by Matthew Stawski and was released in the summer of 2009. This song belongs to the pop-punk genre and characteristics of this are used in this video, with it being played in a small venue, screaming female fans and the band performing onstage.
The opening of the video features Alex, the lead singer of the band, backstage surrounded by young female fans all wearing yellow t shirts with the band’s name on them. Excitable screaming can be heard and the ranting voices of the fans become sped up, representing that all the attention is getting boring to the band. This matches Alex’s face which looks fed up and slightly bored. When the camera switches and shows shots of the girls and handwritten text appears next to them with insulting comments such as ‘tease, ‘stalker’ and ‘obsessed’, with these comments depicted from Alex’s point of view.
The music then fades in and Alex begins to sing the lyrics, with the message ‘backstage groupies freak me out’ appearing either side of his face, showing that he is getting used to being well known, and getting slightly bored of it. He then begins to walk through the room and out of the door whilst still singing, staring into the camera, his band mates then appear on shot following him. This shows that he is the main member of the band as he is the lead singer and the most recognisable.
As the band head onto the stage, a tech guy hand’s the guitarist Jack his guitar, with ‘this tech guy can barely tune a guitar’ appearing in text next to him, showing what he is thinking, and that he believes he is in power due to him being in the band. This comment is then countered when the shot shows the tech guy handing him the guitar with ‘this guy can barely play a guitar’ appearing in text. Text then comes between them; stating ‘nothing personal’ referring to the situation and it is also the name of the band’s album. A shot showing heavy metal punks with spiked hair appears next, with text saying ‘more like all time blow’. This is referring to the band’s name and that fans of different music genres will most probably dislike their music. When the band is shown beginning to play onstage, a close up is used of the lead singer. This shows that music videos require the stars to be shown to portray a bigger interest, and that it is predominantly the lead singer who is the star of the band. Separate shots of the other band member are then shown, depicting that they are all placed slightly behind the singer onstage and that they are not key in gaining the audience’s attention.
As the chorus begins it cuts to a shot behind the crowd focusing on the band playing. It shows the audience jumping up and down, showing that although they have their critics in the video by fans of different music genres, they still have loyal fans of their own. A crowd member is then shown to be stood onstage next to guitarist Jack, who then punches her so she falls offstage, with text stating ‘standing onstage doesn’t make you cool’, which suggest that the band have got fed up with fans invading their space. Close ups of the band members of the band are then shown with them playing the song, depicting that they are key to drawing in the audience for the video. The camera then zooms into a crowd member stood watching, wearing a Fall Out Boy t shirt, with text next to him stating ‘I’d rather be watching Fall Out Boy’, which shows that All Time Low are not the most popular pop-punk band around and that this fan would prefer to be watching one of the leading bands in the genre. A number of straight cuts are used showing different members of the band playing the remainder of the chorus, showing that performance is a key part of music videos.
A mid shot then shows a woman walking towards the camera with text next to her head stating ‘I need band shirts’. The camera then pans to show the merch guy playing air guitar with ‘wishes he was in the band’ appearing next to him, he then hands the woman a t shirt, which has overpriced wrote next to it, and she walks off with ‘I don’t tip creepy merch guys’ next to her. This is a key part of the pop-punk genre as many fans wear the bands t shirts and they are predominately bought at their gigs. Shots of the band are shown, so that the audience can still see the stars of the video. The camera then focuses on a crowd member with his shirt of, showing his tattoos, which are then insulted when ‘You’ll regret your embarrassing tattoos’ appears in text with cartoon birds flying of it, referring to the bird tattoos. ‘Nothing personal then appears tattooed on his chest, reminding the audience of the bands album and also showing how dedicated some of their fans are, as they get tattoos related to the band. The camera then pans to show a shot of 4 male fans doing ‘gangsta’ poses whilst wearing over sized v neck shirts. Text appears stating ‘nice v neck, idiot!’ along with a diagram showing why it is too big. This refers to pop culture as they are insulting the fashion that some of their fans wear.
As the chorus kicks in again it show numerous shots of the band playing onstage, including close ups of them. It then cuts back to the v neck guys and the shamed tattooed fan, as they go for a ‘ fake bro hug’ with All Time Low criticising the way that men now great strangers and treat them like friends. A wide shot showing fans stood in a line on their phones is used, with text above them stating ‘no one cares what you’re doing right now’ as well as blue birds flying across the shot. This refers to social networking site twitter as a blue bird is their logo and these fans are all ‘tweeting’ with messages such as ‘what’s up with Zach’s hair’ and ‘this band sucks bad’. This refers to popular culture and how people are addicted to technology. The band is then shown playing the end of the chorus onstage with over dramatic playing of their instruments.
A long take then shows a number of girls labelled ‘band sluts’ staring at the camera as they walk past. The camera then pans to the guy in charge of the VIP area, who waves the backstage passes, with text saying ‘good personalities don’t get you backstage’. This shows that the pop-punk music industry and its fans have become more about the looks than the music itself. A shot then shows the girls walking towards the camera with ‘♥ Jack ♥’ in text next to them. The shot then cuts to a scared looking Jack who is then forced into a room, in which ‘sleeping with band dudes doesn’t make you famous’ is displayed. This suggests that groupies will do anything it will take to become famous, even if it won’t.
The next clip shows, the band’s bassist Zach lifting weights, a tour member then walks in looking scared with the text ‘all this working out is getting weird’ following him. This shows that the male figure has been increased in music. It then shows drummer Rian, signing pictures that were ‘leaked on the internet’. This shows that with technology and the paparazzi, problems like this occur to a number of artists.
The final shot of the verse is of Alex surrounded by makeup artists and reporters, with the text ‘lead singers are pampered too much’, depicting that too much attention is spent on the lead singer, because they are usually who draw the audience in.
As the final chorus starts the band re enter the stage, and start to play. I then cuts to a shot of Fall Out Boy bassist Pete Wentz stood up and Blink 182 bassist Mark Hoppus sat at a table next to him. Text appears next to Wentz stating ‘@markhoppus ALT rips of FOB’ which means that he has tweeted him that message. Mark then responds by stating that ‘ALT and FOB rip of blink 182 so bad’. By using 2 of the leaders of the pop-punk genre, it generates a bigger audience by using stars. The next shot, is a girl in the crowd who is taking big sunglasses off, to reveal she has wonky eyes. This shows that not everything is what it seems and sends a message to the bands fans.
The song ends with the band and fans going crazy to the songs, with Alex doing a guitar spin and Jack crowd surfing. After the song ends, signs appear above the crowd member with arrows pointing at them reading ‘loser’. There is then a wipe to a black screen with the band’s album name ‘Nothing Personal’ being displayed. This refers to the fact that people don’t realise how much they are being judged and that it is not always personal to them but a stereotype.
This music video is both performance and narrative based, and this is done by it being set during one of All Time Low’s live gigs.

How Important are 'Stars' in Music Videos?

With many musicians these days trying to outdo each other in the reception their music video gets, for example Lady Gaga and her 9 minute long Telephone video, stars increase the amount of people who would want to view the music video. This works in synergy as not only do the musicians gain more interest by having a star in their video, the star can also gain more fans, particularly that of the fan base of the artist. Gorillaz recently used Hollywood actor Bruce Willis, famous for the Diehard series, in their music video for ‘Stylo’. This made the video very popular but the single did not have the same impact as it failed to chart in the UK.



Harry Potter actress Emma Watson has also recently starred in a music video for One Night Only’s song ‘Say you don’t want it’. This is due to her dating the signer of the band, but this has produced a high amount of views on the video, and is having an effect on the band and their popularity.