Shooting schedule

These are the dates that we are planning to film on.

When we were choosing a date to film at the beach we had to do some research before deciding a date. This is because we want the beach shots to have a summery vibe so we would, ideally, like the weather to be sunny. We knew that we may have some difficulty finding a sunny day as we know we will be filming in November. However, we looked at the weather forecast and managed to find a day where the weather should be some what sunny. We can now only hope that the weather will hold out when we go to film our shots there.

The other day we have chose to film on is for our London shots. Choosing a day for this was a bit easier as it didn't matter too much what the weather would be like. We knew that by this point in November the weather would be a bit colder, gloomier and it could even possibly rain. However this would not be a problem as we would like to show that our artist can have fun anywhere and in any weather. If it does start to rain this could cause problems to the camera however we have all said that we will bring umbrellas to avoid the camera getting ruined, if this does happen.

Filming in these two different locations will oppose each other as the beach shots will represent the summer, daylight, high key lighting etc whereas the London shots will represent colder weather (the winter), lower key lighting, night time etc. This use of binary opposition will help to show that our artist can be seen having fun anywhere, no matter what the weather is like, what the time of day is and where she is.

Production Diary 11

Production diary 11 from Laila Jaleel

Representation

Representation from Laila Jaleel

Binary Oppositions within our video

The original theme for our music video idea was that  the video would have a summery vibe consistently. However we have all had a discussion about how it may be hard to film in sunny locations given the time of year it is currently. This hasn't created a problem, instead we have just come up some different locations in which we can film at for example, London. We thought that it may be a nice idea to go up London and spend a day filming there, as well as the beach, no matter what the weather is like. Reasons behind this is that we are trying to show that our artist can have fun anywhere no matter what the season is or what the weather is like. To really exaggerate this we may try to get some shots with Christmas lights in however it does depend on when we go up to London and what kind of places we go to when we are up there.

Also, the fact that we are shooting in two completely different locations, the beach and London could represent the daytime and night time. The beach would represent the daytime due to the high key lighting and surroundings whereas the London shots could represent night time as London is a city where lots of partying happens. We could start the video with the beach shots and then finish with a London shot so the video is representing a whole day of our artists life.

Codes and Conventions of music videos

The codes and conventions of music videos are the different techniques used to construct them. These techniques can be divided into two types which are technical and symbolic. Technical techniques show how the meaning is conveyed using technical equipment e.g. the way the camera angles are used, different types of shots used etc. Symbolic techniques are used to show different meanings beyond what you can see e.g. facial expressions, poses etc. Codes and conventions are used so that the audience can become familiar with a type of genre and to show that the lyrics of the song fit with the video.

Camera shots:
Music videos can feature many various types of shots for various reasons such as creating emphasis on the artists, locations and emotions being shown or creating emotions/feelings so that the audience can relate etc. Here are a few examples of where different types of shots can be used:

Mid shot - A mid shot will show the artist from their waist to head and it will mainly focus on them but will still show the location/setting. This kind of shot can also emphasise the costume and the make-up of the artist.

Long shot - A long shot can be used to differ from close up lip synching shots so there is a range of shots used which can keep the audience engaged.

Close up shot - A close up shot can be used to focus on the artist lip synching. This type of shot emphasises on the artist which can make the audience feel closer to the artist and more likely to like the song.


Camera movement:
The camera moves to follow the artist/band or it shows the performance of the artist/band. These movements will usually include panning and tracking. The action being shown in a music video may be shown through a series of cuts, going from one to another, or the action may be followed by the camera so the camera moves with the action.

Editing techniques:
Editing is the final process of making a music video as this takes part after all of the planning and filming for the video. Editing includes cutting scenes down, adding special effects, adding the song to the music video, jump cutting, CGI effects etc.

The image, to the right, shows Katy Perry in her 'E.T' music video. CGI effects have been used to make her look like an Alien and this is because of the lyrics in her song relate to aliens and space. Her video also features CGI shots of space which is a good idea as the video is within context of her lyrics too.

Mise-en-scene:
The mise en scene for a music video is the preparation for the music video which includes the lighting, props, costume, hair and make up, location and colour. These elements contribute towards the chosen genre as, all together, they portray what kind of genre the music video is.

Lighting - can set the mood of the scenes.
Props - performance equipment, band merchandise etc.
Costume - outfit for the artist/people featured in video.
Hair and make up - the style of the artist/people being featured in video,
Location - usually relevant to song/genre.
Colour - specific colours representing different moods.

Typography -

Typography is the use of words/text being displayed on electronic media. It could be used in a music video when the singer sings a certain lyric or word and then that lyric or word appears on screen at the same time. Nowadays it is quite common for some artists to bring out a lyric video for their song as well as a normal music video. I really like the use of typography and this is something I will definitley consider using when coming onto editing my music video.

Production Diary 10

Production diary 10 from Laila Jaleel

Equipment list

We created this video to show what equipment we will be using on set for our music video.

The reason we will be using a digital video camera is because it is the best type of camera we will be able to get. We would like our shots to be as clear as they can therefore we want to use the best type of camera that we can get. Ideally it would be useful to use a professional camera however we do not have access to one.

Tripods will be used to keep the cameras still and steady so the shot can, hopefully, have a better quality finish. We may not need the tripods for all shots but for the majority of the shots we will be using them therefore they are an important and vital piece of equipment needed for on set.

We will not be using equipment to set the lighting for the beach shots and other shots that take place during the day as this should come naturally. However in some other locations we may need to need to use a flashlight on the artist so that she can be seen clearly and so that the focus is on her.

Ideally, we would like to use a green screen so that we can create a visual element that we won't be able to create in reality. If we were to use the green screen correctly and if everything went well then these kind of shots could help add to the fun and carefree vibe that we are going for within our music video.

We could use our mobile phones simply for the flash light as this could add a strobe light effect which could be used at a party scene. Although we will add effects when it comes to editing our video, it may be a good idea to use some equipment for effect whilst we are filming too.

On the day of filming our aim is to, as well as filming, get some still shots of our artist and this is because we will create a portfolio of our artist.

Weather

As we will be shooting at the beach at some point, we thought that it would be a good idea to choose a day where the weather is meant to be sunny. This is because we want the beach shots to have a summer vibe to them. We think that if the weather is sunny that will really help with the kind of vibe we want to capture. Also, we need to make sure that it will not rain because if we set up all of the cameras on the beach and then it starts to rain this could cause great complications. We have decided to film on the 14th November as the weather app says it will 12 degrees and sunny on that day. All we can do now it hope that it remains like this on the day of filming. 

Production Diary 9

Production diary 9 from Laila Jaleel

Props for the beach

Risk Assessment for the beach

Activity Assessed – filming	Activity location – beach (Frinton-on-sea)	Assessment date – 1/10/15	Who’s at risk – group members	Assessed by – group members
Hazard – potential harm	Likelihood – /10	Severity – /10	Overall risk – (likelihood x severity)	Control measures
Drowning	4	10	40	Be cautious of sea/don’t go in deep.
Damaged equipment	6	5	30	Keep equipment well away from the sea/always keep an eye on all equipment.
Lost/stolen equipment	6	5	30	Make sure at least one person is with equipment at all times/ keep check of everything that we take with us.
Falling over	8	4	32	Be cautious and don’t rush, carry equipment equally, watch where you are walking and bring a first aid kit just incase
Make-up allergies	2	6	12	Only use make up that the artist has used before or complete a patch test before using new make-up.
Cars – being in the way of traffic	4	9	36	Follow the green cross code and look out/be aware of cars.
Pedestrians – getting in the shots	6	1	6	Look out for pedestrians before filming the shot and be prepared to film again if need be. Make sure we don’t take up too much room and we could politely ask them to go around the camera rather than appear in the shot.
Stepping on broken glass	3	4	12	Watch where you are walking and wear shoes when you can.
Nearest telephone Mobile phones	Nearest 24hr Doctor/hospital Clacton & District hospital

Editing/transitions - David Guetta - Love Don't Let Go

Transitions

 

The beginning of the song is slow paced and sounds like a build up because the notes get slightly higher. The beginning of the video shows montage effect transitions as the shots show two different things happening i.e the girl walking with her friend and the boy talking to his friend. The shots are not continuous at this point because the scene is being set by showing different locations.

As the boy and the girl notice each other close up shots are used on their faces to show their facial expressions. It is clear at this point that these two people have an interest in one another. The song is called 'Love Don't Let Me Go' so it makes sense to feature a boy and a girl. As their hands touch, the beat of the song drops and they both start dancing around the basketball court. From this point onwards the shots are continuous and they match to what we hear. As we hear the dance beat the shots begin to flow at the same pace.

The concept of the video is that when the next person is touched by someone dancing they will begin to dance aswell. The shots begin to change from person to person as they have their own way of dancing. The video also features a group of people free jumping so many jump screens are used. These transitions are effecting because they are still used in a continuous way so they help add to the quickness of the shots and song.

The song that we have picked also starts of slower and then speeds up at various points throughout the song. I think it is important for us to use the same kind of concept by using slightly longer locatio shots towards the beginning of the video and then when the beat drops we should use quicker shots that match the pace of the song.

Mise-En-Scene Analysis

The main purpose of mise-en-scene is to portray what genre the music video is in a clear and concise way. I watched this music video without the sound playing and I could tell that this is a dance genre video. The main attributes that show this are the bright colours, Rihanna's colourful make up and hair, people physically dancing, the lit dance floor and the strobe lights as it gives a clubby feel.

This music video seems slightly out of date due to the 80's inspired fashion however, because Rihanna is a well known, cool and trendy artist she can pull it off. It attracted today's generation because either people have already seen videos similar to this and they are seeing it again in a modern way or this kind of video is something completley new and different to them.

The name of the song is called 'Who's That Chick' and the video shows that Rihanna is 'that chick'. She is seen in bright coloured and glamorous clothing out on the dance floor having fun with other people. Whereas David Guetta is seen in shots with darker colours on his DJ mixer working hard to produce what is happening on the other side, the side where Rihanna is. I think the video represents the idea of how artists can take the credit for songs even though they have been written by somebody else. David Guetta is representing how the song writer is left on the outer skirts and doesn't get noticed for their hard work. Whereas Rihanna is 'that girl' who gets all the glam and fun for being noticed by people. The shots that Rihanna is seen in has high key lighting whereas the shots that David Guetta is seen is has low key lighting. This shows that there is a definite split between the two people. High key lighting conveys happiness whereas low key lighting conveys sadness.

Typography has been used throughout the video so that some words in the lyrics pop up on screen. I think it looks really effective as it keeps your eyes keen on the screen and it makes you want to sing along with the song. The text appears sharp and quickly so it doesn't take too much attention away from what is happening in the shot behind.

From watching this video, and many other dance genre videos, I have learnt that using bright colours is a key convention for dance music videos. The outfit, hair and make up has worked for Rihanna as it all looks very bold and outstanding. However, we would like to portray our artist as a normal, typical, young girl therefore we will represent our artist differently to this.

Production Diary 8

Production diary 8 from Laila Jaleel

Intertextuality in music videos

Intertextuality from Laila Jaleel

I like the idea of intertextuality however I feel like if you were to use it then it would need to be thought about and done right rather than doing it for the sake of it. We can see why Iggy Azalea referred to the film 'Clueless' in her video and that's because the girls in clueless are portrayed as prestige and 'fancy'. Therefore Iggy wanted to be viewed like this too as her song is called 'Fancy'. I like intertextuality when it is done right so it is something that we could use in our video but we are not sure yet.

Categories of music videos

Narrative based videos 

A narrative based video is a video which consists of a storyline relating to the lyrics and genre of the song and usually exaggerates it in the video. This technique can be a good way to engage the audience as they can seem like a mini film. If a song is featured in a film, and narrative video is usually used and it is common that parts of the film will be in the music video as it is likely that the film relates to the song, lyrics and storyline. 

Performance based videos

Performance based videos feature the band/artist performing the song to either on their own to the camera or an audience. This technique is popular with rock bands as their concerts have a high energy and it more interesting to watch the whole band rather than an artist on their own. These types of videos usually repeat a wide variety of camera angles in order to show each person performing in the band so their image is fully captured. 

Concept based videos

This style of music video is based around a concept or an idea. They tend to include a particular editing or filming technique. An example of a concept based video is the ‘Red Hot Chilli Peppers – Californication’ music video as it is in the form of a video game. This can intrigue a specific target audience. It also shows that music videos has become more advanced as the use of advanced technology has been used to make it. 

Production Diary 7

Production diary 7 from Laila Jaleel

Beach

The first location that we are planning to film at is the beach, Frinton-On-Sea. Over the next week we will plan and prepare everything so that we can spend a day filming here. We need to make sure our artists hair, make-up, costume are all sorted.

We have discussed what kind of shot types we are aiming to get on the day. We have decided that we will take two cameras in order to get close up shots and long shots. This will be useful because we will be able to get it all filmed quicker as well as getting a variety of shot types.

We will also come up with a  risk assessment in order to prepare ourselves for the day. These things need to be planned so we can feel prepared and, hopefully, have a successful day of filming!

Locations

We have come up with a list of locations that we hope we will be able to get a chance to film at. Our aim is to try and film at all of these locations, to show that our artist can have fun wherever she is. Although we may not have time to film at all of these locations we thought it would be a good idea to list as many as we could so we know what our aims are. Some of our locations represent summer and some represent winter however this should not be an issue as our aim is to show that you can have fun no matter where you are and no matter what the season/weather is like.

Beach - Frinton On Sea

Shooting here will represent a summery vibe. Summer can be considered as a code and convention of dance genre.





Graffiti Wall - Leake Street, London

Graffiti walls are filled with colours which we want our music video to consist of. Also, they are seen to be 'cool' by a young audience.









Buckingham Palace - London
 


If we film in London it would be a good idea to film in well known places such as Buckingham Palace so the audience will be familiar with where the artist is. Also, our artist could be seen taking a selfie with one of the Queen's guards or something just to seem young and silly.




Canary Wharf - London


Usually at night time there a lit lights on in area of Canary Wharf so we could potentially film here as the scenery may look pretty.


The London Eye

The London Eye is a well known place in London so it may be good to get a shot of it so the audience know exactly where we are filming. An idea that I have is standing the camera on a tripod with the London Eye in the middle of the shot and leaving the camera to film for about 10 minutes. Then, when it comes onto editing we could speed up the shot so you can see the London Eye turning quickly. This is only an idea as I am unsure of where we could put this kind of shot in the video.

Somerset House Ice Skating


We have only seen images of the Somerset House Ice Skating and have all agreed that it looks really pretty. However, this kind of location could be really busy and hectic to film out so we may only film here if we have time as it is not a priority.

Crew list

(Although it says the editor will be Naomi, it will actually be all of us. We will each partake in that part of the production). 

Production Diary 6

Production diary 6 from Laila Jaleel

Laura Mulvey's theory

Laura mulvey’s male gaze theory from Laila Jaleel

Laura Mulvey's theory is the male gaze theory. This kind of theory would be good to include in a video if you want people to view your artist as provocative for example maybe in a hip-hop, rap or pop music video. However our genre is dance and we are not particularly bothered about using this theory as we think it will send the wrong message to our target audience. We would rather out artist be portrayed as a young, fun, bubbly and warm character. 

Andrew Goodwin's music video theory

This presentation shows Andrew Goodwin's theory of how to analyse music videos.
A quick summary of his theory is that he thinks music videos will include typical things from whatever the genre is to portray the genre in an obvious way. He also thinks that there is a relationship between lyrics and visuals and he has split this into three categories to break it up a bit. He thinks that a record label will try to make sure lots of close ups are shown of the artist because he believes that the audience may understand the artist and song a bit more. Notion of looking is another part of his theory and this is when an artist will look directly into the camera. This can make the audience feel a sense of closeness towards the artist.  Lastly, a part of his theory is intertextuality and this is when a music video includes a reference to another film, tv programme, other music videos etc.

These 6 methods may not all be shown together in one music video however if you pay attention to a music video you will usually find that at least one of his theory methods applies to it. Here is one exmaple:



There is a relationship between the lyrics and visuals -  The song is about finding yourself and being happy. We can see a boy being featured in the video as a love interest which makes the audience think it could be about him. However we see other people being featured such as people crying and other people as a couple being happy. The chorus is very live and upbeat and when she sings it we can see people laughing and having fun therefore it matches the lyrics.

Notion of looking - Natasha Bedingfield frequently looks into the camera as if she is singing to the audience. This may make the audience feel close to her and involved with the song.

Production Diary 5

Production diary 5 from Laila Jaleel

Lyrics Analysis

"We Don't Have To Take Our Clothes Off"

Not a word, from your lips

You just took for granted that I want to skinny dip

A quick hit, that's your game

But I'm not a piece of meat, simulate my brain, no

The night is young, so are we

Let's just get to know each other slow & easily, oh, oh

Take my hand, let's hit the floor

Shake our bodies to the music

Maybe then you'll score, oh, oh

So come on baby, won't you show some class

Why'd you have to move so fast?

We don't have to take our clothes off

To have a good time, oh, no

We could dance & party all night

And drink some cherry wine, oh, oh

Just slow down if you want me

A man wants to be approached cool & romantically, oh, oh

I've got needs just like you

And if the conversation's good

Vibrations through & through, oh, oh

So come on baby, won't you show some class

Why'd you have to move so fast?

[4x:]

We don't have to take our clothes off

To have a good time, oh, oh

We could dance & party all night

And drink some cherry wine, oh, oh

1. 'You just took for granted that I want to skinny dip' - Skinny dipping is when you go for a swim fully unclothed so she is saying that someone could take advantage of you in that situation as some may see it as sexual. However she is saying that she is doing it for fun. It slightly contradicts 'We don't have to take our clothes off' however that line pretty much means you don't need to have sex to have a good time. So although your clothes are off when your skinny dipping it doesn't mean that someone has to take advantage of you but instead you can just simply have fun by being silly and messing around.

2. 'A quick hit, that's your game' - Nowadays the term 'player' is used for someone who speaks to a lot of girls or boys at once and then once he/she has got what they want from someone, usually sex, they will not care anymore. She is basically calling someone a player as she is referring the quick hit as getting what they want.

3. 'But I'm not a piece of meat, simulate my brain' - Calling someone a piece of meat is very dehumanising and it removes all traits of personality from that person. The line is very empowering for women because many women can be seen as a piece of meat by men but she is clarifying that she is not a piece of meat. 'Simulate my brain' is suggesting that she would rather have an intelligent conversation with someone rather than be treated as a piece of meat.

4. 'The night is young, so are we' - This presents the idea of her being young, innocent and pure. She doesn't want to rush into anything because of her youthfulness. Saying that the night is young shows that she still wants to have fun.
5. 'Lets just get to know each other slow and easy' - This, again, suggests that she doesn't want to rush into anything. It opposes the idea of sex being the only way to have fun. Suggesting that she wants to get to know someone means that its fine to be attracted to people but sex shouldn't be the only thing in mind. Instead she thinks that people should have fun by partying while they're young and getting to know people etc.
6. 'Won't you show some class' - This suggest that having sex straight away is not classy. Ella Eyre has a classy but fun image and I think that this song is a good representation of her. Her audience may be quite young therefore she needs to act as a good role model. This kind of message is positive for young people because it is telling them to have fun and be carefree but also make sure that you respect yourself.


Context
This song was written by Jermaine Stewart in 1981 and in the USA. It was written around the time when the United States recognised a strange new illness amongst gay men. This illness was diagnosed as AIDs. The reason for this song being written was to tell people that you don't need to have sex to have fun and instead you should go out, have fun and party. It was a positive message because it was meant to prevent people from getting this horrible illness.

Make-up tutorials

As a group, we looked at a few make up tutorials to get some inspiration for how our artist's make up should look. We liked these two the most for the following reasons.

The first one will portray an innocent, sweet and natural look which we see as a positive thing because some of our audience may be young and it is important that our artist portray's a good image. The thick eyelashes are quite dramatic which is also a good thing because her image is meant to be fun and crazy.

The second one will give our artist more of a glamorous look which is fitting for her character. Going out, having fun, partying are all things that our artist is meant to love and this make up is the type of make up you may see someone wearing when they are out and having fun. The make up, however, is not too much, so she is still sticking to be being a good role model for the younger and impressionable audience.

Production Diary 4

Production diary 4 from Laila Jaleel

Focus group questionnaire discussion

What do you think about our idea?


The feedback that we got from asking this question was, overall, very positive. As our focus group was a mix of both girls and boys it was satisfying to hear that they all liked the ideas as it means that our music video ideas would appeal to a wider audience.



What locations other than beach, festivals and clubs could be used in our video?


Some of the people said that they would like to see 'raves' in the video. We came up with a compromise which would be to film in clubs instead as they easier to get access too but they will also capture the partying image that we want. Someone also said they would like to see New York city. This will, obviously, not be possible but instead we could think about how we could incorporate a New York 'theme' into it instead. However, we feel that this type of theme would not work with the other ideas we have too.



What things can you imagine our artist doing in the video?


Our focus group could imagine our artist on the beach, swimming, having a good time, throwing a volley ball etc. which are all things associated with having fun. We will take some of these ideas on board in order to capture our artist having a good time.



Potential names...


When we asked our focus group what names they liked best 'Sasha' and 'Sunny' seemed to be the most favourable. They seemed to like these name because both seem fun, sassy and happy. They also suggested putting the two together but we think that having just one name would be more suitable so now we will have to come up with a group decision.



What are your favourite music videos?


Emili Sande - Clown.
The reason that a member of our focus group likes this video so much is because she finds it empowering and that it helps in hard times. We would also like our video to make the audience feel this way by making them feel happy.



Is there anything in particular that you don't like in music videos?


Our focus group thinks that we should keep it clean and don't show anything drugs etc. They also think that it should be kept appropriate and by this they mean that it should be comfortable to watch in front of parents etc.

Analysis of audience questionnaire

Analysis of audience questionnaire from Laila Jaleel

Audience Questionnaire

Audience questionnaire 

We decided, as a group, that it would be a good idea to make a questionnaire for our target audience to answer so we can get to know and understand what their personal preferences are. The first three questions on the questionnaire are to get an understanding of what kind of person is answering the questionnaire. If a few peoples answer for the first three questions are similar then we may possibly see some trends in the following questions. We will try our best to give this to people who we think fit within our target audience to get specific and valuable answers.