Music Video

My A2 music video - What would you do

Album Poster

My poster which is advertising Jack.T's album will be placed on a full page spread in the top music magazines such as NME but also magazines like OK for publicity which will be reached by his target audience.

They will also be advertised in pre-sincts amongst in some big cites in HMV and also around the actual place and also in the undergrounds and stations of London.

MY POSTER

I chose to design my poster using the same if not similar fonts and background image to show the representation of the album and to show the links. This will also help fans recognise the poster from the album, or vice-verser.
I have chosen white and blue font to represent the album names cloudy and again to show the naturalistic feelings of the album and Jack.T's music.

I wanted to keep the poster simplistic because if there is to much writing or to much going on then people get distracted and can sometimes not take an interest in looking at it as it looks to much to comprehend. The only writing i have on there is the title, the artists name and then i wanted to include album signings Jack.T will be doing to help promote himself and to also gain interest.

The image of Jack that you can see faded through the background is a different image to the one used for the album. I chose this image because you can see Jack's face and I want people who look at it to be able to connect to him.
Also I didn't want to use the exact same image as the album because i wanted to show a different side to Jack and also to use a different design.

Shoot 4 Evaluation

Equipment Used

• Canon EOS 600D
• Tripod
• Dedo Lights x2

What went well...

• What I was really pleased with in shoot four was the overall shots I achieved. On my story board I had a good rough idea of what i was shooting and what my shots were going to look like, however when I got to the location, (my sisters flat) and got a better feel of the place I tried out some new shots which i hadnt origannyl planned and looking back through them now I feel they work really well.
• Also in todays shoot I tried out a pull shot, and im usingit in my video. It felt good to try a didffernt shot i havent used yet within my story board and wihtin the previous shoots.
• I was really happy with the shading and tone of the lighting of shoot four. It connotes the right feeling and mood for that perticular part of the song in my music video.

What didnt go to well...

• Shoot four was the first shoot using Dylan, the baby. We knew obviously it was giong to take a bit longer and things would be a bitmore long winded and their were differnt risks to be careful of, and even though I did manage to shoot all the shots i wanted to with Dylan, we found out it was far more strenuous that prepared for. Each shot which included the baby, It took about 6 takes for each shot. This is just what happens when you work with a baby, you can never predict what will happen and how long it will take.

Shoot Four Interview...

Album Poster Research

Posters is a marketing technique that is still going strong within the advertisement of music artists and bands.

• They often include an image of the artist.
•  They may be used to promtoe an upcoming event, like tour dates for example, or a smaller appearence such as an album signing.
• The artists logo may be included somewhere within the poster for audiences to recognise the relation between poster and the artist.
• The style of the poster depends on the appeal to which audience and which genre. It also depends largely on the style of the artists themselves.

Plan for Album Artwork Shoots

Equipment Needed

• Canon EOS 600D
• Tripod
• Battery Pack
• Dedo Lights

Actors Needed

• Jack Tolhurst

Location/s

• Holyport Green
• Ockwells Park
• Bolters Lock

Frames to be shot

• Front cover of album practice shots
• Front Cover final shots
• Back cover shot
• Inside package- personal shots

Dates/Times

• 08/02/14 - 10.00-13.00
• 15/02/14 - 12.00-16.00

Track selection

Track Selection

How did you decide on the track?

I decided to do ‘what would you do- Bastille cover’ because do I not only like the cover, and know the song well, but it has a strong narrative, and that was what strongly influenced my decision when looking for a song for my music video. I made a list of what were the key factors I was looking for in a song, and a strong easy following narrative was at the top.

The reason I wanted a narrative, because in my research when looking at music conventions and what they include and the effect of them, I was strongly drawn to these. I want my music video to tell the story of what the lyrics are saying and meaning.

When listening to the song, before I had even decided on doing it, I was picturing what would happen at particular parts of the song, what my main actor could like if I chose this song, and where I could film, and everything just seemed to fit, which made me make my final decision. 

Audience Questionaire

I have created an audience research questionnaire, to try and find out  more about what the public think of and expect from music videos. The reason for me doing this is so i can make my music video relate to what the target market is expecting and wanting to help popularity and boost sales and interest.

I got 20 different individual students (I have chosen students as that is my average-age fan base I am aiming to reach out to) to complete my questionnaire. 

Here are a few examples of the questions, and the response data shown in a bar chart:

Reading through the questionnaires have been a real help on the overall approach I have towards my music video. Obviously it hasnt changed my idea completely, or the concept or made any major changes. It's just background knowledge in my mind of how to present it and advetise it and little things I can either add or avoid in my video to get the best audience response I can.
It enables me to be able to see what consumers are looking for in music videos today, in the modern industry and how I can hopefully make a music video which ticks all the right boxes for my fan base area. Obviously i will not be able to please everybody because different people like different things, different styles, different genres etc. But these questionnaires give me a rough idea on average of peoples thoughts and views and wants.

Actor Profile: Lauren Perrett

Name: Lauren Perrett
Age: 17
Occupation: Full time Student/ Part time waitress
Height: 5ft 7.5

The Leading actress in my music video, has an interest in acting, specially for screen so she was very excited when i approached her about being an actor for my video. She took Creative and media studies for two years during her GCSE's so knows the background organisation that needs to come with work like this, and how much effort needs to be put in when considering characterisation and when following instructors by myself when on shoot.

"working on this project with beth on set has been a great experience. It's been fun but also very stressful at times, but its all been worth it. I only ever usually perform at school to live audiences, mainly theatre based performances, so getting to try out screen acting even if its at the most basic level its still experience. I cant wait to see final edited video completed."

Laurens Bloopers

Annotated Lyrics

Artist Profile

Jack T

Full Name:Jack Tolhurst Song writing
Age: 17
Birthday: 22/01/1195
Hobbies:Song writing, Football, Forest walks. 

Background and Career Beginings...
Jack Tolhurst is a singer/songwriter. He grew up in Knowl Hill a village just off from Reading. He grew up with his Dad, a carpenter and his two older sisters. Jack discovered his love for music at a very young age, and learnt to play guitar when he was 7 years old. He attended coxgreen secondary school, but found it hard to focus on anything else but his music. He was spending all his spare time and all his money on going to London to desprately try and persue his music career. At the begining of last year he left School, not continuing on to do A-levels, and worked hard on getting a chance within the music industry.
Tolhurst began music recording two years ago using his own equipment he had bought himself using the money he had saved from his saturday job in their local bakery. It wasn't un-till he had played a random gig in London and was spotted by Jamie Foxx who was in London for business. Jamie Fox was so impressed by Tolhurst he offered him the use of his recording studio. Throughout 2013 Tolhurst became more and more recognised and talked about through YouTube and his fan base grew. He is now signed to Asylum/Atlantic Records.

In february 2014, he is set to release his first Album "Cloudy". Cloudy is his 5th song on the album, and the song he says is where it personally all began Cloudy is a song Tolhurst wrote when he was 15. He say's its a song that explains how he felt about everything else compared to music. Eerything else felt cloudy to him, blocked and dull. It was only music that lit him up, that focused him. Music was his soul and ambtion. Tolhurst said he chose to name his Album 'Cloudy' because of the meaning and background of the song but also because he said he doesnt want to be one of these cliche artists whose songs are all about girls, or their Album name is a really obvious stereotypical one for a young male artist entering the indie-pop genre of the music industry.

Shoot 3 Day 2 Evaluation

Equipment Used

• Canon EOS 600D
• Tripod
• Bold stand up projection light

I shot around 50 shots in yesterdays shoot. 

Yesterdays shoot had a few problems which meant the shoot had to finish earlier then expected, meaning I didn't shoot all the frames i had planned. I had two SD cards with me, and both of them only after around 30 shots told me the car was full, which meant I didn't get as many angles and positions I realistically wanted. Luckily i managed to do all of the inside shots, I got them filmed however it was the outside shops that I didn't manage to get. So i have rescheduled a day to complete the shoot of these frames. 

When it came to my two actors of this scene, it did take quite a while for them to get focused.
Here are some examples;

We had to re-shoot each shot a couple of times more then i would have liked due to laughing and coming gout of character. But we overcame that and the shots i did get i am pleased with. 

I found it quite hard to get the positioning of the lights in the best possible place in this shoot but I tried my best and I am pleased with the outcome. 

I felt I did possibly rush a few shots as soon as i saw that the card said it was full and the battery was running out. This panicked me slightly and because i wanted to get as many shots as possible in yesterdays shoot to cover the frames for that particular scene i rushed to fit in as many as i could which has possibly resulted in my shots not being as well planned and effective as they could have and should have been. To overcome this i will work on them when I go to complete Shoot 3 day 2. 

What I need to remember...

• To have the exact same mise-en-scene in each shot as I did in yesterdays shoot, when i go to complete it. 
• The actors hair has to be exactly the same
• To make sure the battery is fully charged
• To brig as many SD cards to be safe.

Shot Evaluation

As you know shoot 2 didn't turn out to the standards I'm looking for so I've decided to re-shoot and change a couple of the frames. After looking through the 50 odd shots I had taken on the 11th of November, there are some I'm pleased with and could possibly use, however a majority of them could be improved dramatically to create a better overall product. Here is some examples.

In this shot there are a few reasons why i am re-shooting. First we can see rolling shutter on the back wall, where I haven't adjusted the shutter speed correctly for the light given and the place where filming. This ruins the shot, it creates focus to the wrong thing, and makes the shot look un-organised and un-professional. Also there is to much wasted space in the shot. Due to the natural way the eyes look, if there is any free space it should be in front of Jack otherwise it doesn't look a well positioned shot.

What i noticed when looking back at this second shot is the eye line match of Lauren and Jack are in completely the wrong place, and Lauren's head takes up far to much of this shot and her head is to close to the camera. I didn't look on the camera screen in depth before recording, otherwise i would have noticed that Lauren's eye's were not in line with the first line of the grid that appears.

In this next shot i didn't set the White balance correctly at the beginning, so Lauren's complexion is slightly orange. The whole colour and composition of this shot is of poor quality.

These are basic things i should have made sure didn't happen during the shoot, however i didn't notice them un-till looking back over my shots and realising how much they can be improved, which i am going to do in my shoot 3.

Critical Response - "Change your life" by Little Mix

Album Research

Rough Ideas for my Album Artwork cover before research:

• Dullish back ground colour (light greyish for example)...But not gothic.
• Quite a simple design.
• either a long body shot with no emotion Or close facial shot with again no emotion.
• White writing.
• Field shot

Artists album covers I will be looking into:

• The 1975
• Bruno Mars
• James Arthur
• Justin Bieber
• Bastille 
• Justin Timberlake
• Ben Howard

Bruno Mars

I have chosen a mixture of genre's during my research, but have included a good amount of Artists with the same genre and style that my artists roughly links in with. This is so I can know what is expected within the industry of my artists genre and the music he will be producing. This will help me create the best possible Album Cover I possibly can, with research influencing my ideas and final product.

The 1975
The 1975's album artwork is self titled and very simplistic, but this simplistic approach has created much effect and fits perfectly with what type of band they are. The 1975 have said they aren't down for the 'classic boy band' look and don't want to fall into that stereotype. From researching the band and looking into how they do things, being all Posey on the front of there Lp wouldn't look right or reach out to their fans correctly and wouldn't create the image they are wanting to portray. The album cover is dark colours, the same colour scheme I was thinking of working with. this shows the maturity of the band, even though their young they want to show that there serious about there music and are a mature band to be taken seriously. It also gives an element of mystery.
I like this artwork and has given me some good ideas for when coming to do my own, however i would like to include some photographic artwork of my artists on the album.

James Arthur
James Arthur won the X-Factor in 2012, and since then has damaged his reputation from the show by lashing out at other artists through social media sites such as twitter. I feel personally his album cover work shows of this rough tough status he has given off recently but that's only through the stereotype of tattoos. His First and only album is a medium shot of himself, which draws a great amount of attention to his arms which are covered in sleeves of tattoos. this shows that even though he fist into the pop industry of music that he has this rough edge and he isn't being polished up by mangers etc., he's being real which thought the media he has made clear he is a strong believer in. The clothes and image make a statement and representation of our character, and I feel this representation of James Arthur on in his album has the right mix of everything to show through his personality. We know he writes meaningful music that comes from his own experiences but his external interior and image and recent media out lashes implicates he has a rough side but this could also show a strong reputation of passion for what he does. James Arthur's album is also quite unconventional because his album is untitled. It has no name.

Justin Bieber
Justin Bieber is a huge worldwide success, and appeared within the industry at a very young age fitting into the classic cute pop boy genre. However over the years he has grown and matured quickly and wants to be taken seriously within the music industry but still fitting into that pop genre. He's a good one to look at for me when contrasting with more bands/artists that are mixed within the indie culture. To compare and see the contrast and the similarities, and because my artists is within the two, both influences are great help, so i can take as much information from both sides as possible to put into my artwork.

Justin Timberlake

Ben Howard

Consent letter for Shoot 4

Plan for shoot 4

Equipment Needed

• Canon EOS 600D
• Tripod
• Battery Pack
• Dedo Lights

Actors Needed

• Lauren Perrett
• Dylan Turner
• Jack Tolhurst

Location/s

• Holyport Village - 9 Aysgarth Park
• Ockwells Park

Frames to be shot

• End shots of Lauren and her child in her flat.
• Close up individual shots of Dylan (Lauren's baby)

Dates/Times

• 25/01/14 - 9.00- 12.00
• 26/01/14 - 3.00-5.00

Risk Asessment 

Plan for Shoot 3 Day 2

Equipment Needed

• Canon EOS 600D
• Tripod
• Battery Pack
• Dedo Lights

Actors Needed

• Lauren Perrett
• Hannah Luke

Location/s

• Bray court -Windsor Road

Frames to be shot

• Sister/bus stop scene Frames 26-32

Dates/Times

• 15/01/14
• 3.15-6.00

Shoot 3 Day 1 Evaluation

Equipment Used

• Canon EOS 600D
• Tripod
• Bold stand up projection light

Things that went well

• The lighting in contrast to my previous shoots was much more thought out and actually worked really well on our first day of shooting shoot 3. 

:My last shoot had very poor lighting, as it was an outdoor shoot and the lights I was using weren't all that great, and we ran out of natural day light more quickly then planned for and expected. Since then, in my new and improved story board i have cut out so much evening filming shots and created more scenes in different locations that are inside to help improve the quality of my shots and to be able to use proper lighting. 

• I shot all the frames i had planned on my storyboard for this particular scene. 
• Mise en scene was planned ahead of the shoot.

: To the location ( my friends bedroom) I bought a huge bag full of props to place around the room and to cover things up around the room. I thoroughly thought through the mise en scene of my shots and planned the night before last everything to get hold of if i didn't already have it. For example, the half empty vodka bottle and the condom wrapper. I wanted to make the shots relate to the story as much as possible and really represent the narrative of my music video and the lyrics. 

During this shoot I made sure I spent time lining the camera up at the correct height and distance to frame the shot perfectly and to get a great effective shot. I was really conscious of doing this because that was one of the main criticisms in my feedback of my last shoot. To take time in every shot with the camera to get the right angles, for eye line etc and to make sure I've got everything in the shot where want it. 

Things that could have been improved

• Not to have felt rushed towards the end.

Throughout this shoot last night, especially towards the end i felt quite rushed by the male actor in this scene. About timings, and because of this I felt I could have possibly achieved more shots such as more close ups that I could have then worked with during the editing process. 

I understand he is doing this out of his own free will, and using up his own spare time, however we had a production meeting a week ago and all decided on this day so he had plenty of warning to be prepared for the day of the shoot. 

• The size of the room. 

:Because the room wasn't the biggest of rooms and the hallway outside was a very narrow one, I was limited for space to position the camera. Even though I feel happy with the shots i got and the positioning and distance of them, if the room was just a big bigger and there was more space to manoeuvre they could have been just that bit more planned and effective. However i feel i worked well with the space given. 

R.E.M - Everybody Hurts Music Video Analysis

The representation of long strenuous days, hurting, and glum feeling is shown throughout the video, by the use of theon going traffic jam within this music video. It is a visual metaphor. Nobody likes being stuck in traffic and it can leave a tired, bored aching feeling in your stomach and can seem like such a long occurence. Which is why this is a really good visual metaphor to help represent the meaning of the song. Also a traffic jam can be an average day occurence which many people, all from different backgrounds can get them selves caught up in. This is important because the song is about reminding people that everybody faces struggles, hard and tricky times. Were not alone when we feel down, theres aother people going through the same thingswe can turn to. The different shot of individuals in their cars shows this through the representation of being stuck in traffic.

Many subtitles appear throughtout the video. one of which, the shot is showing a boy who looks trapped nehind a car window. Whilst this is in viewm at the bottom of the screen subtitles "they're all stuck" appear.this suggest that before the child has even faced adult life and begun, he is already facing restrictions which is being represented through the closed window, not opening for the child. This could be a simple restriction, like he's bored of traffic and just wants to go outside and play but he cant. This restriction seemed like a bug problem when you were younger and the end of the world.

Lyrics occasionally appear on screen also, throughout the video. This suggests that the lyrics are very important to the artist; he doesnt want the lyrics to be lost by the visuals. the general meaning of the song has a strong narrative and context, which is why the lyrics are so important to get the message across the artist is trying to portray. Even when times get tough, theres always a brighter end at the tunnel and that everybody goes through hard times. We shouldnt give up. "cause everybody cries and everybody hurts sometimes" is an example of how this is shwon throughout the lyrics. The singer is basically saying that the video represents people as a collective.

The use of unknown actors connotes that the lyrics and meaning can be applied to anyone. every character we see is different ot he other. for example the woman stroking her car door at 0:42 seconds is contrasting to the large man behind the steering wheel of another car with his dog at 0:55. This shows they all have different lifestyles and backgrounds but can face the same day to day struggles and pains, such as a traffic jam.

The composure of the shots mirrors the feel of the music and the lyrics. The camera movements are smooth, suggesting to the viewer "keep calm". The cutting between shots also advocates this. Also, we see alot of the subject's backs, especially at the very begining. these shtos represent hidden feelings. Your hurting but your not necesarily sharing these feelings, you may feel people are turning there backs on you. It suggests lonliness.

At 2:17 it focuses on the cra door shutting as Micheal Stype
is getting out of the car. This connotes the closure the song is                  
trying to present. The lyrics are constantly repeating

 "everybody hurts" so dont feel alone.
The shot of the closing door is mimicking them letting go and
escaping their inner feelings and being prepared to share this
with the world. Michel is escaping the car, the traffic jam,
the dullness, and stepping out into the real world, the fresh air.
 This metaphor is being continued through the video.

The feeling of being alone is really pushed forward again at 2:51 with the subtitles of the lyrics appearing "you are not alone" with a single low angled shot of Micheal Stype. It's dark aroudn where he is, he's dressed in abig black coat creating a shadowy look about him. He's standing under a birdge which creates this feel of darkness, and before him from the use of shot we can see he's walking into light where the unnel comes to an end. He's stepping out of the dark and into the light.

When the enitre band has left the car, and the build up of tempo and power in the music has settled in, they are all standing on a high level. On a bridge, on a lorry and on the top of a car. This resembles them gaining the strength to up lift themselves and rise above all the worries, and not let the worries get on top of them. The height resembles their strength.


It's only towards the end of the music video, that we see Stype singing his lyrics. When he does, we see everybody getting out of their cars and start to march together, like their in it together and there going to get through it together. "Everybody" is now in the exact same position. I think waiting till the end to see him lip synchig his lyrics adds a great effect to the video, because this only starts happening when everybody is joining together. It's not like hes communciating to the viewers at this moment in time, he's actually communciating to the poeple in the video and he's calling them all together. Almost as a cry for help to everyone.

By all the subjects in the music video marching boldly and strongly down the street between the parked cars enforces that inner power you can find. If it showed them walking weakly or timidly down the street, it wouldnt connote the message correctly.

The bird’s eye view shot at the end is a great shot and portrays a great meaning. It starts off with just the traffic filled road, everything in standstill, a hectic clammed up situation, where everyone feels trapped. Then as the camera rises, two highway’s appear either side of the traffic filled road. This is symbolising how even though we go through struggles and hurts at stages in our life time there is always a way out, and on the other side things are better. This is being shown through the uses of roads. The traffic filled road is showing the hurt and troubled times in your life, then the two roads with freely travelling cars and clear spaces is resembling the happy and free times we go through and can get back to after working through the struggle. This shot shows that if you think of the world as a whole, and don’t get to caught up in what’s happing right now and think of the bigger picture, there’s a way through and you will eventually get out of the traffic jam and reach the roads that are clear and free and easy to drive down, even if you cant see them from where you are.

The mise en scene throughout the video works really well. The costumes that R.E.M are wearing are dull black suits, which don’t really resemble emotion. If it’s any emotion it’s sad and negative matching the melody of the song. Then when everyone comes together at the end and the music starts kicking in with a stronger beat and the people from the other cars are getting out, colour starts to emerge. Oranges, yellow and reds, brighter colours appear, which creates a more claiming and loving atmosphere. It creates happy and positive vibes, which the song should end on to cheer those feelings of hurt up. This also gives the audience something to take  away from this music video which is the whole overall statement of the song.

Basic Album Artwork Conventions

Front Covers

• A simpisic colour scheme
• A simplistic design
• Few or no Characters
• use of a different colour for the band name compared to the rest of the cover
• Hidden meanings
• A title that explains to the audience what the album will be about
• bold simple foonts for the band name that stands out

Back Covers

• Name of band at very top
• Name of album beneath this
• List of song titles usually centred

Inside

• Colour scheme matching the rest of the album
• Blank plain background
• Few or no text

Bastille

Bastille are an english rock band formed in London in 2010. The main singer, Dan smith started out as a soloist but later down the line decided he wanted to form a band. In December 2010 EMI announced that they had given Bastille a record contract and since then they have hit the rock/indie band genre hard. However around this time they were only really reaching outside the top 40 Charts coming in with their first single which reached 90. It was only in 2013 with their fourth debut single 'Pompeii' which came in at number two in the charts. It was from this moment in time where they really started to become a familiar know band within the music industry. They have since played the main stage at Reading festival, and continued to release further songs which have placed high in the charts.

They are known for doing great covers of pop/RnB songs and changing the genre of these songs by putting their stamp and style onto it, when performing in the BBC Live Lounge. 

Examples of songs they have covered are;

• We cant stop - Miley Cyrus
• Locked out of heaven - Bruno Mars
• Diamond - Rihanna
• No scrubs

This is where i first heard their cover of "what would you do" by City High. As well as the narrative of the song jumping out at me and inspiring me for my music video, it was the genre and style that bastille had put into the song and how it had changed it completely but with the same narrative shining through. I new I wanted to be more included within the indie-pop genre, not RnB, which is why I steered away from the original version of the song.  

Plan for added shots

Monday 13th January - On this day i will be shooting the scenes of Lauren and the mystery man. We are using Lauren's bedroom and house to film in.

• First i will need to plan ahead to set up the room with furniture in the correct places for the cameras to be set up to get the best shot. Also take down girly posters off the wall etc and create the right miss-en-scene to suit what is going on. 
• Second setting up equipment. Equipment i will be using will be : Canon EOS 600D, Tripod, and lighting. 
• Third i will get a few practice shots, for the benefit of myself to create the perfect shot, and for the benefit of the actors to have more of an understanding of what they are doing and what is expected. 

CREW

• Lauren Perrett (leading actress)
• Dziguas (actor)
• Beth Walsham (Director)

AIM

• To shoot new included shots.
• To shoot the middle 10 Frames in about 50 shots.
• To not make the same mistakes as shoot 2. 

Me and the crew have had a recent production meeting and its all looking on track. 

Bullet points of New ideas for the video (Shoot 3)

• Tracking shot (Medium&Long) of male actor Jack walking through park. 
• Reversal shots of Lauren and Jack now shot outside my house. 
• Long shot of them coming out of the house. 
• Bus stop shelter shot but now before hand inside the house shot of sisters creeping down the stairs and coming out of house.