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Grace Bundy
Music Video Analysis
For this project we are going to create a music video. I will analyse videos so that I can get some inspiration and then will mind map my ideas. Once I have thought of my final idea I will do some research into different conventions that I could include. I will create test shots beforehand to improve my idea. I will then create the music video and evaluate it.
Leading line is used at the beginning of the music video when they are all on the sun beds which are next to each other with Sharpay at the end making it clear that she is the main focus of the video. Her sun bed is also a bright pink whilst all the others are yellow, which also suggests her being the main focus of the video. Leading line is again used at 1.25 when they are all in a line and Sharpay is at the end, which suggest her superiority over others. At 1.35 it shows everyone on the sunbeds again which is a repeating prop to show importance in the video, and Sharpay is then revealed in the middle. This again shows her significance in the video as she is in the centre, showing her importance, which is another example of leading line. This is a birds eye shot which is interesting here as it emphasises her being the main subject in the video. At 2.15 this is repeated again, her being in the centre and the others surrounding her. All throughout the video different props are used like the piano, the inflatable in the pool and the sunbeds, which Sharpay is sitting on and everyone is surrounding her to emphasise her being the main focus. All of this is the use of mise-en-scene as it suggests what type of character Sharpay is by the use of props, and the arrangement of the scenery.
In this music video the lighting stuck out to me when I first watched it. The lighting is correspondent with the audio, when the chorus started the lighting changed. At the start of the video dark dull colours were used, one that stood out was the orange which gave the impression it was set in the past and was a distinct way of showing this when cutting from different shots. As it kept switching to a place where she was standing which was filled with lights and was a lot brighter. This shows not just a different time space but also a different state of mind. When the lighting was dull it represents the persons feelings and emotions, but when it is lighter is changes the way she is perceived. When she went over to the box it was well lit making the viewer focus on this area. Once she puts the glasses on there are lots of bright vibrant colours with lots of effects going on, which included lots of different short snappy shots with the lights changing and became quite disorientated which went well with the music. It seemed to have a flicker or glitch effect which was very effective. The flashing and flickering of the lights was then used throughout. At 1.08 when they are both in the club everyone else around them is dancing whilst they are walking towards each other making them the main focus to the viewer. At 1.51 it then changes location and has sped up footage to make it look like it is in a different time in the past or future, and has been edited well as it includes the glitch effect throughout making it fit well with the music.
At the beginning of this video it is set in a forest where the surroundings are frozen, apart from the singer, which makes him the main focus as a viewer. This type of shot is then continued but in another two different locations, suggesting feeling isolated or frustrated. The setting also suggests this as at 0.55 he is in a room which is very messy which could be a metaphor for his emotions. At 1.15 there are lights with the singer in the centre which is an example of leading line as it draws our eyes to that subject. At 1.59 it shows light on a tree and the overall shot has contrasting light and dark colours. The light has been enhanced to make it brighter making this the main focus of the shot. At 3.04 the two trees are framing the action and is used to make the viewer focus on the person in the centre. At 0.32 when he is standing in the church the seats either side of him are a form of leading line, as he is standing in the aisle at the end which is where the viewer is focused. At 0.39 there are lights either side of the person which is framing him as again it is a form of leading line, as the lights are either side of him in a line making the viewer look at the main subject. This is a very interesting music video because of the scenes being frozen, apart from the singer which makes you focus on him.
In All Goes Wrong music video they use different framing devices, in this screenshot the woman crying is the focus. This is because the rest of the screen is not visible as the camera is being covered with other people. This is a common framing device as it forces the viewer to look at the area that is visible.
In this framing device you can see that the person laying down is the main focus of the video. This is because he is in the centre and the grass and the grave are framing him. This is a common but effective framing device as it is an easy way to make the viewer focus on the action.
This is another framing device, as you can see the main focus of action is in the centre, whilst nothing around is moving and all the gravestones are not aligned in any specific way bring the focus back to the centre where the action is happening.
The girl in this shot has been superimposed whilst the moth seems to give a stop-motion effect. This can easily be created by being filmed on a green and then masked around. The stop-motion effect is also easy to achieve and has also been masked onto the clip.
General Ideas
This effect could have been made using after effects, where they could have masked out the area in which they wanted a different shot and they have feathered it to make it blend more. This is a very simple shot to achieve but looks very effective.
The footage of the bear has clearly been filmed using a green screen and then edited onto the shot of the forest. Green screens are used throughout this music video and is easily achieved using after effect.
If I was to choose this song I would focus on the framing devices to make sure that the attention is focused on the subject. I would also edit the lighting on Premiere Pro as I think this is an important aspect as it effects the way the video is perceived. The video will be telling a story about a guy trying to get with a girl and will show him getting rejected and will focus on the girl getting ready to go out. I will need one main actor who is going to be the girl getting ready, but there will have to be other background actors. From this I want to focus on the different camera angles. When creating the restaurant scene I will only film the lady and not the man. I don't want the guy to be seen in any of the shots so that it makes it more interesting and exciting to watch.
I would focus on the transitions in this song to show the different time. I will use lighting to set the scene and the mood of the video. The video will be cutting between the current and the past. I will look into framing devices that I could use so that the viewer is focused on the action. I could have a stop motion part where the rap is spelt out. This would be a good video to go with as there are many approaches that you could take with the idea. From research into other music videos I want to take a similar approach to '8 letters' where they have the trees either side of the person to frame him. When creating one of the flashback scenes where they are walking down the street I want to have the trees framing the person.
If I were to create this music video I would focus on the emotions of the characters and to do this I would have to focus on the mise-en-scene so that I create the right mood for the piece. The lighting, props and clothing are all going to be an important focus if the video. It would be about a boy and girl breaking up and showing how one moves on and the other doesn't. Most of this would be edited on Premiere Pro but some transitions could be made in after effects. There are going to be 2 main actors for this video making it reasonable to film. I want to create a similar approach to the music video All goes wrong. From research I saw that in one of the shots the screen is covered apart from the main subject, so that all the focus is on that specific part. I would use this framing device when the girl is in sitting by herself and the screen is covered. I think that this would be very effective and useful. I would use Adobe After Effects to create a walk by effect to reveal the next scene. I would use the masking tool to create this transition.
If I went went with this idea I think that I would have lots of different aspects to, including stop-motion lyrics, and animation mixed with live footage which I could create on after effects. I think that this is a very different approach to the video but could be quite effective. I took inspiration from Bruno Mars "that's what I like" music video and thought that I could possibly incorporate some aspects into this video. From previous research into music videos I would like to include similar framing devices that was used in "Don't leave me alone" when she was at the club. The people around her are all dancing and moving whereas she is still. I would want to take this approach when I am doing the live footage, which is going to be at a party, and I would have everyone dancing and moving and the main focus would be in the centre and not moving. I think that this was really effective during the David Guetta song and I want to include the same framing device in my own video.
If I were to choose this song then I would make the music video to no relevance to the lyrics of the song. I think that this would be the best approach to this song, as there aren't many lyrics in it, and would therefore focus more on the editing by including lots of bright flashing colours. I think that would go best with that type of music and think would be very effective. I would edit this using mostly Premiere Pro as this is most suitable for the type of editing that I would want to focus on. I could also including someone miming and focus more on the different framing devices that I could use. From previous research into music videos I would like to include a similar framing device from "8 letters" which is shown in the mind-map where the trees are framing the person. When walking through the park this could be a good point to include this framing device.
Jorja Smith- No scrubs
Strengths- The story goes well with the song and if I did lots of planning then the final piece could look very professional and overall a good video. The acting needed is simple so it will give it a more realistic view.
Weaknesses- I will have to film a lot of it outside of college because of where it is set. I will also struggle with the locations and the settings, and will have to come up with a compromise to make it look as realistic as possible. I will have to do test shots in different locations to see what looks the best.
Opportunities- I will use different framing devices to focus on the action, which will include leading line. I can show the editing skills I have when using Premiere pro to edit the lighting of the video. I will also film from lots of different camera angles to improve the overall look of the video to make it more interesting to watch.
Threats- There won't be a lot of use of after effects as the transitions will be basic jump cuts, which could affect the overall grade of the piece. Another threat is trying to film the party scene as it is going to be difficult to get a similar setting.
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Labrinth- Jealous
Strengths- I will be able to film most of the scenes at college. I have a rough idea of what I would film and I can expand on this and look into the different framing devices that I could use. The idea that I have I am able to expand on and improve and can show the skills I have on the codes and conventions. There won't be too many actors needed in the piece which will make it easier to film.
Weaknesses- Due to the choice of song and story I don't think that I would have many special effects or advanced editing techniques. The acting in this video is more advanced than some of my other ideas and is an important part of the video, and could be difficult to convey the mood that I am trying to create.
Opportunities- I will be able to use different transitions on after effects which will show of the skills I have. I will look into the different lightings that I could use for this video as this will affect the mood of the piece. I will edit this in Premiere Pro to again show the skills I have.
Threats- Because I won't be creating many special effects this means that I won't be using after effects which could affect the overall grade of the piece.
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Charlie Puth- See you again
Strengths- If I create a stop-motion part I can look into the different approaches like using lego, or hand-written for example, to show my creativity. I can use different conventions to frame the action to draw the viewers focus to a specific part of the shot. I have a rough idea of how I will be able to film the present day parts and will be able to do this at college.
Weaknesses- The flashback parts I am going to struggle to find a suitable location to film them. There also aren't many effects that I would want to include because of the type of song that it is which could make it look quite basic.
Opportunities- I will be able to experiment with different transitions when creating the flashbacks in Premiere pro. I will also be able use Premiere Pro to edit the lighting to create the effect that I want. Because of the idea it is very open to explore the different framing devices and would look very effective to the piece.
Threats- This idea will take a long time to create as stop-motion is quite time consuming, and because of filming in different locations this is also going to take a long time. This could mean that I won't be able to finish the video at the highest quality that I would like.
Mood Boards
No scrubs-Jorja Smith
Mood Board Analysis
I included images of a party, a girl getting ready to go out, and a table set-up. I wanted to include the different ideas that I could approach this, which is either going to be a party or a restaurant date. I want to take a similar approach to the camera angles used in some of the images, like the walking down the street. I changed the colours as well as this is the type of approach I want in my own music video.
See you again- Charlie Puth
Mood Board Analysis
For this song I included sad images to represent death, and grieving. I then then including fun images to show the flashbacks of all there memories, which is why I included images of people having fun with friends. I included an image of some lyrics which I might do a similar approach
Jealous-Labrinth
Mood Board Analysis
I decided to choose these images because they show people feeling jealous, and being alone whilst someone else has moved on. An important word in this is jealously which is why I included that word. The images shows people feeling upset as well to show how the character would be feeling after the break up.
Jealous-Labrinth
I am going to draw a storyboard to plan out the idea that I have and to show the different camera angles that I want to include, as well as the framing devices. I have created this idea myself and haven't taken any previous music video for inspiration. I have used the music videos that I analysed to inspire me to create framing devices in my own video. I listened to the song and interpreted the lyrics into what I thought and based the idea of that. After creating a swot analysis I realised that the acting could be quite difficult so I slightly adapted the idea so that it wouldn't involve as much complex acting. I decided to base the majority of the video at college so that it was easier to film. It involves a lot of different shots including different framing devices.
No Scrubs- Jorja Smith
I am going to draw a storyboard to plan the music video for No scrubs. I needed to create a storyboard so that I have a clearer plan of the the idea, and to understand the different scenes and camera shots that I need. I wanted to change the idea slightly, from the swot analysis I realised that the location would be difficult to replicate so I adapted the idea so that it would be more realistic to film. Creating a storyboard helped me to plan out the newer idea to see if I would be able to film it and the different shots and angles that I want to include.
See you again- Charlie Puth
I wanted to create a storyboard for this idea so that I could think of the different flashbacks that I want to include in the video. I also wanted to draw the different angles that I would be filming the scenes and to work out the timings of them as well.
Chosen Idea- No scrubs Jorja smith
After creating the storyboards I was able to decide what idea I wanted to go with. I took the swot analysis into account when deciding what idea I wanted to go with. I was able to see what is going to be most realistic to film in the setting that I have.It was between Jealous, and No scrubs because I had the most ideas for this. I didn't want to go with "See you again" because I was struggling to think of a storyline and I would need to film in lots of different locations for the flashback scenes and this would be difficult to film. I decided to go with No scrubs because I think that I can incorporate lots of framing devices, and with the Labrinth song I think that there is more complex acting involved and without this the effect that I want, wouldn't be portrayed well. With the Jorja smith song the acting isn't very difficult, but I will struggle to get the location that I want, unlike the Labrinth song it would be filmed in college. This made my decision difficult but I decided to go with No scrubs because if I try and create the settings that I want then and it turns out well then it is going to look more like a professional music video. I also feel like I have a lot more creative ideas for this song then I do for the others. I think that I will be able to adapt the setting of the piece so that the locations would be easier to film. From the mind map I would have to film a party scene, which is not a realistic idea for me to create. I then adapted the storyline so that it was based at a restaurant instead which is more of a reasonable setting to create.
Storyboard
Shot list:
Makeup mirror scene- have the camera focusing on the mirror (0-17) have the camera in front of her face and her leaning in as if the camera is the mirror (17-23)
over the shoulder shot- 0-5
front shot- 5-10
side shot- 10-15
over the shoulder- 15-19
front shot- 19-23
Getting clothes out the wardrobe- side angle of getting the clothes and throwing it behind on the bed. (23-36)
side shot- 23-27
front shot 27-32
behind shot-32-36
laying on the bed- Birds eye shot laying on the bed with the clothes around her (36- 40)
Walking down the stairs- Low leg shot of her walking down the stairs and her opening the door. (40-49)
walking across the landing-40-43
behind shot-43-46
front shot46-49
Walking down the street-long shot only seeing from behind as she walks away from the camera (49-1.11)
front shot- 49-55
behind shot- 55-1.00
side shot- 100.111
Opens the door to the restaurant- low angle view of just her legs and the door (1.11-1.14)
Sits down eating dinner- front shot her looking into the camera as if she is looking at her date and is talking to him
(1.14- 1.35)
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Holding hands over the table-Birds eye shot (1.35-1.41)
eating dinner- (1.41-2.00) side shot
Paying for the meal- (2.00-2.08) birds eye shot of his hands holding the money
holding the door open-(2.08-2.14) Low shot just seeing their legs
walking down the road- (2.14-2.25) long shot behind them as they are walking away from the camera
front shot- 214-217
behind shot-217-200
side shot-200-205
opening the front door- (2.25- 2.35) close up of her trying to open the door and then film over the guy's shoulder
leaving against the door-(2.35-2.53) in front and side shot of her leaning and then walking out the shot.
After creating my shot list I realised that some of the shots are too long and that I need to include more variety in shots, could be to include more angles. Music videos tend to have loads of different shots and angles which is why I am going to add more shots. The shots that I added in are in bold to show my improvements.
This is the final storyboard that shows clearly what is happening in each scene. It doesn't show the angle that it is going to be filmed and the different shots, but just shows the actors roughly what they are going to be doing. It also helps me have a clearer idea of what different locations and props that I need in order to film.I created this storyboard using 'Storyboard that'. It was useful to me because I could clearly plan out each scene. I was not able to control the camera angle but the main use for this was to plan out the basic idea, and what the actors are going to have to do. I have written underneath how I would film each of the scenes so that I know how I imagined it to look. I could now rehearse this to make sure that I like the way it is going to look and so that I have a clearer idea of how the final video is going to look. It has helped me a lot to plan my own story and make it clear to me what I want the actors to do and to help me know what I want each scene to look like. The negative side to using this website is not being able to control the camera angles. I have had to write in the description of how I would shoot each scene. From this storyboard I will now take test shots at the location with the camera angle that I have in mind, to see how it is going to look and if I need to make any changes.
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Music Video development
So far I have done research into music videos and analysed them so that I could get some inspiration for my own video. I analysed the different effects that they used, and the different type of shots. I then chose different 5 different songs that I would possibly want to do my music video on. I came up with ideas for each one and created a mind map to make note of my ideas. I narrowed it down to the 3 that I thought was best and then created a swot analyses of them so that I could clearly see which one is going to be best to go with. To help with this I created moodboards and storyboards so that I had a clear idea of what I wanted each one to look like. I then decided which song and idea I wanted to go with and adapted the idea so that it was more realistic for me to film. I then created another storyboard to make the storyline clearer. I created a shot list to help me come up with the type and length of shot. All the research that I have done has helped me to improve my idea and I have taken inspiration from them. Each part of planning that I have completed has been useful to me and helped me to come up with my final idea. I need to make sure that I include more visual aspects like test shots and location shoots so that I am more prepared for when I create the final video. I also need to go back and make sure that I have shown why I have made a moodboard and explain how it has helped me so that it is clearly showing the progression of my idea.
Test Shots
I created some test shots to practice the different angles and shots that I need. I wanted to see if it is going to work and make any necessary changes. I took pictures of where the actor is going to be in each of the scenes that I need. After taking these photos I have a clearer idea of the different shots I need and the angles I will film them. I found this very useful as I now know how I am going to film each scene. I also wanted to play around with the different filters to see what effect I want to give my music video.I have included the moodboard pictures underneath so that I can see which scene that I was taking test shot for. I have included the original photo as well as the one that I edited. Each of the photos have a very different colour because I wanted to experiment with them. Because I was not able to change the angle in the storyboard maker I thought that this was important so that I have a clearer idea of the shots I need. Some of the storyboards don't look even slightly related to the pictures, but the tests shots are focusing on the camera angles, rather than what the actors are doing.
Peer Critique
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What is going well so far?
I like the level of detail you have included in each section and how you have clearly explained why you have done each part and how it is helping you. You have made good progression and have shown each stage of the task.
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What needs to be improved?
I think that you need to link each part back to the research that you completed to show how it has helped you. Explain how you are going to use the different softwares to edit your video.
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Do you understand and like the final idea?
Yes, I think that it has potential, I think you need to make sure that you include some transitions using after effects so that it looks more advanced and professional, however the storyline suits the song well.
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What is important that I need to include next?
You need to include location shoots and test shoots so that you have a clear idea of how it is going to work, and how you can improve it.
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What is their basic idea?
There basic idea is to have a girl getting ready to go out on a date and then show her at a restaurant with her date, and then they both leave and are walking back to her place. He then wants to go inside but she says no.
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•How effectively does it use conventions of filmmaking, like framing devices?
They have clearly explained the different framing devices that they planning on using and if it goes to plan then it is going to be effectively.
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•How imaginatively does it plan to use After Effects?
I think that they need to include more after effects aspects in it as they have not mentioned many uses so far.
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Colour Grading
I wanted to find out about editing my footage so that I can create the mood I want for the video. I found out how to edit the footage to make it look the way I want to, by adjusting the settings like exposure, saturation, whiten and darken. I learnt about what colours to use to give off a certain emotion, like using red is often representing a dangerous scene, and blue to show a low point of the film to show what has gone wrong. I can use this concept in my own video and will change the colour so that it is more suitable for the mood of the piece.
Final Video
Evaluation
I started of with the researching into current music videos so get some inspirations and to see the different techniques and framing devices that they use. This was a good way to start so that I was able to have a more in depth idea into different types of music videos. I then started creating mind-maps, story boards, mood boards and a swot analysis of my ideas and was able to narrow my ideas downs and was developing them as I went as well. I was left with three ideas which I had to decide which one was my final idea. This was an important part of the process of creating the video. The pre-production part of the project went well. All the work that I did I made sure that it was going to benefit me and help me to progress. In each section I made sure was relevant and helping me to develop my idea.
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When it came to filming the music video I had the developed storyboards to refer to so that I had a clear idea of what I had to film. I had previously created a shot list so that I knew what I had to do. But when it came to filming it I realised that I needed more shots as they were too long. I then filmed from more angles to make it more interesting to watch, so that each shot was shorter.
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When editing the video I used Premiere Pro because this was most suited to what I wanted to do. I spent a lot of time making the edits smooth so that the cuts matched up making it look more natural and accurate. I had researched into colour grading which I thought was interesting and wanted to focus on this aspect when editing.I had previously colour graded the test shots so I had practice in this. I adjusted the footage slightly to create the right mood for the piece. I changed the exposure, saturation, whiten and darken tools, which helped with the overall look of the video which I really liked.
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To improve I think that I could have filmed with better lighting. In some of the shots I had to film outside and it was dark so the lighting is not very good. If I had more time I would have re-filmed it so that it looks clearer. I also would have filmed some shots with more angles so that it made it more interesting. The majority of them I used lots of different angles but some I think needed a few more.
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I think that I could have added transitions into it if I had more time. I could have used After effects for this, but I had not planed any transitions previously. This would have improved the overall look of the video but I still think that it is a smooth transition between shots. The visual effects were not the main focus of mine but more the storyline and the different shots and angles. The visual effects would not have gone well with the idea, however it would have shown more of the skills that I have.
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Overall, I think that I have shown off the skills that I have but to improve for next time I would focus more on the transitions between the shots to make it more visually appealing. I think that the storyline has come a cross clearly and I like the variety of shots that I have included. The how planning process has helped me to create the final video and think that I have clearly shown this in the research that I have done.
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