My Input and experiences

. Before my group and i properly started the second filming stages, i felt that my stronger areas and atributes were in the filming. Daisy also felt this was her strong point so we focused more on the filming. On the day of filming Jasmine arrived later but she was still involved in the filming process by helping and giving her input into every shot but not physically filming things. Therefore jasmine felt that her strongest area was the editing. Jasmine has been able to do quite a large proportion of the editing but me and Daisy have always watched every editing session and expressed our views and ideas to jasmine as she went along. The editing has been and was done in a collective way through the ideas me and Daisy gave to jasmine and also to the error's or parts of the editing we felt weren't quite right. Overall, even though every job wasn't given to a specific person and taken in turns we all still  have had a say and an input and i felt this has really helped and worked with our groups different strengths and weaknesses.

.I felt that it has been really easy to work in a group with Jasmine and Daisy as we have all made descisions together and worked extremely well as a group.

Problems and Issues

Problems and Issues we as a group overcame:

- At the beginning, the first artist we decided to work with confirmed to be untrustworthy after the first couple of weeks of planning and asking to transfer over her songs and lyrics to us. As a result of this, we made a group decision to email Gabrielle Aplin's manager, asking for permission to use her song as our second option. Therefore we didn't use our first artist as we got permission to use Gabrielle's Aplin's song.

- The first filming day, Jasmine couldn't make it for the first couple of hours, so Daisy and I had to continue without her. Later on Jasmine finally joined us, and Daisy and I showed Jasmine what had been shot while she was not there.

- From the first day of filming, we noticed that we had changed our storyboard a bit as we filmed parts which didn't exactly portray the storyline told in the song. We overcame this deciding which parts weren't needed and cutting them out.

- The second filming day we had to film our artist's lip syncing. Daisy couldn't be there that day and I could only come for the last 2 hours of filming. This meant Jasmine had to control and deal with most of the filming. It was an easier experience for Jasmine this time round as she knew exactly what shots were needed to film.

- Our group used a different camera, which meant some problems arose uploading our footage onto Final Cut Express. We managed to overcome this by asking for help from our school technician.

Location Photos

 

Here are our location pictures from our location. We decided to use this specifically because of the autumnal colours of the leaves and tree's which we felt created a romantic setting for our couple to be in.

Editing No.2

So far the editing has gone really well from the romantic relationship parts of our couple and of the lip syncing of Jess. Although today we realised that out artist missed a word of the lyrics. Therefore to fix this problem we simply have just cut that part of the clip. Today me and Daisy also got a chance to experiment with different effects and transitions to add. A lot of the effects we felt didn't match what we were trying to portray in our story and editing so we felt that we didn't want to use them but we did experiment with transitions for particularly the end of the video. We decided to use a cross fade out to black which worked very well and finished off the video nicely.
 

Editing

Today as Jasmine's strength is editing she has taken the role of getting started on our editing. She has to started to lip sync a few of our chosen clips. Me and Daisy have been watching the whole process so we get to familiarise ourselves with how things will pan out.

Editing And Lip Syncing

Today my group and I have started editing our music video. All of our footage is uploaded including the song which we burnt onto a CD. Our song is 3 minutes and 23 seconds long, this means we will have to make sure all the footage and filming we are using will all add up to this exact time. We have also started lip syncing our artist's miming to the lyrics of the song and first impressions it looks good and is moving along very well.

Second day of filming

Today was scheduled for filming our lip syncing. i couldn't make it for part of the day but joined Jasmine later and Daisy wasn't able to make it. So Jasmine had to take the role of leading the filming until also came to help. Before this day we had all spoken as a group and discussed what shots and images we wanted for the lip syncing to fit in with our other footage of our couple. Jasmine felt more confident going into filming this time as she knew what was needed. When i was then able to join her later on in the day, we realised last minute that we needed a visual metaphor. But we overcame this and me and Jasmine came up with an idea to write i love you in leaves. We think it will looked good with the autumnal scenes and locations we used in our footage from before.

First day of filming

I have just come back from our first re-filming day. Myself and Daisy started the filming off as Jasmine couldn't make it to the first half of the day. We went to our chosen location whereby we completed a numerous amount of shots using our two actors Bethany and Ben. They both worked really well together and also with us helping us to create the picture we wanted. When Jasmine arrived later on that day she watched us controlling the camera first and then had a go herself to gain some experience.

Filming Schedule

Day 1 of Filming: The first location we are going to use is Hadley walkway/park and my house Ellie Muir, Marriott road.
Date: Saturday midday 10/11/12






Monday 12th of November:

After filming with our two actors and watching the footage back we realised we haven't stuck to our origional idea and storyboard so we have now scheduled another filming day whereby we can film Jess for our lip syncing but aslo to re film parts of Bethany so that we can correct our story and to also think about visual metaphors we can add in.

Day 2 of Filming: We will be using the same location as before because we want the artist to fit in with the narrative we've already gone by with our actors.

Date: Saturday midday 17/11/12

Shot List

Here is a brief plan of what we are planning on shooting in the upcoming weeks:

• low angle shots and mid shots of the couple messing around when walking through a park in the autumn
• high angle shots, wide shots and tracking shots of the couple kissing
• establishing shots of the Hadley walk way showing the autumnal setting
• close ups of their hands and faces as they are intimate
• wide shots of the couple moving around the park showing them in the autumn setting
• over the shoulder shots of both of the couple texting
• reaction shot showing the girl's facial expressions and emotions towards a text

Re-filming and Planning new filming dates and times

In the half term from the 26th of October to the 4th of November, Jasmine filmed some footage with our actors but unfortunatley me and Daisy couldn't be there so coming back to school we watched the footage and Jasmine said she found that she wasn't enitrley sure what we all wanted the shots and imagery to look like as we weren't all there to decide as a group, so she said it was difficult to direct our two actors so that they could create the situations/scenes we all wanted. So, collectively we discussed what would be the best option. Therefore i suggested using a connection of mine. My connection is my step dad and his friend, who have both worked in the media, tv and film business for a number of years. I then mentioned the project to my step dad and he contacted his friend Tom who then kindley agreed to let us use his equipment to film with.

We have now planned with my step dad and Tom and our actors a suitable time to meet for filming which will be on Saturday the 10th of November.

Risk Assessment

Location: Jasmine's House Risk Assessments

Re-filmed: New Risk Assessment for re-filming and new locations
Wednesday the 7th of November

Location	Possible risks to health and safety of you and the equipment	Avoidance strategies
Hadley walkway/park	<! . The camera equipment may be in the way and someone could trip over it, hurting themselves, and damaging the camera and other equipment. <! . This area can be especially dark at night, and as it is winter, it gets dark earlier, so it could get too dark for filming. <! . People frequently walk past, as it is a public area, so they could get in the way of some shots. <! . Outdoors is especially risky due to the weather being unpredictable. If it is raining the equipment could get wet, or if it is too windy the equipment could blow over and break.	<! . Make sure that when the camera equipment is not in use, it is put to one side and not in the middle of the path or grass, in order to avoid accidents. <! . Ensure that filming starts earlier so that it does not get dark when we film here. <! . Make sure that no one is around when filming, avoiding people getting in the way of the camera. <! . Assure that when we are filming outside, the weather is appropriate and dry, so that the equipment does not get damaged.
Ellie’s house on Marriott Road	<! . There is a possible risk of people getting in the way of the camera and the filming, as Ellie has a little brother, and two pets.	<! . Make sure they don’t get in the way by keeping the pets out of the room that we are filming in.

Storyboard

This is a short storyboard that my group created so that we could create a better understanding about what shots and scenes we wanted when filming:

Establishing shot- We will begin our music video with establishing shots of our setting which is going to be very rural, rustic and autumnal.

Two shots- We will then be creating lots of short two shot clips and scenes of a young couple who are in love and having a fun romantic relationship. We will show this through them kissing, play fighting, laughing, holding hands and much more.

Establishing the climax of the story through close ups of the phones- This will happen when there is a noticeable change in the rythm of the song, which becomes quite sad and slow paced. The narritive will move on through the male character texting the female character saying that he loves her and there will then be a shot of the females phone and her reaction to his message which is to panic and delete the message.

Single shots-  There will then be single shots/ mid shots of the two characters contemplating theirelationship and showing saddened and upset emotions towards the situation. This will then create a 'What happens next?' for the audience as for a moment this may portray a potential split between the couple.

Shots of the artist singing- Through the course of the music video our artist will be seen through various different shots, for example: close ups, mid shots, long shots, low angle shots and many more. The artist will be and sing in the same location as the actors so that she can portray the narrative of the couple to the audience. She will also portray a very reflective emotion whilst singing suggest of that the situation of the couple may have been something that she had experienced herself.

Coming together again- The music returns to its origional beat and pace and through the visual shots and scenes of the couple holding hands and kissing again will indicate there reunion.

 



Casting Ideas

My group and I have settled on the actors we will be using in our music video. We have decided on our two friends Bethany and Ben, who we think would be perfect for the role of the couple as they get along so well. They are both teenagers, which fits the target audience and they are extremely reliable and trustworthy to be in our coursework. They are the only two people who are going to be in the music video apart from our singer Jess who is also very dependable.

Post-It Note Shot Ideas

These are some ideas of shots that my group and I have drawn onto post it notes. They include images of the couple's relationship and also of our singer.

Pitch

Please Don't Say You Love Me- Music Video Pitch:

For our music video production me and my two group members have decided that the video will follow the story of a young couple and their realtionship. It will portray all the different things they do together and also the idea of unrequited love so that it ties in with the lyrics of the song which suggest this. We also want to create the feel of the 'artist' being involved in the music video and she will be seen in the background of scenes with the couple to seem like she is actually there. We also want to use shots of the actor with a guitar to create the look of acoustic music.

Peer Feedback Sheet

My group and I found this task extremely helpful as having other people look at our song and give us ideas and tips gave us another insight into creating ideas for the storyboarding and filming. A lot of people said to use a couple which we have now chosen two people who we think have great chemistry as friends to portray a couple relationship because we think it will come across realistic on camera as they get along so well. We have also taken into consideration ideas of activites for the couple to do because we would like to create a story for them to go along throughout the music video.

Target Audience Profile

 

Gender: Females

Personality: Understated, intelligent, goes to gigs (acoustic) and art galleries.

Age: 16-20

Abitions for the future: University ambitions, high status job or highly creative job.

Subjects done or doing: English, Textiles, History

Type of fashion: Quirky, unique- Beanies, bowler hats, elf shoes, geek glasses or stylish black and grey clothes and styles.

Food and drink: Wine- Sophisticated, Healthy foods- salads, panini's.

My group and I have created a target audience mind-map, to gather a better understanding of the particular audience that our song and music video will be aimed at.

Lyric Mood Board

The song that my group and I have chosen is a song by a UK artist named Gabrielle Aplin. The song of hers which we have chosen is called 'Please Don't Say You Love Me,' and it is about a relationship involving unrequited love. Here on this mood board we have gathered a further meaning of and analysed the lyrics to the song.

Proof Email

This is a screen shot of the email I sent to Gabrielle Aplin's manager, including his reply and confirmation. He approved and said that we would be able to use Gabrielle's song and that there were no problems with it.

The Auteur Theory

 Auteur Theory: In film criticism, auteur theory holds that a director's film reflects the director's personal creative vision. In spite of, and sometimes even because of, the production of the film as a part of an industrial process, the auteur's creative voice is distinct enough to shine through all kinds of studio interference and through the collective process.

Alfred Hitchcock:

Alfred Hitchcock was an English film director and producer. He's widly considered the master of suspense. Key elements of his style include: Cameo appearances in his films, use of his favourite actors like Grace Kelly, elongated suspense scenes and representations of the psychological. This means most people can tell that a film is made by Hitchcock. It is now considered to be correct that music videos and their directors can have auteurs in the same way. 

When auteur theory was being developed, Alfred Hitchcock was frequently acknowledged as the expert example, and his name brings to mind immediate expectations in terms of themes and techniques. As befit the master of mystery and suspense, his films play with the audience's nerves, sexually or tabooed areas assume central or implicit places in his work (the latent homosexuality of Strangers on a Train, the parody of an Oedipus complex in Psycho and the traumatic remembrance of repressed memories of Marnie), there is a constant element of black comedy, and frequent unusual characterisations. Hitchcock was influenced by the German Expressionists, and admired their ability to express ideas in purely visual terms. It is this visual expression of thought and psychology that Hitchcock achieves throughout his films.

Hype Williams:

                                          

Harold "Hype" Williams (born 1970), previously known as HYPE, is an American music video and film director.

Williams first displayed his work by tagging local billboards, storefronts, and playgrounds using HYPE as his graffiti tag. Williams' big break came when he began working with Classic Concepts Video Productions. Lionel "Vid Kid" Martin & VJ Ralph McDaniels created Williams' first opportunity with the "Filmmakers With Attitude" moniker (FWA), which was Williams' first video company.

Awards Williams has received for his video work include:

. Billboard Music Video Award for Best Director of the Year (1996)

 . Jackson Limo Award for Best Rap Video of the Year (1996) for Busta Rhymes' "Woo Hah!! Got You All in Check"

. NAACP Image Award (1997), the 8th annual Music Video Production Association Award for Black Music Achievement (1997)

. MTV Video Music Award in the Best Rap Video (1998) category for Will Smith's "Gettin' Jiggy wit It"

. MTV Video Music Award for Best Group Video (1999) for TLC's "No Scrubs"

. BET Award for Best Director (2006) for Kanye West's "Gold Digger".

Three of Hype Williams' Music Videos:

Kanye West: "All of the Lights" Ft Rihanna 2011

Will Smith: "Gettin' Jiggy Wit It" 1998

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3JcmQONgXJM

Jay-Z: "Empire State of Mind" Ft Alicia Keys 2009

Applying Goodwin's Theory to: Kayne West-Gold Digger

Goodwin's theory of music videos: Gold Digger by Kanye West Ft. Jamie Foxx.

 I looked at Goodwin's six features and applied each of these features to this music video:
1. Relationship between the lyrics and the visuals:

In the music video when Kanye West is rapping he says: “From what I heard she got a baby by Busta” In this specific example the lyrics are connected to visual on screen lyrics whereby a girl stands underneath them. This, referring to the audience the use of the word ‘she’ in the lyrics helping them to identify her.

Then in the music video when Kanye West continues to rap, he says "18 years, 18 years, she got one of your kids got you for 18 years, I know somebody paying child support for one of his kids." Whilst he is rapping this a little boy appears on screen in a red devil costume. This use of costume and colour in the mise en scene shows the sign of evil and represents a visual metaphor for the lyrics.

2. Relationship between the music and the visuals

At the very beginning of the video we see Jamie Foxx singing and then there is a fast paced beat that kicks in, with this it is edited in a quick flash of images. This is done within 1 or 2 seconds at 0.20-.0.22 into the video. There is also a number of times within the video were visuals are repeated as lyrics are repeated. The visuals are a collection of images of women with minimal clothing and are shown really quickly as there are a number of the images. One of the images is a woman wearing extreme green eye make-up, which conveys a jealous, money-greedy look in her eyes. The idea that it represents the conception of wealth and money suggests the title of the song ‘Gold Digger’ and this is people who seek for money and expenses in other people.

3. Genre characteristics:

The genre of "Gold Digger" is put into the categories of R&B/Hip Hop, but slightly sides more with R&B as is noticeable through the beats of the music and the lyrics. Some of the typical conventions of R&B and R&B music videos are connected with partying and dancing in clubs or in general. And also a convention which I feel is one of the biggest and most common convention is the portrayal of women and their body parts which noticeably almost always are sexually referenced.

 

4. Intertextual reference:

Throughout the music video, the audience are given short snippets of women on the front of male magazines. The texts on the magazine give a suggestion of men’s perceptions of the women’s bodies saying that they are ‘red hot’ and ‘fresh hot’ signifying that the women have good bodies.

 

5. Demands of the record label:

In the music video Kanye West can be recognised through a specific trade mark of his. In parts of the music video there are mid shots of Kanye West dancing and it is noticeable that half of the shirt he is wearing is tucked into his trousers and the other half of it is hanging out. This is something he does in a lot of his other music videos as a way of creating a trade mark sign for his audience and also artist competition to look out for.  

6. Notions of looking:

The women in this music video are sexually referenced through the lyrics of the song and also visually through the video. They are used as an imagery of sexual connotations which then becomes a way of promotion of the music video to specifically male audiences.