PODCAST 7: Improvements to Music Video

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Things we discussed in this podcast
Film larger range of takes on performance re shoot

• 30-40 shots per person
• 2 shots, close ups, dutch angles , low angle, etc.

Put variety on where the band is located

• Put singer up against pillar
• Have shots with band spread out around area
• Abstract framing

Make 5 piece

• Put a new cast member on guitar
• Maybe change the cast on drums
• Guitar player will move around 
• Bass player will also walk around to rhythm
• Singer and guitarist interact at times 

PODCAST 6: Reflecting on Shoots

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What we did and what to improve:

• We did house an Christmas market scene
• Filmed the couple in past and present time
• Need more shot variety to work with
• The acting needs to be more naturalistic 
• We need to have a less linear idea

Idea update due to Audience feedback

• Have a funeral of some sorts
• Brings in more dark and sinister tone to fit music
• Have less linear scenes 
• More use of narrative enigma 
• Have band come into scene or busking 

IDEAS 8: Ideas for Narrative Scenes

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Pitch presentation lists from ChristianStricks

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(JC) IDEA 7: VR/ Video Game Element

This is a great example of convergence, where a fake 80's style 8 bit video game trailer is used as a music video
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From this we have had the idea of incorporating video games into our music video:

• Performance
• Using characters in game to play instruments 
• Character avatars dressed as band

Can create bands within sims

• Story
• Video starts with couple playing video games together
• Camera "jumps" into tv or computer
• In game avatars act out narrative of the bad breakup
• when camera comes back to real life the game is a exact copy of their reality with a bad breakup/relationship

Mise-en-scene:

• Frames on wall in sims
• Posters of welshly arms
• Watching music videos on TV of WA
• Can i play with madness
• Welcome to the jungle

Build a environment for our couple

Possible Games:

• Sims
• Skyrim
• Minecraft

Ideas for Audience interaction:

• Fans can design avatars 
• Competition - winner can be in next video

IDEA 6: Narrative and Performance Pitch

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Narrative:

• A couple (potentially homosexual) 
• Going through a bad breakup and reflecting on the good times together
• There is a socialist realist aspect to the genre 

Performance:

• Have derelict rundown area
• 4 piece band
• Indie style clothing
• Have Indie performance from the band, not jumpy and happy but a bit more sinister

PITCH: Preparation and Planning

The Artist/Track + Their Audience:

• Welshly Arms - Locked
• 6 band members
• Lead Singer
• Drummer
• Bass Guitar
• Guitarist  

The Idea, Synopsis:

Narrative + Performance footage

• Narrative
• Bad Relationship they can't get out of
• Or bad breakup where they can't get over their ex
• Nightmares/ Flashbacks
• Footage from during and after relationship
• Crosscut - elliptical (vernallis) 
• INSERT LYRIC QUOTES HERE Goodwin (lyrics link to narrative) 
• Propp?
• Todorov?
• Binary opposition?
• Performance
• Derelict building 
• Run-down, graffiti
• Rocks etc.
• Forest? (Make it a living room style) 

Influences:

• Travis Scott - SICKO MODE
• Smoke bomb
• Skrillex - where are you now
• Face paint
• A2 Joe - Nine Inch Nails 'Sunspots'
• Face paint
• A2 Adels - Halsey 'Control'
• POV and effects
• Travis Scott - Butterfly effect
• SFX
• Kendrick Lamar - Humble
• SFX and editing
• Underwater in with GoPro
• NEEDS TO BE CLEARER (We saw, we did)

Key Characters: Representation, Costume:

• 6 band members in performance 
• 2 in narrative 
• Couple
• Possibly LGBTQ+
• Race
• Relationships
• Sexual orientation
• Gender
• Queering

Location scouting:

• TBC - Derelict run down building
• Woods/Forest - Flashbacks and dreams
• Kirchberg - Lights + large buildings
• City centre
• Christmas time - lights between buildings
• Grund - Cobbled streets, tight roads with buildings

Health + Safety:

• Derelict buildings could have dangers
• Sharp objects, loose rocks etc.
• Transportation risks 

Secondary Texts: Website, Digipak, Social:

• Facebook
• Instagram 
• Twitter
• Contact band/ management, use fan forum

Sum Up:

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Pitch Presentation from ChristianStricks

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IDEAS 4: Potential Tracks + Narrative

After thinking of a narrative that involves two females part of the LGBTQ community being rejected from society and standing together to get over it, I have found some potential new tracks that could fit the narrative.

Below are the four tracks.

1. American Authors - I'm Born To Run
Lyrics

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2. Welshly Arms - Locked

Lyrics



3. Kodaline - Follow Your Fire

Lyrics



4. Welshly Arms - Sanctuary

Lyrics




1. I think this could make a more striking video due to the pace of the song and the creativity surrounding the drums and how that can be in a performance. However there is a line "All the things I have seen and done" suggests a more mature band which will be harder to cast.

2. The pace is a bit slower which I think will make it difficult, however the violin will give a large boost for an amazing performance, and the cast can be younger which will be easier to cast.

3. Overall the lyrics directly touch the theme of a happy couple "running away". However the song is very repetitive and might lose the overall effectiveness of the music video.

4. The pace is varied and the song is not too drawn out, some of the lyrics fit exactly what the narrative is about "I see your hurt, I feel your pain" and "You are, you are safe with me". The pace and lyrics fit very well with my narrative idea.

IDEAS3: Found Potential New Track

Imagine Dragons - Natural


Lyrics

Track is about:

• Quoting from Dan Reynolds: "Finding yourself and being willing and able to stand up to whatever adversity comes your way"
• Overcoming emotional pain
• Discovering the "Natural" strength and beauty inside you
• Blocking out all the hatred surrounding the world by learning to "truly love yourself"

Narrative:
About a teenage girl growing up in a society rejecting her for who she is.

• Finds dancing as an activity which helps her overcome the hatred and to love herself 
• Following her struggle and how she is dealing with it through other people and her passion for dancing

Performance:

Alternative/Indie band 

Powerful and explosive performance from lead singer with the whole band

Band playing with a warehouse or creepy forest (something along those lines) in background

Dancing from narrative incorporated with band at end

Drone shots? Like Guns N Roses - November Rain 

Perform in abandoned warehouse or studio setting 

Cinematography/Editing: 

Slow motion and fast paced dancing

Large shot variety in performance scenes 

close up of lead singer face in the first few lyrics

slow and fast paced of female dealing with struggles 

Colour correction 

Studio lighting?

Special FX during narrative 

Casting:

Lead singer (Dan Reynolds)

Guitarist (Wayne Sermon)

Drummer (Daniel Platzman)

Bassist (Ben Mckee)

Teenage Girl

Extra's (Society surrounding teenage girl) 

Location:

Abandoned Warehouse

Auditorium/ Dance scene

Dance studio 

Grund in City 

Bedroom/House (ask friend)

Mise - en - scene:

Typical alternative/indie band 

Dancing equipment (leotard, shoes etc.) 

Rebelious clothing for teenage girl (quirky) 

IDEAS1: First Ideas for Music Video

Track: Juice WRLD - Lucid Dreams
Genre: R&B


Lyrics

• Track is about breakup
• emotional and angry
• Drug abuse
• Can't let them go
• Change in a persons feelings
• Lucid dreaming about the breakup

Narrative:

About the breakup and drug abuse
Have quirky features (weird dance moves, drop into a pool)
Have so quirky what the f moments

2 narratives:

POV shots of main performer inside the dream 

How life was before breakup, memories in the lucid dreams

and

Awake - following drug abuse and how he deals with heartbreak

Performance:

Singing into the camera, solo?

Body is dead and no facial expressions for its about drug abuse, POV performer dreaming as well.

Slow dancing from a female with cloth?
Have so quirky what the f moments

Casting:

Main Performer (Juice WRLD) 

Female Performer (Ex -girlfriend)
Find someone who can perform (like a professional dancer) for some scenes
Irony of a counter type in the music video 

Location:

Bedroom

Woodlands

Mise - en - Scene
Face paint for main performer (Juice WRLD)
Smoke bombs
Candles could be used as lighting in some places

Cinematography/Editing:
Snorricam
Colour correction
Audience interaction?

Hopes for this blog

My hopes and aims for this year:
I hope to be able to get at least an A grade and produce a striking music video along with having a large variety and large amount of research.

Skills I hope to develop:
I hope to improve my cinematography and editing sills as they are a bit rough at the moment, I also hope to improve my research and organisational skills as I feel they were lacking during the AS course.

Early thoughts on genre, visual ideas/narrative themes I might look at:
I have thoughts on making a music video to EDM with a dance group as the performance but no narrative as of yet.