Re-filming

Due to some of our previous footage being not quite up to our standards, we decided that it be necessary to film certain parts again; in particular the tracking shots of Kitty in the subway. This needed to be filmed again because our previous footage kept cutting out the top of her head which made it look unprofessional. Also, in our first shoot we thought that using glitter to throw in front of Kitty would look effective, however it did not show up very well on the footage. As an alternative to using glitter, we used pink/red powder paint (in re-filming) as we thought it would stand out more on camera and just look a lot more interesting.
We decided to re-film the smashing glass, but this time opted to using real glass as we believed it would look more realistic than using sugar glass. However, smashing real glass is dangerous so we took in to account hazards and safety precautions to make sure no one got hurt.

Organization and time management were vital for re-filming due to Kitty being unable to film for very long. Before the filming time came, we wrote down a list of things that had to be filmed so we knew exactly what to do so we could get straight in to filming without wasting time and being unclear on what needed to be done.

Sugar glass.

For our music video we wanted to film glass smashing, however this would raise safety issues as it could harm us in the process of smashing it. We needed a solution to overcome this issue. Through research, we discovered something called sugar glass which turned out to be a good alternative to using real glass to smash. Sugar glass is commonly used in films/music videos as it is safer to use, easy to make and cheaper than using real glass. Sugar glass is made by using basic household ingredients and heating them up to make a gooey mixture which then needs to be left to cool down, resulting in a solid sheet.

We used this link to inform ourselves about the sugar glass making process:
http://www.wikihow.com/Make-Sugar-Glass

Piecing footage together.

As we have finally picked out the footage that we definitely want for our video, we decided to follow the storyboard and arrange it accordingly on the Final Cut Pro editing timeline. This has now given us a basic template that we can work around and shape. Every lesson and in our free's we plan on consistently editing our footage to a high professional standard. In order to help us produce an effective piece of work, we will constantly ask our teachers and peers for feedback on how we can improve our music video bit by bit. We hope to add lots of cuts that flow with the pace of the music and lyrics and any other interesting effects that we an apply to the video through editing.

Lesson 18/09/14

In today's lesson we went through all of the footage that we had filmed and we decided on which footage we are definitely going to use for editing and we organised it in to a folder for easy accessibility. We also began editing the beginning part of our music video. This is the shot of the camera tracking Kitty walking down some steps. As we want our video to be in black and white, we colour graded the footage and changed the saturation levels to achieve this urban effect of black and white. Also, we added a slow motion effect to the footage which really enhanced it and fitted well with the songs beginning instrumental. We researched how to do these effects on youtube which had very useful and informative tutorials.

Changing the saturation of the footage( to black and white)

This video showed us how to create a slow motion effect.

Music video locations

For our music video we decided to use a variety of locations to shoot our footage on and when the time comes to editing we will decide what parts of the footage we will use and combine the different footage from the different locations to make sure the video will be full of variation. We decided to use a subway which had interesting lighting, a studio and woods.

Conventions of indie music videos.

As the genre of our chosen song is indie, before filming we thought that it would be helpful to research in to the conventions of this genre.

Live performances are very common within music videos of the indie music genre. With live performance music videos, a lot of attention and focus can be paid on the artist or band who is singing. By focusing on the artist/band, the emotion they are feeling and showing can be recognised and appreciated in more detail and the fans/audience may feel more at one with the artist and their special genre of music. Live performances intertwined with a narrative within indie music videos are also very common to see, this is usually done to break up the video so that there are more visuals to simulate imagination and emotion, yet audiences are not completely detached from the main focus which is the artist or band. The narrative within the video may not follow a particular story but may just feature shots of random visuals, sometimes abstract, for example a blurred person arguing with someone perhaps. The narrative will be linked in some way to the mood of the song though.
The music video for 'Nightcall' by London Grammar our chosen artist features a live performance and a narrative intertwined with eachother and the music video is very effective and clever in what it shows.

Here is the video for it: 

In terms of mise en scene, indie artists and bands tend to have their own unique look to them and this can be established through their choices of location, their outfits, lighting and props that are used. For example, in London Grammar music videos, the band tend to wear clothing that is vintage and simple, so not very much emphasis is placed on their clothing but more attention is paid to Hannah Reid (vocalists) voice and the emotion that the band are expressing as they are singing. In terms of location in indie music videos, they tend to be set in places such as parks, halls, studios and subways. They are usually filmed in these locations due to the video having quite a low budget. However, the artist can enhance the locations in many different ways so that they do not look as standard. Quite commonly, indie music videos are likely to contain some kind of instrument such as guitars and drums being played by the artist. It reflects the artists talent.

Low budget tunnel location.

Live instrument playing

In indie music videos, close-ups will be used in order to establish the artist but they may not be consistently used throughout the entire video because that would cause boredom upon some viewers. Therefore, a range of different camera shots and editing are used in indie music videos. For live performance videos, tilt and pan shots are commonly used to really capture the essence of the song and video and the atmosphere of the location. Effects such as black and white can be quite common in indie videos to make the videos appear older than they actually are to make the video seem more interesting and appealing towards audiences.

Filming

Our filming went well. We shot in two locations and got a good amount of footage to work with for editing. The footage that we shot in the subway was the best of the locations, in particular the tracking shot of Kitty walking towards the camera proved to be very effective and edgy. We ensured that we brought all the right props and equipment. However, we will need to go back and re-shoot some extra footage.

Risk assessment.

Having a risk assessment is an important thing to have discussed and prepared before filming because it outlines the potential risks and hazards that could occur while filming. It is supposed to help us decrease hazards and look at the ways in which we can overcome these if worse comes to worse. 

Here is our music video risk assessment: 

Public Insurance Form

The purpose of having a public insurance form was to show that we did have permission to be filming in public places incase anyone asks what we are doing. We ensured that we had this form with us when we were filming in public places.

This is the form:

Music Video Analysis - 'Chocolate' by The 1975

As our song choice for our music video is of the indie genre, I decided to analyse a video of the 1975 who create music which is of the same genre as London Grammar (chosen artist). I have learnt many conventions by analysing this video, which I hope to apply to my own music video, particularly the use of the black and white effect.


Background information on The 1975:
The 1975 are an English indie rock band which consists of four members; Matt Healy who is the main vocalist and guitar player, Adam Hann who plays the guitar, Ross Macdonald who does bass and George Daniel who plays the drums and contributes to vocals. They have released several EP's and one of their albums hit number 1 on the album chart in September 2013. The fact that their album reached number one means that they have a wide range of audiences who listen to their music, not just those who are interested only in the indie music genre. They are signed to  many record labels which are: 'Dirty Hit', 'Polydor UK', which are both British music record labels and 'Vagrant' and 'Interscope', which are American music record labels. The band have a significant feel to their music and style which makes them unique and an interesting band.


Lighting / Colour:
The music video has been edited in to a black and white format throughout because The 1975 are known to always have everything in black and white; their clothes are black and white, their pictures are, their artwork is and so are the majority of their music videos. This is done so that the band stands out significantly from other artists and so that the band are recognised in a specific way which they have control of. However, in this particular video the black and white effect establishes quite a dull atmosphere reflecting the nature of the song. The lighting does not enhance the 'high' of smoking marijuana but highlights the actual dependence that some people have on it and that it is not as amazing as everyone would think. The use of black and white also portrays a sense of being detached from reality which could be seen as a visual representation of the feelings that are felt while smoking marijuana.

In certain parts of the video, there is the use of spotlights upon the band members that make it only visible to see their silhouettes, this makes those particular shots more abstract and mysterious.

Silhouette created by using a bright spotlight- lead singer

Silhouette created by using a bright spotlight- all band members

Narrative:

Direct visual representation of smoking marijuana in the video.

The music video itself does not follow a particular narrative but portrays a vibe of just passing through life through featuring different concepts throughout such as driving in a car for what seems to be a long time due to the mood of the lyrics and visuals. The term 'chocolate' in this song symbolises marijuana and the lyrics are based around that kind of lifestyle. The lyrics: 'No we're never gunna' quit it, no we're never gunna' quit it no' are stating that there is no way of getting out of that lifestyle. The fact that the word chocolate is used to replace the word marijuana makes the song appear secretive, suttle and a lot less explicit by not directly singing of the drug. Some of the lyrics such as 'and my car smells like chocolate' are visually represented throughout the video, shots of the band in a car reflect this lyric. The lyrics also briefly mention a girl, who is most likely a lover to the main band member and the music video establishes a relationship between these people through the visuals. Further towards the end of the song, the lyrics are about getting away from the police otherwise they may get caught with their 'chocolate', this represents one of the negative aspects of being caught with marijuana and the lyrics state that they are very aware of that. The narrative of the lyrics also imply a sense of immaturity and hedonism, supporting the drug.

The band roaming in a car in the video

Mise-en scene: 

The video begins with a mid-shot that zooms towards the lead singer in some type of dark, isolated subway. You can tell that it is in a subway due to the large long LED lights, the brick wall and hand rail that it is included in the shot. This location makes it feel as if no one should really be there. The tone of the song however contradicts the visuals because the song is upbeat yet this location is dark and dingy. The arrangement of everything in the shot is very simplistic. 

Opening subway shot. 

In every mise en scene, the lead singer is present throughout signifying that he is of importance and is the main focus of what's occurring in the visuals. Also, the joint that he is smoking is in most location shots which highlights its focus.

Focus/emphasis on lead singer in car location.

There are several but few different locations that are used which are in a subway, car and studio. All the locations are basic but effective due to the set-up within them.

Location: In car

Location: Studio.

Location: Subway 

Costume and Props: 
The lead singer and the band wear simplistic black clothing throughout the video apart from some of the studio shots where the lead singer is shirtless. This style of clothing conforms to the indie genre as in most indie videos, costumes are not over-complicated, they are just simple. However, when the lead singer is shirtless with the girl in the studio shots, it reveals a more bare, vulnerable appearance in comparison to when he does have clothing on. This suggests that when he is with that girl he is more of a soft person and not trying to keep up the image of smoking marijuana. The most prominent prop throughout the music video video is his joint of marijuana which is significant in the narrative and the lyrics, showing how he does smoke it regularly. The overall costume look is that which the 1975 tend to wear in most of their media. 

Camera angles and shots / editing work: 

The video begins with a blurred out mid-shot, featuring the lead singer of the band and the camera is zooming in slowly further towards the lead singer as if the audience is just entering the narrative and video themselves. The angle of the camera makes it seem as if the audience is actually there watching him smoking, yet he is wrapped up in what he is doing. 

Blurred establishing mid shot at beginning of the music video.

The camera shots/angles in the car location would be expected to be a bit rocky due to the movement of the car but in this particular video, the camera produces a still smooth shot of the car driving. It seems as if the camera is attached right at the front of the car.

I think it is effective how there is the use of close-ups featuring the lead singer breathing out the smoke from his mouth and the camera really captures the detail of it.

Close up shot of smoke.

Close up shot of smoke.

I think that this particular shot is effective because the 360 degree shot emphasises each of the band members together and symbolises that they would not be the same if say one of them were not there.

 In terms of editing, there are quite a few shots, throughout  the whole video, but the shots are held for a while, not suddenly alternating quickly. I think that this is effective because it allows the viewer to look and see what is actually happening in the video. I like how that in the beginning of the video it changes from distant mid-shots to a close up shot when the lead singer begins to sing which gives some clear identity to who is singing. The editing in this video definitely contrasts with the editing in an upbeat mainstream pop music video for example.

Lyric Analysis of chosen song

Asking for artist permission

Due to the rights of our chosen song belonging to the artist, we had to seek permission from the band to use their song. We used different social media like Facebook and Twitter to do this as we thought it would be the best way to get in to contact with the band. However, the band still have not gotten back to us.

Test shots.

In order to get an idea of what type of shots we definitely want to be included in our music video, we went to our selected locations to practice filming. Test shots were extremely helpful in allowing us to visualise what our music video might turn out like.
Originally we were going to film at Denmark Studios but when we arrived at location we realised that the setting was not right for our video. We still filmed test shots with our selected artist there to ensure that our time was used wisely.
Our other location was at the subway, although our artist could not come to the test shots here, I was in the shots as a replacement, so we could still practice what shots we wanted to achieve.

Artist test shots at Denmark Studios:

Other test shots:

Mood board of ideas.

We created  a mood board to visually establish some of our key ideas and concepts that we wish to include in our music video when it comes to filming. By creating this mood board, it enables us to really think about what would definitely be effective in our music video and during planning our video, this will help us have a realistic view of some of the things that we can achieve.