Revisiting RMAs

Revisiting RMAs:

After gaining feedback from our peers and teacher I decided to re-visit some existing indie music videos to gain more inspiration, specifically looking at the editing and style of shots that were used. 

Lorde - Perfect Places 

This segment of Lorde's music video was something I believed we could incorporate into our own, the fast pace transitions in quick succession that vary in shot sizes made her video more engaging. We could match them to the beat and tempo of our song and try them when she is sat on the bed playing her guitar.

Grace VanderWaal - So Much More Than This

These sections of Grace's music video is something my partner and I could attempt to recreate, the filming, editing and even what is happening in the shots have relevance to our storyline and are simplistic yet have a sentimental effect. We could choose a different location like a bedroom or living room, however, we could experiment with the shots and editing the song to be in time with the music. We could try using other locations, maybe somewhere outside to have a bigger variety and show that our protagonist is writing music and every opportunity she gets. 

 

Audience Feedback on Music Video - First Draft

Audience/Teacher Feedback:

After editing the majority of our footage in order to have the backbones to our promotional music video, we turned to our focus group and peers to gain feedback on our progress so far, and more specifically what they think would make the video even better. Furthermore, we showed this draft to our teacher who gave us constructive opinions which we will be putting into action over the next week. 

Feedback from Peers:

• The narrative was clear and made sense, I always understood what was going on and the relevance it had to one another 
• You can add different effects in the editing process to make it more engaging such as; slow motion, colour flashes, light leaks, colour grading and more adventurous transitions
• Some shots were too long and would have worked better in a different order such as going from close up to long shot, this would work better the other way around 
• Certain shots were too static and would have been more engaging if there was more camera movement such as tracking shots 

Feedback from Teacher:

• You could film more shots of her playing the guitar and writing the song as that what it is supposed to be focusing on 
• Be more creative and original with what is happening in the shots, go back to your RMA's and see what inspiration you can gain and try applying this to your promotional music video 

Day Two of Filming

20th January 2018 - 

This was our second day filming and we required to film in one location which was Maidenhead Town Center. We needed to film shots of our protagonist in a coffee shop so our chosen location was Costa. After filming on this day we had over 90% of the footage needed for our whole music video. 

Below are some shots of our day filming. 

What went well?

• As a pair we worked well alternating who is filming and who is directing, we both communicated well together and with out actor. 
• Before we began filming we had a clear outline with what shots we needed, we reviewed the storyboard and therefore understood what shots we required in this specific location. 
• Filming in this location didnt't take too long and in total we only filmed for less than an hour. 

Obstacles we faced?

• We initially planned to film in the upstairs section of the coffee shop as it would have been less busy and easier to film in however, after talking to the manager he told us that it was closed for cleaning purposes.
• Therefore, we had to film downstairs which was really busy, however we managed to find a table that was tucked away in a corner, after this filming went well minus a few disruptions a some points. 

What will we do to improve?

• We we next film we will make sure we have alternative location options if where we originally planned to film was no longer accessible. 
• Plan the time of filming in more detail and maybe avoid picking times were the location (if it is public) would be less busy. 

Day One of Filming

7th January 2018 - 

On this day we filmed in two locations and managed to film over half of the footage we needed. We filmed in the fields/meadow and at my house, fortunately, many of the shots we needed are filmed in these locations so we had a successful day filming. 

Here are some of the behind the scenes shots of our filming.  

What went well?

• We managed to get all of the shots we wanted that correlated with our storyboard and even filmed extra clips to help us when it came to the editing process. 
• Communication between us and our actor was clear, she had a clear understanding of the demands of the role and executed them thoroughly. 
• The timekeeping was good, we managed to film in two different locations and it didn't take too much time, we weren't easily distracted and worked well together. 

Obstacles we faced?

• From filming with my dog there were moments where she didn't do what we wanted her too, we found she got easily distracted and lost concentration after a period of time. This meant we had to make slight alterations to the storyboard in order to ensure we still had enough shots that would have continued to make sense with the narrative of the music video. 
• We struggled to make the environment we were filming in look like it is a different time period, by changing the costume of our actor this made it more believeable. However, the overcome this we made slight alterations to the layout of certain aspects of the room and how the actor was positioned on the bed. 

What will we do to improve?

• To improve for our next day of filming we will try to use more interesting and complex shots to improve the overall quality and profesionalism of the promotional music video.
• We will film things that need to be set at different times either on different points throughout the day or if necessary on different days which is what we will be doing for the shots that will be filmed in the cafe. 

Costume Research

Costume Research - 

Due to our music video having multiple locations that are set on different days our costumes would need differentiation to be realistic and reflective of the shots we are taking. We worked out that we would need 5 different costumes in order for our storyline to make sense, as a pair we also feel by having multiple costumes it complies with our own research we have done and makes our music video appear more detailed and thought through. 

Our first costume is used in the shots where our protagonist is out walking her dog. The outfit consists of blue denim jeans, a navy blue and white jumper and a yellow coat. We chose rather basic colours as the base of the outfit and wanted a pop of colour with the coat. We liked how the juxtaposition between the bright coat that connotes happiness and the more negative aspects of the video worked well. Also, regarding practicality, when filming our actor in a rather dark, woodland environment the strong colour contrasts the mise-en-scene well and makes her stand out. 

The second costume consisted of a red oversized jumper and denim jeans. We wanted this outfit to be more laid back and relax and be reflective of what she will be doing in the scenes where this outfit was used. Again the bold accent piece of the outfit would make her stand out, we wanted to choose clothing that was naturalistic and would be something a girl of her age would wear. Furthermore, we wanted to consider the style of our actor also as we didn't want to put her in clothing that wouldn't look right with her appearance. 

The next costume was similar to the previous one, however, we switched up the jumpers she was wearing. We chose this burgundy sweatshirt with lace/string detailing on the front. We wanted her style to be unique but nothing too extravagant. From the research I carried out, the clothing that is worn in music videos for the alternative genre consists of dark colours (navy, burgundy, black) with a pop of colour in certain places.  

This outfit consisted of a lilac t-shirt tucked into some low rise denim jeans. We liked the pastel tones of this particular outfit and we think it suited the video and style of music the best. We also used similar colours in some of our initial ideas for our promotional digipak (coincidentally) as we think it compliments the lyrics of the song. We wanted the colours to reflect her feminity without wearing stereotypical colours such as pink or having to wear too much makeup. 

Our final costume was a navy jumper which had different patterns on the sleeves and jeans. As in most of her outfits, she wore her hair was down to reflect her feminity and add something more to the outfit. The darker colours are reflective of some of the more upsetting elements of the video (such as her rejections and stresses of writing her own music). 

Props Research (2)

Research Into Props -

For our narrative based promotional music video we only needed limited props that helped contribute to the overall outcome of the video's quality and made sense with the plot line. Addationally, due to having a limited budget we tried to encorporate props that we had access to either that we already owned or could borrow from friends. 

Dog Lead and Ball 

For several shots in our video and part of our storyline we show our protagonist taking her dog on a walk, therfore basic props you would use whilst working your dog such as a ball and lead would make the shots appear more realistic. These props are already owned by myself due to having a dog that we will be using in these specific shots. 

Phone and Earphones 

For the beginning and end of our music video we used earphones and a phone when showing our protagonist selcting a song to listen to on her phone. Since our target audience is 16-24, phones, social media and listening to music our all common activities that our audience can relate. This makes our main character more relatable which from my research I discovered is really important when you can relate to the person you see in the video.

Notepad and Pen

As our protagonist is an aspiring music artist and song writer it is only right that we show her writing her own music and lyrics. Thats why making use of simplistic props such as a notepad and pen that we have easy access to would improve the qaulity and narrative of the video without any expense to us. 

Acoustic Guitar

Again to re emphasize our protagonists storyline, a guitar to show her testing her music and signing to herself in her bedroom make is seem more realistic as well as creating a connection between her actions and those watching. It also allows her to make sure her music is at the right note and tempo. 

Laptop

A laptop is used in the video when she is communicating with record labels in the hope to get a break and release the song she has written. This is to emphasize her struggle as an aspiring artist and latops are common forms of techonology amongst our chosen target audience. Furthermore, both me and my partner as well as our actor have laptops so we can have easy access to one. 

Microphone

This is used towards the end of the video when she is performing her song, it creates realism as it allows the audience believe she is performing to an audience of people even when she isn't. The use of lighting from our schools drama studio will emphasize this more so it would appear even more realistic. 

Costa Drink/Mug

Whilst our actor is in the coffee shop replying to emails etc, having a costa drink will be able to make it seem more realistic and portray to those watching what she is doing and where she is. 

Location Research (2)

Location Research and Ideas - 

Since changing our concept and idea, subsequently our locations have changed as well, we have discussed some ideas for new locations based on our initial ideas, storyboards and shots we have been working since last week. 

Cafe:

We wanted one of our locations to be a cafe, we felt this would be a good place to juxtapose her isolation in an environment that is usually busy and where people go with friends and family. 

Our first idea was Creams in Windsor as we liked the retro, quirky atmosphere with the lighting and the booths. We thought the backdrop would be something that could appear really aesthetically pleasing on camera, as it is something we could play around with some interesting shots. Furthermore, we liked this location as it had a feeling that we felt was associated with videos previously made by the band. 

However, this is something that is much further afield from our other locations so we began researching into cafe's that are more local. So we looked into some locations in Maidenhead town centre. Our first thought was Costa, as it has a nice upstairs that isn't always too busy and has a good atmosphere with sofas and tables. 



Bedroom:

The choice of a bedroom was to make the video seem personal to the character it is following, it also emphasizes her isolation and reasoning for turning to music to portray her emotions. Additionally, it could be used as a reoccurring location throughout the promotional music video that creates a structure to the story. Furthermore, it is a location that is easy for us as filmmakers on a budget to have access to and if anything goes wrong during filming we can easily re film without having to ask permission from someone to use their property. 

Park/Field:

We chose to film some of our shots in the field to have a larger variety of locations, it is also something that is simplistic but would work with our storyline. It was a location we established we would be using when drawing the storyboard and we believe the three different locations would compliment the narrative structure for our music video and we believe we could get some good camera shots. 

Drama Studio: 

Our fourth and final location will be a drama studio, we chose this to make use of the black backdrop and arrangement of different coloured lights that would enhance and compliment the shots when our actor is signing towards the end of the music video. This location is easy for my partner and me to access due to it be situated in our school. 

Initial Ideas Magazine Advertisement - Fickle Friends

When researching into exsiting magazine advertisements we could take influence from but that would be relevant to our ideas and themes, we found that simplistic photos of the protagonist/lead singer was rather common in the indie genre. This is normally contrasted with a brighter background and some eye catching font/text. Fickle Friends have some exsisting posters so I chose to look their first and I found some aspects I liked. I really like the bright background and bold font and this was something we definetly tried to include in our initial ideas. Moreover, I liked that the focus point was on the lead singer.

Below are our initial ideas for our magazine advertisement - 

Idea 1: 

 Here we took into account our promotional music video and digipak and tried to create synergy between all of those products. The use of the protagonist on the front with her guitar has strong connections with our narrative based music video. Furthermore, the hand written font of 'Fickle Friends' shows that she is writing her own music and that again is part of our music video. Also, the floral vanilla flower background links to the song title itself and also appears on our digipak cover. This has similarties with some exsiting artefacts we have already seen, with the bright background contrasting a photo alongside bold text.

Idea 2: 

This is our second idea and is similar to our first idea but it would simply just be the photo we took in a studio with a single spotlight highlight and emphasizing her and her guitar. We liked the simplistic look however we did feel it lacked colour so when we took the real photos we planned on trying to experiment with colour highlights and background and seeing what would work. We may also consider colouring the text and making it bold so it stands out also. 

Initial Ideas Digipak - Fickle Friends

Regarding our digipak, we wanted to incorporate themes that would link our three segments of our coursework together. We wanted something abstract and concept based on our digipak that was bold and made use of bright colours. After researching into some existing digipaks for the alternative/indie genre and looking closely at Fickle Friends album covers we found that for more upbeat songs like 'Vanilla' the artist would use bright and bold colours but to emphasize the genre the design would definitely stem from a concept background. 

Idea 1 - 

This is our first idea for our digipak, on the front, it consists of a photo of our protagonist a that will be lit but a single spotlight to highlight her presence and importance. We used to different fonts which are common on many album covers. On the inside, we chose a lyric that we felt represented the premise of the music video well and this is accompanied by a drawing of the guitar to re-emphasize the importance of music in her life. 

Idea 2 - 

This is our second idea, here we made use of bold colours and more concept themed digipak, we focused this on a vanilla flower which creates synergy between the song title and our ancillary texts. This ties into our chosen genre of indie/alternative music.

Idea 3 - 

This is our final idea, it uses a bold purple colour contrasted with the black font. The concept of song writing and being an artist who writes their own lyrics is something that is shown throughout our music video. We chose to create a scrunched up paper effect on the back of the album and on the inside, we made use of lyrics on scraps of paper.