Sunday, 1 May 2016
Monday, 25 April 2016
Question 3
Question 3: What have you learned from your audience feedback?
As a class we watched each other's music videos as a way to gain some feedback and celebrate everybody's hard work. I also interviewed two people in video form about my music video to see how they felt about it.
My first one is with Adam:
I found this video very informative and useful. We had never considered using different lighting in our music video but on reflection it probably would have been a very good idea as it would have added variety and highlighted the contrast of the personalities.
This video with Ellie was nice as she told us a lot of things she enjoyed about our video which gave us some confidence- as we had been unsure about the success of our video. She said my characterisation was good which I really appreciated because this was vital for communicating the message of our video.
She also suggested that we could have used some outdoor locations to film to create some more variety in our shots and lighting. This is a similar suggestion to Adam's which tells us that this is really something we should have considered more closely.
I also gathered some feedback from one of my peers in my media class. They also said that the lighting could have been improved to add more range. They told me that my editing was seamless however which pleased me as I spent a lot of time editing.
As a class we watched each other's music videos as a way to gain some feedback and celebrate everybody's hard work. I also interviewed two people in video form about my music video to see how they felt about it.
My first one is with Adam:
I found this video very informative and useful. We had never considered using different lighting in our music video but on reflection it probably would have been a very good idea as it would have added variety and highlighted the contrast of the personalities.
This video with Ellie was nice as she told us a lot of things she enjoyed about our video which gave us some confidence- as we had been unsure about the success of our video. She said my characterisation was good which I really appreciated because this was vital for communicating the message of our video.
She also suggested that we could have used some outdoor locations to film to create some more variety in our shots and lighting. This is a similar suggestion to Adam's which tells us that this is really something we should have considered more closely.
I also gathered some feedback from one of my peers in my media class. They also said that the lighting could have been improved to add more range. They told me that my editing was seamless however which pleased me as I spent a lot of time editing.
Sunday, 24 April 2016
Question 4
I answered question 4 on gliffy . Unfortunately it would not embed onto my blogger because it was too big. Please click "gliffy" in purple above to view.
Friday, 8 April 2016
CD Cover
This is my front cover for my CD. The two faces to show the two sides of her personality. Having one face in natural colouring to show how she is seen as ordinary, and the other face in black & white represents how she feels inside.
This picture was used as the back cover because it represents the darkness of the music video. I wanted to cover her eyes with a different colour as well as the word 'control' to show that she is controlled by her inner demons and also depicts her less than positive and somewhat twisted outlook on the world. It also shows the songs list as well as the artist and the record company.
The CD insert contains extra pictures from our music video and also the words to songs, so people who buy the CD digipak get the lyrics to sing along. There is also information on the artist, to promote her.
Here is a video displaying our finished CD case all put together.
Thursday, 7 April 2016
Tuesday, 5 April 2016
Preparing to film
Filming a music video is a difficult task, whether you are a professional or not. You have to be organised and make sure all your dates are recorded, and the actors know the filming location and when it's taking place. Also, giving yourself plenty of time to film is vital, if you think it will take two hours, give yourself three hours.
Make sure to book everything you might need: Cameras, Tripods, shoulder mounts, lights, set and actors. Be sure to double check everything you need is working and take an extra battery or a charger in case your camera dies.
Try not to forget your storyboard as then you are able to get on with filming straight away. However, we did manage to forget ours but because we are both drama students- making us very creative, we were able to improvise and we ended up with very good shots- better than the ones on our story board. From this I've learn't not to be afraid to stray from the storyboard if you come up with a better idea on set.
Make sure your actors know what they're doing. Give them the lyrics/script in advance so they can learn the words. Let them know if they need to do anything that they might never have done before (dancing, acting). Make sure they know where they are supposed to be on the day of filming, and what they are going to be wearing (hair, makeup ect...) this will take the pressure off you if they already know what they are doing.
If you are booking a studio or anything professional make sure you record the date you've booked, check they are safe and legitimate (looking at reviews on Yelp for example is useful) and don't make your payment until after you've filmed so as to make sure they won't do something dodgy or rip you off. For my music video we wanted a plain white background that was large enough for Lois to walk around in, so we could get full body shots. In order for us to do that we had to search local places to hire. I rang up different studios to enquire about using their space. We managed to book a studio in Barlow, just outside our local town.
Being organised and making sure things like this are booked in advance is vital, especially if you have a deadline.
Make sure to book everything you might need: Cameras, Tripods, shoulder mounts, lights, set and actors. Be sure to double check everything you need is working and take an extra battery or a charger in case your camera dies.
Try not to forget your storyboard as then you are able to get on with filming straight away. However, we did manage to forget ours but because we are both drama students- making us very creative, we were able to improvise and we ended up with very good shots- better than the ones on our story board. From this I've learn't not to be afraid to stray from the storyboard if you come up with a better idea on set.
Make sure your actors know what they're doing. Give them the lyrics/script in advance so they can learn the words. Let them know if they need to do anything that they might never have done before (dancing, acting). Make sure they know where they are supposed to be on the day of filming, and what they are going to be wearing (hair, makeup ect...) this will take the pressure off you if they already know what they are doing.
If you are booking a studio or anything professional make sure you record the date you've booked, check they are safe and legitimate (looking at reviews on Yelp for example is useful) and don't make your payment until after you've filmed so as to make sure they won't do something dodgy or rip you off. For my music video we wanted a plain white background that was large enough for Lois to walk around in, so we could get full body shots. In order for us to do that we had to search local places to hire. I rang up different studios to enquire about using their space. We managed to book a studio in Barlow, just outside our local town.
Being organised and making sure things like this are booked in advance is vital, especially if you have a deadline.
Saturday, 26 March 2016
filming in the studio
We paid £22 to film in a professional studio for 2 hours and these are some of our shots. We only intended to use the white background and floor, but when we arrived we were left to our own devices and noticed that one of the studios had a black and white 50's style tiled floor and kitchen cabinets. We also found a rusty, old fashioned phone and we filmed in this location with the phone and created an old fashioned retro vibe which we thought worked quite well. However, because we hadn't actually hired this part, the lights we couldn't turn the light on so I had to use the torch on my phone to light the shot. This turned out very well as the light was harsh and gave Lois a washed out kind of look which we liked because it was as if she was on a surgery table being examined. This plays with the notion of Richard Dyer's Star theory which states that artists are completely objectified and examined by the public and therefore have to maintain the glamorous exterior.
Friday, 25 March 2016
Starting our website
Before we start filming, we have started looking at designs for the website, obviously there is a lot of stuff we can't do without having our own footage, like adding pictures and the finished music video, but information such as Tour Dates, Pre-Ordering the album, Merchandise ect, can be started.
This design can be changed later, as can the picture in the back, which we can change to one of our own from our music video to make it original. I picked this design because the simplistic font will easily match anything, which is useful because we're still unsure how our shots will turn out. I think it looks professional and will help with the marketing and selling of the product, also its easy to read and clear. If we don't get any good photos whilst shooting the music video then the picture of the clouds will do as they represent her personality as a dreamer.
The layout of the website is also simple and at the moment we are able to edit the text. The finished video will be where the video slot is. Information about Halsey is next to it, a box where you can enter your email and subscribe and get all information about Halsey and her events ASAP. In the recent news box there will be tour dates, album release date and the single release date. I will also add social media links so fans can access her directly and follow her and see what she's up to.
Thursday, 24 March 2016
Music video plot and design
The idea for our music video is to portray the protagonist using two different actors which will represent her inner self and the person she wants the world to see as. The two different locations are representative of the two versions of herself. The workshop will be illustrative of her frame of mind and her emotional isolation. Whereas the studio looks clean, bland and malleable- reminiscent of her 'star' identity as an icon ready to be moulded into whatever the industry and public wanted. By the end of the music video the hard exterior of the glamorous version of her will have become as distraught and vulnerable as the other version. This is because we want to highlight how the limitations and expectations of the music industry is able to break down an artist- much like Amy Winehouse.
Friday, 18 March 2016
Monday, 29 February 2016
Amy Winehouse Documentary Case Study
We visited a theatre in Sheffield and watched the award winning documentary 'Amy' which was made in memory of the life of Amy Winehouse. This gave us a lot of insight into how the media portrays a star in the music industry. This knowledge will be useful when creating our own 'celebrity' type person for oour music video.
I looked at different sources for this case study which are mentioned in the presentation - such as the website: mediaknowall.com and looked at how that showed "Dead Pop Stars"
I looked at different sources for this case study which are mentioned in the presentation - such as the website: mediaknowall.com and looked at how that showed "Dead Pop Stars"
Thursday, 14 January 2016
location scouting
We have chosen three locations for our music video. The first one is a photo studio that Lois' friend owns. We may have to pay but we're using our own camera equipment so it shouldn't be too expensive. The studio should look something like this.
We plan to use this only for Lois' as she will be playing the pristine version of the protagonist.
The next location is my Grandad's workshop as it is very grimy, old fashioned and dark which creates the atmosphere we want. I haven't got any pictures of it yet but it should look something like that.
And the final location is the old car pit in my Grandad's garage.
We plan to use this only for Lois' as she will be playing the pristine version of the protagonist.The next location is my Grandad's workshop as it is very grimy, old fashioned and dark which creates the atmosphere we want. I haven't got any pictures of it yet but it should look something like that.
And the final location is the old car pit in my Grandad's garage.
Identifying our Audience
Our intended audience would mainly be her fans as she has quite a niche audience only expanding slightly due to her performance with Justin Bieber. However, if this was a real music video, producers would be likely to try to get their product to appeal to many different audience as it would make more money.
Due to the serious subject matter of the song, in terms of uses and gratifications I think a large part of the audience would be able to identify with the topic and find solace in the fact others relate to issues regarding mental illness.
Halsey arguably gained initial recognition in the music industry through her connections with more famous artists such as Imagine Dragons, 5 Seconds Of Summer, and Twenty One Pilots. Therefore a lot of her fan base is made up of fans of those artists and bands. These artists have ranging genres so therefore we also hope to attract people with varying music taste to watch our video.
Another aspect that we think will help us to attract a large audience is the style of our video. We have planned for it to be quite spooky and unsettling but not in a way that would be be offensive or express negative stereotypes of people with mental illness. On a second note I think its crucial to do some research so as to not create a negative portrayal in our video.
Due to the serious subject matter of the song, in terms of uses and gratifications I think a large part of the audience would be able to identify with the topic and find solace in the fact others relate to issues regarding mental illness.
Halsey arguably gained initial recognition in the music industry through her connections with more famous artists such as Imagine Dragons, 5 Seconds Of Summer, and Twenty One Pilots. Therefore a lot of her fan base is made up of fans of those artists and bands. These artists have ranging genres so therefore we also hope to attract people with varying music taste to watch our video.
Another aspect that we think will help us to attract a large audience is the style of our video. We have planned for it to be quite spooky and unsettling but not in a way that would be be offensive or express negative stereotypes of people with mental illness. On a second note I think its crucial to do some research so as to not create a negative portrayal in our video.
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