Planning > Storyboard

These are the storyboards for our mini music production, we have drawn up a rough plan of the different shot types that we will use and the actions in which the actor will follow. We have kept the storyboards basic as to allow for improvisation, when we film our final peice we will more than likely add more than the shots featured above.

A2 Mini Production - Music video

For our A2 final production we will be creating a music video to the song of our choice. As a warmup to this we were told we had to create a 1 minute music video and Cd cover for the specific song in which we were given. My group was given a song 'Act nice and gentle' by the band 'The black keys'.

For help when creating our video i have looked at 3 different types of genre for a music video these were:

- Narrative - Tells the story of the song, almost like a mini film
- Abstract - Contains similar conventions to the previous type of music video, but takes it to the next level with the use of unrelated images to reinforce it's message.
- Performance - usually shows the band playing live for example; at a gig or studio

looking at these video's has helped give me newers ideas that i could include on my piece.

Research > Music Video's

For our A2 media production we are required to create a music video, therefore i am going the analyse the following 3 music video's.

The 3 genre's of music i will be looking at are
- Performing
- Abstract
- Narrative

OASIS - Rock 'n' Roll Star
http://www.contactmusic.com/videos.nsf/stream/oasis-rock-n-roll-star//
For the performing genre of music i have chosen 'Rock 'n' Roll star' by Oasis. The Video begins with a wide array of different images that flicker across the screen almost unrecognisable, the camera then cuts to a close up of the lead singer of the band surrounded by dark lighting the only visible lighting is that from the strobe lighting that features on stage. There is then an onslaught of a range of different unconventional camera shots including; zooming in and out, the camera swinging as though it's on a string. These shots put together is such away helps portray the sense of movement as though you are a member of the crowd, i think this is a strong requirement when filming a music video based on performance. With the range of different shots used the colour in which the camera shots are filmed varies this would have been done using editing, there is a shot of the crowd filmed in black and white, this represents a memory as though you would be able to remember the performance for the rest of your life, it portrays a memory of the crowd. Throughout the whole performance piece the camera is constantly moving again highlighting the sense of movement felt by the crowd, it draws you in a one of the crowd members. The following shots consist of memories of each band member, it gives you an insight into the mind of each band member what they are thinking about whilst performing it keeps their mind at rest in a happy place. As the camera shots cuts to another scene one that is not on stage the image shown on screen in supported by the lyrics of the song for example 'i live in the city, and there's no easy way out' images shown screen support these lyrics there a flash shot of a city and there is a shot of 'noel on a go-kart' representing no easy way out also the shot of the go-kart is re-used again to support the lyrics of the song this time though to coincide with the line 'and the days are to fast for me'. The title of the song 'Rock 'n' Roll star' is also supported by the images shown, whilst the band are performing the camera cuts to a variety of different shots giving you an insight into their life into the life of a 'Rock 'n' Roll star'.

KASABIAN - Fire
www.contactmusic.com/videos.nsf/stream/kasabian-fire
For the narrative style of a music video i have chosen to look at 'Fire' by kasabian. Throughout the video there are many camera shots such as the ones seen in film they seem to follow the same conventions for example at the start there is an establishing shot that sets the scene of a western themed bank robbery, many other shots featured that are similar to that of film are; long shots, close ups, reaction shots and point of view shots, these once emerged together help to create an effective narrative to coincide with the song. The opening shots are of the lead singer looking into a reflective window where the camera cuts to many other shots representative of flashbacks. As the band are featured on screen the lead members of the band are identified clearly in the positions in which they are stood the lead singer is always at the front of the shot making it clear to the audience who it is, interestingly the band members play the characters in the video this is not always the case with most music video's. Once there has been a shot of each member of the band there is then another establishing shot of a bank where the band enter. Once inside the bank the camera is filmed from a CCTV point of view and the scene is 'edited-on-the-beat'. Mise-en-scene is cleverly used in this video in the shape of guitars used to represent guns and the money is in the shape of musical notes, this now adds a new element to the narrative now it's not that their stealing money but that they are stealing music for the people almost reverting them from bad guys to good guys. When the beat of the song becomes less intensified the camera cuts back to the original shot of the lead singer peering into a reflective window, the use of the shot filmed as a reflection helps to portray the characters emotions as he is running through his memories. As the music reaches the climax and there is a gap in the words used there are many different cuts to shots that speed along the narrative, the fast paceness of the beat helps intensify the scene along with the arrival of the police and the fact that the characters are fleeing the scene. When the song comes to the end there is a shot of the bag filled with musical notes the bag rips open and the notes fly from out of the bag representing that music is dying.

A-HA - Take on me

www.contactmusic.com/videos.nsf/stream/a-ha-take-on-me
The third and final music video i chose was for the genre abstract it features a video from A-ha called 'take on me'. It starts with a point of view shot from the perspective of a woman reading a comic strip in a cafe, as she progresses through the different frames of the comic you as an audience are introduced to what become the main characters of the music video production. There are then many more shots of what appears to be a comic strip the camera here starts off at a close up of the eyes of a character on the page and zooms out from them to reveal the rest of the scene. As the dialogue starts to begin the camera cuts to numerous shots of the different comic strip frames which shows the taking place of a race in still, the way in which the images look as though they are cutting in from the side make it seem as though the camera is shot as a point of view with you as the viewer reading through the comic. There is also another scene taking place in this video of a women in a cafe and we see a low angle shot of her from the view of the comic. The establishing shot used then portrays you the environment of which she is in, the camera then cuts again to a point of view shot where you see the comic characters appear to move breaking away from the convention, verisimilitude, continuing with this the camera cuts back and forth to extreme close-ups of the women and then the male featured as the comic character the use of the fast paced cutting represents the connection the women is feeling with the male character. Clever editing is then used in the form of CGI, the hand of the cartoon character emerges from out of the comic and takes hold of the female as result she is then dragged into the world of a comic, whilst the hand is emerging the camera cuts to a point of view shot from the female highlighting rest of the cafe and they seem unaware of the hand, portraying the view that what she is seeing is in her head creating the sense of confusion. Once in the cartoon world the camera is shot as a two shot containing the man and women, Editing is used again as the male cartoon character is shot as though he is looking at the magazine where the women once was and it is him who is now the real human figure representing the changing of the two worlds and this is supported again when the camera rotates around the comic frame with the characters of either side trying to get to each other. More editing is used once the band members make an appearance of screen the faces of each member are real and the bodies are cartoon. As the song 's musical interlude begins the camera cuts in and out from the comic book scene's to the cafe scene's again representing the two different worlds and the scene is of a chase which is backed up by the fast paced upbeat soundtrack to help create tension. Editing on the beat is used when the female escapes back to the real world and the male featured in the comic is filmed breaking free. More editing is again used highlighting the change of the man from a cartoon character to a real person, the quick paced changing of shots intensity's the situation and creates the sense of emotion and struggle. Overall i think this is a very effective video the title of the song 'take on me' is suited well the the video as it shows the main character who is the main band member being 'taken on' by people at the start in the race and then in the chase scene.

Research > CD Covers

This is the first album i have decided to take a look at it is the new album from the band 'kasabian' called 'West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum'. It's a very unusual cover from others i have seen, each member of the band are featured wearing a historical piece of clothing, i think that the chosen items are specifically chosen by each member of the band to help portray their inner personality, for example one is seen wearing an item representative of Napoleon therefore it portrays them as quite a fiery figure. The band is enclosed in dark lighting to give the representation of an eerie scene they all seem as though they are hiding something. The band are all looking into a mirror i believe this has been done as it portrays how the individuals see themselves again reflecting their inner person. Finally the only writing featured on the front cover is that of the band's name 'KASBIAN', this is featured at the bottom on the case in a dark red colour that blends into the rest of the scene it's as though the writing is meant to be there with them as opposed to being just a print. One thing that is quite surprising is that the cover doesn't feature the name of the album, this is a good way to draw in customers, the scene helps grab the attention and the fact that the album name isn't there makes the customer want to look further into it.

The second album cover i decided to look at was 'Costello music' from the band 'Fratellis' this Cd cover features 3 ladies and a record player, this design is alot more simpler than the one seen in kasabian however i still think it has alot of appeal. The scene featured on the cover represents that of an older time period i.e. 1940's therefore it immediately gives you some inkling of to the genre of music you are purchasing, however the use of the 3 ladies drinking gives a more different impression that of a more fun, exciting genre, the overall look of the scene gives the look of a relaxed atmosphere that of which again relates to the style of music. The name of the band and title of the album are shown standing out to the rest of the images and background, this works well as again it becomes an important factor and can help draw in the audience and make the customer want to purchase it.

The third cover i have chosen is from the record breaking band 'OASIS', the Cd is called 'Dig out your soul' i think this along side the image works really well as the image is of a hand 'digging out' a drum that of which is representing the soul also the way in which it is shown to be exploding i think portrays the need to relight their spirit, i also think that the use of a drum in the middle could be representing a heart as it is the centrepiece of the cover containing the name of the Cd. Surrounding the centerpiece there are numerous other images and objects placed together as a collage, the images come together to form an abstract piece of artwork, i think there are numerous images as they portray the inner side of a person i.e they are images that relate to them (their soul) i think that this Cd is aimed people who like to be different and with array of abstract images then they can relate to the Cd. I also realised that there is a newspaper cutting containing lyrics from one of the songs that is featured on the Cd. Interestingly enough the name of the band is not featured unlike the Cd's featured before, therefore i think that they are aiming at a specific niche target audience who follow the band and are therefore already aware of the album.