Account of Music Video Shoot

We were given a task to shoot a music video for the band "Acres of Life" in small groups. In these groups we were each given a small section of the song to shoot.

 In my particular group we were given the last 59 seconds of the song "I Like to Make the Pretty Girls Smile".
  When thinking about shot choices, I researched into similar bands that have done music videos. Some of these were Green Day, Funeral Party, Guns n' Roses and You Me At Six.

A few of them followed similar shot types which was inspiring for our shoot. A lot of wide shots were used of different bands which we thought of using as well because it shows the whole band playing. Other interesting shots were used as well which were also influenced by these videos. Close-up shots were used in a lot of them and focused on each band member, e.g on a guitar chord being played.

   This all counted as preparation for the shoot and began helping us with our timeline of shots. By doing a timeline, it became really helpful as it made me feel prepared. By putting in what shot goes where for each second, it was really helpful as it was a rough idea of what was needed to be done. We also came up with a shot list for each shots such as :
- wide shot
- close up of backing vocalists
- close up of vocalist
- drum close up
- extreme close up - drums
- two shot of singer and bv

   The day itself was intense as our group was last we got to watch the other groups to make sure our shots would fit in. When it came to our shoot we were all given different roles such as director, cameraman and playback. The editing was stressful as we had to rush from the studio up to the edit suite to quickly edit it together. Overall it was really fun.
  We didn't really encounter any problems because of it being controlled and planned before, however I would say that if we had more time to edit and shoot it would have been more relaxed in term of getting it perfect.
   In terms of the setting in the studio, I think it worked well with the genre of music. With a brown backdrop which gave a rough look, it worked well with the look of the band. Using the studio was good because the sound is projective and the equipment is all there. There wasn't much space which at times was challenging, but luckily our group was last and was more spaced out.
   We had lighting set up for the shoot which also fit in with the mise-en-scene and background as it gave it an edgy underground look. It also looked good on the camera and on their faces as it was quite reflective.
   Again wtih the editing process it was quite stressful as we were limited due to time constraints. It was also difficult at times as we had a bigger group and mixed with time constraints it was even more stressful! I think our group worked well with the time constraints as we managed to finish in time for the rest of the video to be put together. We also edited the video fast paced due to the rhythm of the song.
    The role I started off with was being in charge of the playback and playing the music when it was needed. We kind of mixed around as there were 5 of us as well so I wasn't really given a specific role. We all worked really well as a team especially in the ideas process.
   I was really happy with the overall result as it was really interesting and useful for our actual shoot. We mostly stuck to our storyboard and timeline which we previously made and nothing really changed specifically however we added in some basic shots which would of been useful in the editing process.
   Overall the day was really useful as a preliminary task for the actual shoot next term. The band we used were really cooperative and I feel it worked well using an actual band as they were really enthusiastic.
  

Research into Preliminary task

  The band that will be playing in the preliminary shoot are Acres of Life who are a pop/punk band. To help me with the shots I looked at examples of other music videos for shot ideas and directing, mise-en-scene and editing.
 Other bands of a similar genre that I researched into are below:

 A Day to Remember:

Ideas for editing that I liked:
-fast paced at the beginning showing the band names and all of the band members
-post production of the writing and sketches over the top of the video
- cuts back to the band at the chorus
- slow motion at certain parts
- cuts to all different bands

Ideas for camerawork that I liked:
- hand held camera work that makes it shakey and gives it a rough edge
- Close Up shots of all of the band members
- pans across band posters at the beginning
- Wide shot at the beginning allowing the whole band to be seen
- Pans across the band
- Deep focus on the lead singer

 

Ideas for Mise-en-scene that I liked:

- The colour scheme of neutral colours

- messy setting

- posters on the wall

- In a room which allows all of the band to be seen.

 

Me vs Hero

Ideas for editing that I liked:

- fast paced

- cuts to each band member and instruments

- effects put over the top of colours

Ideas for camerawork that I liked:
- Hand held
- Low angle shot of lead singer
- Shots of close up on drummer and guitar chords

Ideas for Mise-en-scene that I liked:

- the setting outside

- the clothes

- bright lighting in the open

- people watching

Research into Star Image

     The music video I have chosen to analyse into star image is When I Look at You by Miley Cyrus. This particular music video sells to its audience ( teenage girls)through a variety of different elements. The song itself is very closely linked to the film The Last Song which also features the characters shown in the video. This then attracts an immediate audience as the fan base for The Last Song will instantly recognise the actors in the video.

   In terms of the camerawork, there is a blurred close up of Miley at the beginning which directly allows us as the audience to distinguish it as being her song. The camera slowly pans across a piano with Miley’s reflection in it. This lets the audience assume she is talented and has a close connection with the melody being played. There are a number of wide shots showing scenery in the background which is significant as it features in the film The Last Song. It also gives an impression of feeling peaceful which conforms to the melody of the song, but contrasts with a lot of Miley’s previous upbeat music videos. This sells to the audience as it allows us to see a variety of music from her. Throughout the music video, Miley is singing into the camera. This allows the audience to feel connected with the song; however it seems to be more about her image rather than a deeper meaning in terms of the song itself. There are wide panning shots of a male actor Liam Hemsworth who stars in the film. This is also a selling point as he is a good looking man and as the song is aimed at teenage girls, it would draw attraction to him. By panning round Miley in a circle, it allows us to fully see her singing which may sell to the audience because of how engaged she looks when she is singing.

   The mise-en-scene plays a main part in selling the song to its audience. The location in which the video is set is peaceful and quite cinematic. It may sell to the audience as it is an isolated and romantic setting and so people may feel they connect with the song. The clothes Miley is wearing are long flowing dresses which would also attract the female audience in which the music video is aimed at. It also conforms to her star image as they are elegant and girly. By using the piano as a prop, it allows the video to sell to the audience by allowing us to think Miley is talented and is singing meaningfully. At one point, the lighting is dark and giving the impression of being on a beach. This immediately attracts the female audience as people connect because of the romantic atmosphere.

    The editing in this video is all quite fast paced as there isn’t much time to fill, however the camera shots are all quite slowly panned. Personally I feel this didn’t work as well because not a lot seemed to happen in the video. On the other hand, it will allow people to enjoy the video as it is quite calm and slow moving which conforms to the romantic lyrics. In some of the edits, there has been a blurred orange transition which allows anyone who has seen The Last Song to appreciate it, as a main part of the film is a huge fire. This gives some of the audience a sense of understanding as they may feel special in knowing what it is about. The cuts from Liam to Miley also sell to the audience. This is because we assume she is singing about him which makes it passionate and fans will be drawn to this. In terms of the perspective, this is coming from within the video, and here is from Miley's point of view. 

  In general, the video sells to its audience through a variety of ways but I think the main one is having The Last Song as a pre-sold element. In terms of the theme, nothing really happened, which conforms to an artist’s music video being all about image. In terms of camerawork, mise-en-scene and editing, I do feel it was done in a way to try and engage the audience, however if the narrative of the video was a bit more exciting, people that hadn’t seen The Last Song could also connect with it.

Advanced Portfolio Brief

A promotion package for the release of an album, to include a music promo video, together with two of the following three options:

-a website homepage for the band;

-a cover for its release as part of a digipak (CD/DVD package).

-a magazine advertisement for the digipak (CD/DVD package).

Out of the three possible tasks, I have chosen to produce the advertisement and a release cover to accompany the music video.