Photos

These following pictures show the kind of costumes I want to use. It shows a range of colours which I could pick out using colour pass editing technique, and it gives the 'rave' atmosphere which I trying to create. I am also going to find bright coloured glasses, belts, hats, t-shirts and other accessories I can think of such as shoelaces or badges. Some of the photos show tutu's, big glasses and colourful glasses, hats and clothing style. This also shows the type of characters I want to use such as the characters from the hit tv series 'Skins' (shwon in the first photo). The last photo is of the DJ equipment that I am planning on using. I took this photo when I went to a party which was actually quite like what I am planning on creating. I was originally going to take a camera to a party however I realised that it would be far from perfect because people would probably act stupidly and I wouldn't be able to go back and refilm so I am going to choose a small room and fill it with people, use bright lights and smoke machines, and set up the DJ area.

Lyrics

It's always the same
always ashamed story telling
when I can't come in
To a hopeless troglodyte
But one more time
my answer stands
I swear I mean "no offense"
But you better learn to read
it's all 'bout membership

Hey, for you young & old
Ugly girls and boys
I put you on my list
And make you clap to this[?]
Mayhem, I just don't need that trip
And only one can win
And soon you're saying different

[Chorus x2]
D V N O
Four capital letters
Printed in gold
'Cause details make the girls sweat even more
while they're shaking their belt
No need to ask my name
to figure out how cool I am

[Refrain x2]
Can anyone read, anyone feel
That I'm losing my patience
I just came here to bounce
Ladies are all waxed
They all now I'm coming
I'm losing my patience
I just came here to bounce

[Chorus x2]

[Refrain]

[Chorus]

Planning

The music I have chosen for my video is 'D.V.N.O' by Justice. I looked at quite a range of songs before choosing this one and I contemplated my different ideas because I liked the idea of two different choices - one a dance video and one more story based. However I think I liked the idea of the dance video more because I realised that I was doing more research for it anyway and was more enthusiastic about this choice, but I do feel as though I am taking a risk because it could end up looking tacky.

Before making this choice, I looked at a number of music videos from a range of different music genres as you can see from my research. I learnt that a music video generally follows a narrative and it can include things from animation to still camera shots, depending on the mood of the music. With regards to the mise-en-scene, I have looked at costumes, lighting, location, actors, editing techniques and camera angles so that I can create a certain atmosphere. The location I have chosen is in quite a sophisticated little garage which has an upstairs but I am going to set the 'rave' downstairs. It is basically a small room with hard flooring and not much else in it and I liked this because it feels quite claustrophobic and if I manage to fill the room with people then it will look crowded, giving the impression of a busy party. I am also going to make sure there are lots of bright colours on clothing of my characters and lots of accessories which I can film, adding to the mise-en-scene. The lighting will hopefully strongly contribute to the atmosphere because I am planning on making it dark with strobe lights and lasers, depending on if I can get this equipment. 

Below is the planning for my music video so that when I start to film, I have a list of everything I need and I know I am fully organised.

Location

The Garage

Props
Coloured glasses
Turntable
Headphones
Glow sticks

Strobes (for lighting)

Ipod/Laptop

Costumes
Coloured t-shirts
Jeans
Trainers

Shades

Hats

Actors
Mark Patterson

Rachel Barnett

Group of Older Teenagers

Equipment and Technical Resources
XL2 Cannon 

Manfrotto tripod

Editing Techniques

For AS, I researched a number of different camera angles which would be useful for any type of filming and I will use this knowledge when I am filming my video to make it more exciting. I also need to consider the editing, and so I thought I would do more research on what I could do for my music video. When we were doing our thrillers, there wasn't much room for animation or bright colours as it didn't match the atmosphere being created (thrillers are usually very sombre and colourless). Music videos give a lot more opportunities to experiment with the after effects program and different camera techniques as the pace can be faster and more upbeat (depending on the song you choose). I watched a short clip on film techniques and picked out a few I would like to use in my video.



This is 'colour pass'. I could use this to make something stand out and make the colour look more vibrant. I could do this with a t-shirt, shoe laces, a banner etc. I hope to experiment with after effects and learn more about this technique.



'Find edges' is an effect I haven't seen before but it kind of transforms the clip into lots of moving lines which can be coloured. I liked the look of this but I'm not so sure where I would use it.



I quite liked this idea as it creates a ghost of the person. When I am making my storyboard I am going to consider if this would be appropriate for my video and if I can make it quite stylish rather than creating the effect of someone who has died.




These are effects which shake the screen. They are sound editing which would obviously suit the music video. They pick out the base line or the treble line and the screen and image shake/blur in time to the music. This would be quite a good effect when I am editing, especially as I am doing a dance video because the beat is what the music centres around.

Ideas

For my music video I am thinking about a few different ideas. Firstly I quite liked the idea of incorporating a story into the video but for this I would need to find a song with good lyrics. I am thinking that I would choose something acoustic because then I can create the kind of laid back atmosphere that I saw in '5 Years Time' by 'Noah and the Whale'. Also acoustic songs usually are "uncluttered" by technology and overproduction so it would make it generally easier to film simpler shots and I will be able to concentrate on using different camera angles and creating an atmosphere.

Secondly, I was watching a documentary the other day about the renaissance and even though I was meant to be concentrating on the content, I noticed a style of media which might be quite good for a music video. They included lots of black and white close-ups of peoples eyes and faces using a different range of people. They used an old man with lots of wrinkles, a young girl looking up at the sky, a few boys and girls laughing, a couple kissing etc. and I liked the fact that it showed lots of different emotions. It looked like the editor had used a grainy filter over the footage as well to make it look old fashioned. If I can find a song that matches this style, I will experiment with a camera and see how it works out.

Thirdly, I was thinking about doing a song by Justice or Pendulum and filming some shots of someone on a turntable instead and people dancing or maybe adding some animation like Justice do. This is because I think that the dance music genre gives more freedom to experiment with costumes and lighting and I wouldn't have to create a story-line because dance videos generally promote the song and emphasise the beat more than create a story. "A rave (or rave party), is a term, in use since the 1980s, to describe dance parties (often all-night events). At these parties DJs and other performers play electronic dance music (sometimes referred to as "rave music"), with the accompaniment of laser light shows, projected images, and artificial fog." This is the kind of atmosphere I would want to create if I do use this idea.

As I am creating my music video, I need to consider what my target audience are and what they are interested in. After watching MTV for awhile and some of the different music channels, I have noticed that the channels are split into things such as MTV dance and Kerrang etc. which all use different genres of music to match the viewers desires. So I would need to consider what category my video would fall under and who would be interested in watching it. I also need to think about censorship because after researching music videos, I have found out that channels assess the sexual content, violence etc. and depending on what it contains, will only show it at certain times of the day or on certain channels so I need to make sure that I don't use these things more than needed.

Research

Music Videos usually accompany a short song with lyrics. They are commonly used as a means of promoting the sale of music recordings. Before being called 'music videos' they were usually just 'promotional films/clips' because that is the general purpose of them. "Music videos use a range of styles of filmmaking, including animation, live action filming, documentaries, and non-narrative approached such as abstract film. Some music videos blend different styles, such as animation and live action. "

In 1964, The Beatles started creating short promotional films for their songs which were then broadcast on televisions throughout the US. This meant that they didn't have to make live appearances all the time yet their songs would still be promoted to the public. By the time they stopped touring in 1966, their promotional films, like their recordings, were becoming increasingly sophisticated. Their short videos were using rhythmic editing , slow motion, and reversed film effects.

In 1981, MTV was launched beginning a new era of 24/7 music on television and it has grown to play a central role in music marketing. Artists such as 'Adam & the Ants' and 'Madonna' owe a great amount of their success to the skillful construction and seductive appeal of their videos.
Top of the Pops also played a big role in promoting music. Bands and record labels felt the competition to produce something good so that the viewers would want to see it again the next week. It was also censorous in its approach to video content, so another method was for an act to produce a promo that would be banned or edited. This would then use the resulting public controversy to promote the release.

As in other types of film-making, music videos started to be censored as some of the content was explicit and not suitable for everyday television. The first video to be rejected by MTV was 'Girls on Film' by 'Duran Duran' as it contained full frontal nudity. "Rock Video Violence" was also explored by Entertainment Tonight and focused on the impact of MTV rock video violence on the youth of the early 1980's. Madonna also created a lot of controversy in music video censorship as her marketing of sexuality amplified over time. 'Justify My Love' was banned by MTV due to its depiction of sadomasochism (sexual or non-sexual gratification in the infliction of pain or humiliation upon or by another person), homosexuality, group sex and cross dressing.

Finally, the internet has now become an effective way of promoting singles. MTV itself now provides streams of artists' music videos, while AOL's recently launched AOL Music and features a vast collection of advertising supported streaming videos. The iTunes store has even began selling music videos for use on Apple's iPod with video playback capability.

Information from Wikipedia.org 

Poppin' Champagne - All Time Low

This video had a good style. It showed a party but the band were dressed up in loud vintage clothes and stood out from everyone. I like quite a few of All Time Low's songs and I will look at them when I am choosing which track to use. When I do choose my song, I am going to have a look at the lyrics as well as finding a song I like because I have noticed that videos tend to focus around the lyrics.

5 Years Time - Noah and the Whale

This video made me think about the atmosphere I want to create. I noticed that all the band members were wearing matching costumes that were quite plain but made them look more old fashioned. They had shots of the band doing a simple dance and genuinely looking like they were smiling and having a good time. They also showed a clip of the band dancing behind a bar with older people rather than pretty girls making them seem more approachable and happy and less caring about their image. Other videos such as 'Ride Wit Me' by Nelly (third screen shot) usually have more seductive dancers in the background. I want my video to look like people are having a fun time rather than be concerned about looking good.

Justice

After watching a few of Justice's music videos, I am having ideas about using their dance music for my music video instead. Because they mainly mix their music on DJ sets, I wouldn't be able to film any band shots but I wasn't really planning on doing that anyway unless I needed to make up some time. Justice use a lot of animation in their music videos and they also promote their album. In the first and last screen shots are the cross which is on the front of their album. I figure this is quite symbolic to Justice as when I saw them live at Reading festival, they has the cross at the front of their set, so if I add any animation into my music video I might try and keep this symbol. In 'dvno' (the second screen shot), Animoto have chosen words from the lyrics and used bright colours and animation to make them stand out. The third screen shot is from the song 'D.A.N.C.E' and throughout the song the t-shirts have moving animation on and the drawings move across the two bodies.

Air Traffic - Shooting Star

I looked at this video because I really like the song and it was good because it had a story-line which is what I was looking for. It flicked between shots of a couple and then back to the band, plus Air Traffic use more than the common band instruments (e.g guitar and drums) and they had some close-ups of the main singer playing the piano. The colours used in this video were quite bland and calming and created a slow-moving style but added more emotion to the lyrics. When I do my music video, I hope to choose an obscure song so that my ideas are more unique and not influenced by other styles.

Metallica - The Day That Never Comes

I liked this video because it focused on a storyline rather than having the main focus on the band. It switched between a story that matched with the lyrics and there was a relationship between the characters giving the audience something to follow. Some videos that I have watched on MTV previously (I'm talking about mainly dance videos) don't have much of a story. As you can see from the screen shots, it was set in a desert and the lighting was good as the sun set and when the band were shown playing it gave quite a lot of atmosphere and shadow which added to the reality. I also like the tempo to this song and when I choose my music I would like it to be quite upbeat rather than a slow moving song. I also realised that I need to consider how long the time of the song is because this one is about 7 minutes and I would rather choose a shorter song.