Location Research

For our music video, it will be split into two parts with looking at the idea of the conceptual side and the narrative side. For the narrative side of our video, we want to show a couple stuck in a forest and arguing and having a fight of sorts while in this environment. A forest will allow a mysterious and haunting atmosphere for our video which will relate back to the theme of the supernatural and poltergeists.

1st Location

One location idea we had for this part of the music video was Mote Park, Maidstone. Mote Park allows a large cover of forest for us to shoot in, but also allows other features that could be used to our advantage. For example, within Mote Park there is the Volunteers Memorial Pavilion which was built in 1801 and has been boarded up for many years. It can be used a background prop to help give a creepy atmosphere.

2nd Location

Another location idea we had was to use another forest area such as Riverside Country Park. The park allows some forest cover we could use for the narrative side of the video and it is also a closer location to use rather than Maidstone. However, we have already used this location before for our AS Media project so it would seem unprofessional to reuse this location and it would seem as if we are lazy and unable to think of anywhere else to film and to be able to 'think outside the box'.

3rd Location

Another closer location that we could use could be Capstone Country Park which does allow a large coverage of forest for us to use and it is also another closer location for us to be able to reach.

Final Decision 

In the end, we decided to go with the first location idea of Mote Park because of how large the park is, it will give us chance to find the perfect spots to film and with knowing how large the park is, we will most likely be able to find a spot to film that will be away from others within the park which will help minimise the chances of filming being interrupted. This location will also be the best to use due to the other features this park has like the Volunteers Pavilion.


                                                   https://goo.gl/maps/xihuoDFNAG52

For the conceptual side of the music video, the basic shots we will be using is close ups of our chosen singer from the chest upwards to give off the idea that she is naked without having to actually show anything that would be deemed explicit; this imagery of the chest upwards will allow the idea of how vulnerable the singer is during the conceptual side of the music video.

For the conceptual side of the video, we also plan to use many props within this side; some of these props will be paint, glitter, water (etc) so we will need a location that will allow us to be able to make a mess easily without any trouble.  We have been inspired with PVRIS' 'You and I' video which gave us the idea for this part of our own music video - to be able to do this we will need a white background as well for when we film our singer.

One idea we had for this would be to use my own back garden because with having a large wall to set up the white backdrop to use. With having a decking as well, it will be easy to clean if there is a slight mess made but with being able to use the large wall and decking to set out, we can use a tarp to lay across the decking to catch any mess.

Prop's & Costume List

Props needed:

For our first initial idea for our music video decided to focus on a more conceptual side for our music video, while this idea wasn't used in the final product, props were a large necessity within this idea.

Black Paint - we will be using this within the conceptual side of our music video to try and achieve a supernatural elect; the bleach paint can represent a sort of 'gooey/sticky' substance which can be seen as a typical trait within horror movies to do with ghosts of possessions; relating back to the theme of poltergeist. The paint can symbolise negativity and releasing all of this 'darkness' that our actress is suppressing/dealing with. A prime example of where this sort of thing has been used before is Michael Jackson's 'Thriller' where we can see the camera pan over to a close up of one zombie with 'black goo' (which can also be seen as old blood) to be oozing out of his mouth; other examples being the exorcism scene within 'The Conjuring' however we will not be focusing on making our music video horror-like.


For our final music video idea outcome, we focused more on a narrative. While we used multiple clips to show a story between the two actors, we focused on using an overlay edit we had discovered through the internet showing the impressions of the clips being shown to look like old video tapes, staying with the theme of the supernatural and the classic film 'Poltergeist'.

To do this we needed to focus on the assistance of a green screen for our actress to sit in front of to help create a clear background for our performance. A tripod was essential to help keep the camera still and central with our actress in a clear shot for the whole music video.

Costume:

For our actresses costume, we decided to focus on an indie/alternative look. Wearing a denim jacket, this is able to display to the audience the indie style of the music and the artist due to the vintage aesthetic connotations associated with this sort of clothing style; for example, it can be linked to The Smiths iconic style. Under neath the jacket, she is wearing a simple black top with strange designs which can be seen to be described as 'edgy'; this can be linked into the rock/alternative style fashion. Black eyeliner was a key focus for our actress' face due to it being key and vital to create emphasis on her eyes due to the constant eye contact with the camera. I believe this outfit adheres to the stereotypes of an indie artist, allowing our music video to prove more effective overall.

Storyboards

Once we had our initial idea for our music video the next step was to plan the filming process shot by shot. We did this in the form of storyboards and planned out what actions would be carried out within each shot, what camera shot/angle would be used and at what part of the song it would happen. The idea behind this was to make the filming process go as according to plan and so as not to waste any time. By knowing which shots we needed to film at different points the filming process could be planned accordingly. It also means we can make sure every part of the music video is filmed so we don't get to the editing process and realise certain parts have been missed out.

Initial Ideas

With looking at our ideas for our music video, we decided to record us discussing what we wanted to do and try to aim and achieve. During the week, we met up with leader singer Tia Avey to figure out what ideas she had for the music video of her song.

Lip Sync Testing

With the fact that lip syncing will prove to be important within the editing stage of our music video, Chloe and I thought it would be best to practise lip syncing by practising it beforehand. With using Tia, this will allow us to test what it would be like to film with her later on due to her starring in our music video for her band's song.

One of the negatives of this test proves to be how her song 'Poltergeist' had not been finished mixing yet so we were unable to test that song with lip syncing. We then decided to use one of our other song choices which happened to be Heathens by Twenty One Pilots. We chose to use this song for the lip syncing because it was an easy song for Tia to learn quickly so we would be able to film the lip syncing as quickly as possible. It also doesn't help that the singer is a male so it doesn't line up properly to be exact.

However this was our first try at lip syncing and while there were a few negatives, this allows us to learn from our mistakes and practise again before we start filming for our music video.

Andrew Goodwin's Theory of Music Videos

Andrew Goodwin came up with a theory of what people expect and want to see in music videos. The theory identifies five elements that are crucial for a successful music video:

• Thought beats- seeing the beat
• A relationship between the narrative and the performance
• The star's trademark
• Multiple close-ups of the main artist
• Technical aspects

Thought Beats- Seeing the beat

With looking at the idea of 'cutting' during editing, Goodwin argued that there should be a relationship between the song and the editing. Cuts should be made in time to the beat, and in some cases, during each chorus of the song images and colours are repeated to emphasize the repetition of the tune or beat. 

A good example of this is the music video for Just One Yesterday by Fall Out Boy - just before the chorus (0:37 - 0:50), it is visibly noticeable how the beat and editing are in time with each other. They are timed perfectly and flow with the narrative of the video which shows how the song has been taken into consideration during the editing stage of the music video. The overall effect of this is extremely successful in creating a clean finish to the product. Music videos which don't use this technique tend to have a "jumpy" feel to them and this can make it difficult for the audience to watch and pay attention to what's going on. 

A Relationship Between the Narrative and the Performance

The performance within the music video is needed to give the audience clarification over ambiguous meanings the lyrics may have on their own.

The music video for Lonely Girl by Tonight Alive represents this element extremely well as it features such a strong narrative for the performance to be based on, showing the emotion of both the character and the lead singer. The video itself follows one particular character from the very beginning to the end in an almost story like manner which significantly raises the chances of the audience watching the entire video. By using this story telling technique, the performance within the music video creates a solid interpretation of the song lyrics, which is exactly what Goodwin identified as being what audience's wanted to see.

The Star's Trademark

Successful artists will usually have their own style or movement which is unique to them. Goodwin argued that this was crucial for the audience to see as it allows them to identify with the artist, as well as the artist using it as a marketing ploy in the future.

Within the indie/alternative community, a good example of this element of Goodwin's theory is Melanie Martinez. A young singer who starred on the Voice is known for her 'strange' and unique style. It is shown within her fashion, tattoo's, lyrics and videos.  The music video for Alphabet Boy shows the audience a clear example of how she perceives her style of music - channeling it through the idea of a mad, childlike world of her own.

Multiple close-ups of the main artist

The idea behind this element is that the multiple close ups of the artists create a sense of "closeness" between the artists and the audience. If the artist is female, it's quite common for many of these close-ups to be sexualised which can create a fetishisation. With male artists, it can be used in a sexualised way as well, as if the male singer is 'wooing' the female target audience due to these extreme close ups. An example of this can be seen in DNCE's Cake By The Ocean - the multiple shots of eye contact with the camera during these close ups helps shows this.

Technical aspects

Effective editing, mise-en-scene and the appropriate lighting/colour to create the right mood is essential, according to Goodwin's theory, in order to create a music video with a professional finish.



How could we incorporate some of these elements in our music video?

With now deciding that for our music video, we want to focus more on the narrative and conceptual side rather than performance, we should take into consideration how important the narrative should be to interest the audience and how we can use the conceptual side to our advantage. The conceptual side will allow us to make a connection to the lyrics and narrative as Goodwin shows this to be an important factor if we wish to make a successful music video. Transparence's song 'Poltergeist' is about a toxic relationship that is shown to be breaking down and detaching yourself from this previous partner, the themes of Goodwin's theory could be seen as crucial to include as we will be able to use them to our advantage and benefits.

Institutional Research