Location Scouting Research And Plan

Introduction:

I have started to map out location ideas for my music video. Below I have created a mind map of some the initial places I came up with. I then selected a few which I thought would be reasonable for me to get to and film in.

 

---

Chosen Locations:

Below is a list of my chosen locations for my music video. I have explained why I have chosen to film in them and what part of my music video they will feature in.

Kew Gardens:

For my introduction to the music video, I wanted to capture footage of flowers and plants. This may be hard for me to do in my own garden as the majority of bright flowers have wilted due to the months becoming colder. To make sure I am able to feature this in my video I plan to film in Kew Gardens as they offer a wide range of plants and flower which are in bloom all year round. This is as they are held in a greenhouse where the temperature is kept at the right number. I have also looked at the Kew Gardens website to see if I would have to pay an entry fee. To access Kew Gardens as a student would be £11.00 which is a reasonable fee for me to pay. 

Richmond Park:

I have chosen Richmond park as a location to film in due to its wide variety of nature and animals. From being here I hope to capture footage of the deer and the woods itself. To visit the park I do not have to pay a fee which is a benefit as I am working with little to no money for this music video. However, there will be a cost to get there in terms of train tickets. This cost should be manageable for me. The shots I film in this location will be featured in the very beginning of my music video when the protagonist Emma says her monologue.

Bedroom:

Looking at the music videos from my research I noticed that a few of them feature bedrooms as a location. I too took on this idea for my own music video as I wanted to portray my character not leaving her comfort zone due to her being bored and alone. I have chosen my own bedroom for this as I won’t have to arrange a time with anyone to film there. Additionally, my room is big enough to film in which means I won’t have to worry about where I should place my tripod. This location will be featured at the beginning of the music video when Emma is having her daydreams and looking out of the window. 

Kitchen:

Kitchens were also a location I noticed in many of the music videos I analysed. In my own video, my character Emma is very bored. To portray this I had the idea of her reading on the kitchen worktop. I visualised this to take place in my own kitchen so this is where the scene will take place. This location has a worktop on which Emma can sit and act out the stage directions. Furthermore, there is plenty of space for my tripod to be situated meaning I can have stable shots.

CSG Park:

Towards the end of my music video, Emma is playing in a park by herself. The park I had in mind needed to have a swing, seesaw, zip wire and climbing frame. When looking at the nearest parks around me I decided that CSG park was the perfect choice as it featured every necessary piece of equipment. Furthermore, the park isn’t too far from where I live and is free to use; saving time and money.

Country lane:

Country lanes were another location featured heavily in many of the music videos I analysed in my research stages. This is why I included one in my own music video. My character Emma is extremely bored and decided to go outside to have fun. On her way there she will be displayed walking down a country lane. I decided to use this location as it isolates her from any traffic or people who may walk by. The lane that I chose to film down isn’t too far from my house which will save time when it comes to filming. 

Narcot Lane:

In some of my exterior shots, I needed to film down a road. For this, I chose to use Narcot Lane as it is very close to all of my other locations. This will save me time and money as I can easily walk to my next location from the lane.

Stairs:

I am using the stairs in my own house to film in as this will create a sense of continuity throughout my video. Using the stairs will also mean that I won’t have to travel to another location. 

Hallway:

The hallway is another location that will be filmed in my house. Again filming here will create a sense of continuity and save time and money.

Alleyway:

Towards the end of my music video, I have a scene where Emma is walking down an alleyway. For this, I have chosen the alleyway that is near the CSG park. Filming here will save time and money. Furthermore, this location is extremely close to the park.

The Lagger:

After the alleyway scene is a shot of Emma walking down a road. For this, I have chosen to film down a road called The Lagger. This is another location that is extremely close to my other ones which again saves time and money. Having locations so near to each other will not only create a sense of continuity but will also allow me to film multiple scenes on the same day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shot List Research And Plan

Introduction:

Having a shot list for my music video will allow me to have a visual list of every single shot I will feature in my music video. As I have never made one for a music video before I decided that it would be best if I researched the process first. This will allow me to understand what I should include and will make my list as professional as possible. 

---

How To Create A Shot List:

To find out how to create a professional shot list for my music video I decided to look on YouTube for some advice. I came across this video which lists the fundamentals of creating a good shot list.

From this Youtube video, I have learnt that:

• I must convey the shot that I want in a clear format. This means using the correct terminology for each camera angle eg: close-up or high angle shot. 
• Make explanation of the shots short but easy to understand.

I plan to apply this information to my own shot list. Next, I will look at an example of a professional shot list. This will give me a better understanding of the layout and features I should include.

---

Example Of A Music Video Shot List:

Here is an example of a music video shot list that I found on google images. It is presented in a table format with headings for each column. Having my shot list formatted like this will make it easy to read if I need to refer to it while filming. I also plan to format my shot list in a very similar way to this so that my work is professional. 

---

Shot List:

Overall I am very happy with the way my shot list has turned out. My research has enabled me to create a document of a professional standard with an easy to read layout.

Planning Gantt Chart Check In #1

This is my first planning gantt chart check-in. So far this method of time management has held me with my research stages and is evidently helping me with my planning. I have managed to stay on track with my tasks by checking them off by their deadlines. Personally, I think that my planning is going well so far and I will continue to use this chart.

Storyboard Research And Plan

Introduction:

A storyboard is of high importance if I am to make a professional music video. It will help me to visually see how my shots will look when placed together and is a reminder of how my music video should look as a whole. When filming I will be able to reference the storyboard in case of any changes.

---

How To Create A Storyboard:

To begin creating my storyboard for my music video I first decided to research how to make one. I looked at YouTube videos as well as online articles about the process of making one and the elements that I need to consider. The YouTube video below helped guide me through the basic components of storyboarding. 

Watching this video has given me an insight into what I should include in my storyboard. some of the thing that I will include are:

• Audio
• Duration
• Action
• How the shots will follow each other
• Any FX used

---

Example of a Music Video Storyboard:

Here is a storyboard that I found from Google images for a music video called ‘Open Eyes’. I decided to look at an example so that I could have an understanding of the layout of a storyboard. The example is formatted into images of each shot featured in the music video. The artist has carefully drawn the mis en scene and described the action underneath. To ensure that my own storyboard is as professional I plan to use this type of layout in my own work. 

 

---

My Storyboard:

Overall I am very pleased with the way my storyboard has turned out. I think that by researching the layout and features of a professional storyboard I have been able to apply them to my own work thus creating a professional piece. I next plan to make this storyboard into an animatic so that I can get an idea of how it will look when fully assembled with the audio.

 

 

 

‘Midnight In Paris’ Film Review

Introduction:

Upon researching about my artist and the song I found out that the film ‘Midnight In Paris’ was the inspiration for the song. To understand the reasoning and connection on a more informed level I decided to watch the film. 

“This is a song about wanting to be somewhere different, a different time period. I wrote the song after I saw Woody Allen’s Midnight in Paris.”

---

Overview:

Upon a trip to Paris aspiring writer, Gil Pender takes midnight walks as a way to escape his insufferable fiancé and friends. Longing for a sense of nostalgia he is magically transported back to the 1920s jazz age at midnight where he meets famous writers and artists such as Ernest Hemingway and Salvador Dali. 

---

My Thoughts and Opinions:

While watching ‘Midnight In Paris’ I was very intrigued by the concept of going back in time and the nostalgia it created. As an English Literature student, I also found the references to Ernest Hemmingway and F. Scott Fitzgerald captivating which made me like the film even more. However, what stood out to me most was the cinematography especially in the 1920s parts. The jazz age was portrayed in such detail with each character staying true to their personality. Gil’s interactions with these characters were so interesting to watch as I liked the idea of the past and future colliding. 

---

Inspiration From The Film:

I liked the idea of escaping a reality that this film suggested. Although I believe it would be difficult to portray a character in a different time period I do think that perhaps someone escaping to another place could be possible. I also like the fact that the main protagonist was a creative type of person. This is something that I may consider for my character when I come up with a storyline. 

Script Research and Plan

Introduction:

Having a script for my music video will be useful for my filming stages. Not only will it make the action clear for me as a director but it will also help my actor to understand the tone and movements I am trying to convey. First, I decided to research how to write a script. Doing this would give me a better understanding of how to structure one as I have never written one for a music video before. I first looked on Youtube for some videos on script writing.

---

How To Write A Music Video Script:

Upon watching this video on script writing for a music video I came away with the following information:

• I should add how long the action should last for in the song. This will help me when I come to edit as I will know when to cut to the next shot or scene.
• Make sure the lyrics fit with the action. Having the lyrics match the action creates a connection that fits the entire music video’s tone and themes. My song is about wanting to be somewhere else so I will include this idea in my action.
• Make sure the action can fit into your budget. As I am a student filmmaker with a limited budget I plan to film in locations that are free. I also plan to use props and costumes that I already own so I don’t have to spend a lot of money. Doing so will also keep my idea realistic to achieve.

I believe that this video has given me some very useful advice which I will take on board when I come to creating my script. I next plan to look at a professional example of a music video script. 

---

Script Example:

Next, I Googled examples of professional music video scripts so I could see how it is structured. I found this example:

Having a visual image of a music video script helped me to understand how to layout all of the information I needed to include. In this example, the creator has used a table with the left side displaying the visual and the right side displaying the audio. On the right, the writer has colour coded each piece of information in regards to what they refer to. For example, the lyrics are in red and the timing of the action is in blue. Having different colours will help my script to be visually clear for both me and my actor. 

---

My Script:

For my own script, I decided to closely follow the example layout. This is as the structure is professional and easy to read. 

Overall I am very happy with the way my script has turned out as I believe it looks professional and includes all the relevant information that my actor and I will need.

Circular Narrative Structure

As my music video is narrative based I needed to choose what kind of structure it would follow. I looked into some of the varying structures that I could apply and eventually chose the circular narrative structure. This type of structure is where the narrative begins and ends in the same place. This decision was based on two things. Firstly, I had recently watched the film Pulp Fiction in which the director Quentin Tarantino uses a circular narrative structure. I thought this brought the film together nicely at the end and was very clever. The second was that I wanted to display a world where my protagonist’s life doesn’t get better to illustrate to my audience the effects and reality of being alone. Having my footage rewind back to the beginning of the music video to display her dream state helps emphasise this. 

Mood-board

Below I have created two mood-boards. Making a mood-board for my music video has allowed me to visualise my characters reality from her dreams/visions. The first mood-board is centred around her reality. I have included images of rain and grey clouds to create pathetic fallacy for when my character feels sad. In the top right corner, I have included an image of someone hang no conversations and a no university sign. By including this I wanted to display that my characters friends have gone to university and have stopped speaking to her. Throughout my music video, I will display this notion and it will link in with the theme of loneliness. 

 

Below is the second mood-board. I wanted my protagonist’s visions/dreams to contrast her reality in terms of their colour and what they represent. In the second mood-board, I have included images of a mountain in Switzerland in the 80s. This is as I have footage from this time period and it has a very nostalgic tone to it. Using this may help my audience to understand that my character is reflecting back on her past. Additionally, I have included lots of images of flowers. This is as they are bright and will contrast the grey tones of her reality. I am thinking of filming in Kew Gardens or Richmond Park to capture these types of shots as they offer lots of naturalistic scenes. In the bottom of my mood-board are pictures of fireworks. I wanted to include these in one of my characters visions as they add excitement which is something she doesn’t experience in her day to day life. To capture these shots I am planning to film at my local fireworks display. 

 

Survey Responce Analysis

Introduction:

After sharing my survey with my friends, family, social media and school peers I obtained 100 responses. I decided to do this as my results will be varied and will offer me more feedback due to the diversity of people answering. Below I have analysed my results and considered how I may use this when I come to planning my music video. 

---

Question One: What is your gender?

My first question was asked to gain an understanding of the kinds of people who were answering my survey. This will allow me to have a better understanding of the reasoning for their answers. Asking about the gender of my audience will also help me to tailor my video to their needs which will help them to be satisfied with the end product. Overall the majority of people who answered my survey were female (60%). This may have been because the majority of people I personally reached out to were female. However, I also asked other mixed gender classes to answer the survey which did encourage more males (33%) to fill out some answers. This question also had an ‘other’ option which around 7% of people chose. I personally, feel very happy that people who may not fit into either gender answered my survey as this groups voice is typically unheard in media production.  

---

Question Two: What is your age?

My second question looks at my audiences age. I asked this question to find out how old my audience would be as this may mean that some more mature topic may have to be cut if they are too young. From my results, I can conclude that the most popular age range for people who answered my survey is 18-24 (66%). Perhaps this is due to me sharing the survey with my friends who fit this age range. The next most popular age was 13-17 (20%). This may be as I made sure a range of younger classes in my school answered this survey in their lessons. As a result, this may have increased this specific age range. Both the age ranges 25-34 (6%) and 45-54 (6%) were most probably a result of my families responses as they fit these age ranges. As the majority of people who answered this survey were in the age range of 18-24, I will base my narrative on the events that may take place during this time of someone’s life. This will make it relatable to my audience and help them to engage with my media product. 

---

Question Three: What is your favourite aspect of the indie-acoustic/folk genre and why?

My third question asked about the indie-acoustic/folk genre and what my audience liked about it. Although not everyone who answered said they liked the genre I decided to focus on the answers who said they did. Above I have screenshotted three of the answers that stood out to me from the 100 responses. The first said, “naturalism because I think it makes the shot look nice”. Featuring shots of nature such as the sea or trees is something that a lot of indie-acoustic/folk genre music videos do due to the acoustic and natural melody of the instruments used. The fact that someone has specifically said they enjoy this means that I will definitely be including some form of nature in my own music video. Next, someone said, “the emotions that come with the song”. Although this isn’t something that I can directly have influence over I will research the song I pick for my video and see where my artist got their inspiration from. Hopefully, this will help me to understand the emotion of the song better and therefore will be able to display footage which expresses this. Finally, someone said “the message from the narrative”. My music video will try to express a message however, I don’t want it to become cheesy or overdone as many more mainstream music videos do. In my research I noticed that many of the videos portrayed a narrative of love between two people however, I want to avoid this and instead branch into a topic that is portrayed less often. This will make my end product unique, interesting and captivating for my audience.  

---

Question Four: What narrative based music video have you watched that you enjoyed and why did you think this was good?

I next asked my audience what narrative based music videos they have seen that they think worked well. This was so I could gain further inspiration and look at videos that my audience already like. The first person said “From the inside – Linkin Park. The Cinematography”. Although Linkin Park does not fall into the genre of music I am looking at I will still consider watching this music video to gain inspiration from things such as shot types and narrative. Next, someone said, “take me to church because of the message”. I have already seen this music video as it was very popular when it first came out. Personally, I also think the message of gay rights is very impactful and is a topic which isn’t featured heavily enough in the media. The last comment I screenshotted said, “I really liked the video for Breezeblocks by Alt J because it kind of shows domestic violence but in reverse and it’s really fitting with the music”. I haven’t see the music video for Breezeblocks by Alt J however, after hearing about the topic it covers I plan to watch it for inspiration in terms of narrative and content. 

---

Question Five: Out of these four styles of typography which do you think is most appropriate for an indie acoustic music video?

Question five askes my audience what typography they like the best. On the actual survey, each answer was a link to the website dafont.com. Here they would see a screen with the words Golden Age by Valaska written in different fonts. From there they would choose which one they liked the look of the best. When creating this question I made sure that each font style was similar to a text that featured on a real-life poster or digipack. This will ensure that I have taken inspiration from my research making it as professional as possible. 

Neoteric: 

Dream Orphans: 

Bludhaven:

Normafixed:

My results evidently show that Dream Orphans (76%) was the most popular choice. This will be the style of font I will use on my own digi-pack and poster.

---

Question Six: Which types of lighting do you enjoy in an indie acoustic music video?

My sixth question asked what types of lighting my target audience would enjoy seeing in an indie-acoustic/ folk music video. From my survey, I can conclude that both natural lighting and light leaks were the top favourites. This means that I will be including these in my music video to satisfy my audience. Additionally, as some of my scenes will be filmed indoors I will use indoor lighting. To ensure that my indoor lighting looks as good as it can be I plan to research how to create good lighting for my music video. 

---

Question Seven: Out of the following forms of nature which do you enjoy and what emotions would you associate with them?

From my music video analysis, I recognised that many of the videos displayed nature. To ensure that my video also follows this convention I asked ‘Out of the following forms of nature which do you enjoy and what emotions would you associate with them?‘. This was so that I could get an understanding of what my target audience wanted to see. From my results, I can conclude that rain, sea and river were the most popular. The emotions that people said went with them were isolation and sadness. Someone also said that contrasting sun and rain together would make more interesting content. This is something I may consider incorporating into my music video. 

---

Question Eight: Which three locations do you believe would feature in an indie acoustic music video?

Question eight asked which locations my target audience would want to see in my music video. The most popular answers were a bedroom, forest, pond and park. Although these good out the most in my results I plan to incorporate other locations such as a kitchen and street as these were featured in many o the music videos that I analysed in my research. Having similar locations as other indie acoustic/folk genre music videos will ensure that I hold similar conventions in regards to location making the overall product appear professional. 

---

Question Nine: Do you think that a narrative based video should have jump cuts from one storyline to another and why?

I next asked if the narrative of my music video should include jump cuts from one storyline to the other. From my results, I can conclude that over 50% of my target audience did not want to see a narrative that cuts between two different storylines. Their reasoning for this was “this may become confusing” and that “it’s just easier to follow one main story”.  The narrative for my music video will therefore only follow one storyline. 

---

Question Ten: Out of these five colour schemes which is your favourite?

The last question on my survey asks ‘Out of these five colour schemes which one is your favourite?‘.  I decided to ask this question to find out which scheme I should use on my poster and digipack. Looking at other digipacks and posters gave me an insight into the typical colours that are used in real life products. From this, I chose five options based on these colours that appeared most frequently together. In result, the most popular colour scheme was gold, blue and white. This is the scheme I will plan to use on my poster and digipack. 

---

Conclusion:

In conclusion, my survey results have enabled me to gain a better understanding of what my target audience wants to see. Their feedback will help me to shape my own work as I will take their advice and requests onboard when considering elements such as my typography and colour scheme. Furthermore, this survey has helped me to gain even more inspiration for my own music video as my target audience has listed other indie acoustic/folk music videos for me to gain inspiration from. From here I feel confident to begin planning my music video.

Music Video Mind Map

Introduction:

After finding my song I listened to it a few times to get a feel for its melody and lyrics. I then mind mapped some of the thoughts and ideas that I had while listening to gain a better insight into my ideas. From my initial ideas bubble, I split my page into six sections; themes, locations, mis en scene, actors, camera angles and editing/FX. Doing so has allowed me to have a clearer understanding of what I want from each part of my video. 

---

Mind Map:

---

Overview Of Themes:

In the themes section, I made a bullet point list of all the topics that I had found in real music videos from my research. This will help me to ensure that the notions I present in my video comply with the typical conventions of the genre. I wrote down my ideas for this section first as the theme would be a starting point for my whole narrative. These were:

• Love
• Bullying
• Abuse
• Sadness
• Loneliness
• Growing Up

Out of all of these, I was most drawn to the theme of loneliness. From this theme, I branched out my idea and considered having my narrative based on a girl who is struggling with being alone due to her friends being at university. I imagined her trying to keep herself occupied through various activities such as reading and dressing up, however, these do not satisfy her need for friendship. Although it wasn’t written down on the mind map I also am considering playing on the idea of escapism as this is something that has very little representation in the media. I would include this through the girl listening to music as she walks to different places in her village. Through the music, she would escape to her imagination where she dreams of being in different locations. 

---

Overview Of Locations:

In the locations section, I listed some locations that I thought would fit the genre/song and added what my character might be doing there. These were:

• Pond: Girl visits a duck pond in her village. She feeds the ducks while listening to her music. 
• Bedroom: Girl is sitting in her bedroom. 
• Country Lane: Girl walks down a country lane while listening to music.
• Woods: Girl walking through the woods listening to music.
• Park: Girl by herself in a park. 

I came up with these locations as they are places that I found in real media music videos. Additionally, these are all places that I can film in without having to have to pay. As I am a student with a very low budget I wanted to make sure that I am able to film in a  place that won’t cost me. All of the locations I have come up with are accessible and free. I plan to expand my locations to other areas such as a kitchen and hallway. 

---

Overview Of Mis En Scene:

In the mis en scene section, I split the title into different catagories. These were the costume, makeup, props, lighting and the colour of my film. For my character’s costume I decided that she should wear a jumper, jacket, jeans and boots as these were all elements that I found in real music videos from my reserach. I also want my actor to wear minimal makeup and have her hair down as this too was something that I came across while researching. The main props I will be using in my music video are headphones and an iPhone. I decided that on this as it featured a number of times in music videos such as ‘Sick Of Losing Soulmates’. Additionally, I am also going to feature a diary which my character will write in as she is narrating before the song starts. This will make it clear to my audience that the monologue she is speaking is a letter that she is writing to her friend. 

---

Overview Of Actors:

In the actors’ section I came up with some ideas of who I thought could be in my music video. These were:

• Ellie Bindman
• Sophie Bacon
• Year 12 drama students
• Year 13 drama students

After coming up with an idea of who could be in my music video I decided that Ellie Bindman will be my choice. This is as she has had previous work in the acting industry and will be professional on camera. I also am friends with Ellie which makes it easier for me to contact her.

---

Overview Of Camera Angles:

In the camera angles section, I listed some of the angles that I found in the music videos for my research. This will make my camera angles look professional and conform to the typical conventions of the genre. The angles I came up with were:

• Birdseye
• Pan right
• Close up
• Extreme close up
• Pan left
• Mid-shot
• Longshot
• Handheld
• Tracking

These were all shot types I found when I researched real music videos in today’s industry. Incorporating them into my own video will ensure that I have professional camera angles. Although it isn’t on the mind map I am also considering using floor shots as I found this camera angle to be unique and interesting. Furthermore, I also plan to use the rule of thirds and short focus.

---

Overview Of Editing/FX:

In the editing/FX section, I listed some of the things I wanted to include. These were:

• Light leaks
• Colour correction
• Footage overlay
• Blue or grey tint
• Jump cuts

The majority of the editing and FX that I have listed were featured in music videos from my research. Including these in my own video will ensure that my music video features professional editing techniques. I decided to use light leaks in my video as I think they create a nostalgic and dreamy vibe to a video which is something that I want to portray when my character is escaping into her music. I also wanted the audience to be able to tell the difference in the mood of the character when she is in her reality and when she is escaping by changes in the colour of the footage. I decided that tinting the footage blue when she is in her reality will express her sadness at being alone.