Evaluation Question One

Evaluation Question Two - Voiceover

Final Album Release Poster

Evaluation Question Four

Evaluation Question Three Written

What did you learn from your audience feedback?

The feedback I got from my video was mainly positive, and varied at different points in the production process. Near the beginning in response to my pitch and treatment, comments were mainly positive, however some issues did come up that reflected the nature of the storyline. One thing in particular was whether the plot line was too crowded, throwing attention over the relationship between the main character and her boyfriend seemed to be a bit much, and so when I revised my ideas onto a storyboard, I lessened the emphasis on him as character and instead focused more strongly on the effects of her disorder and how she is dealing with the situation she is in rather than the narrative that leads up to this. It is a music video after all and not a film text.

Later on in the process, the feedback I received cemented my own feelings about a few things, mainly the initial opening. There is a minute long introduction to the song which builds up very gradually, and so I cut it down as much as possible, however I was still left with some difficult time to fill. To begin with, my opening was somewhat arduous, as I had one single shot for the entirety of it, where the only movement was it slowly zooming in on the couple in bed from a birds eye angle. Feedback confirmed that it was not an effective technique, and suggestions were made in order to improve it. The feedback that I received caused me to split various shots into sections and to work them into the beat, switching between cuts to black and snappy frames of my character switching between her emotions. 

In order to improve further, I posted a rough cut version of my video on YouTube and requested more comments. Suggestions were made to slightly alter the timing of the shots at the beginning, as they were not quite in time. I also evened out the desaturation on the laughing shots and made the effect more obvious in contrast to the duller, sad frames.

I also produced a version of the video wherein I included a camcorder effect on a few shots of the performer, however, it never made it into my final cut due to reflection and feedback. The idea was that in the three shots where the performer isn't looking into the camera, the add-on could make it look as though she's being seen through the eyes of the producer. This was just an idea that I thought could make a link between the audience and the star, as it removes her from the artificial scenario and puts her back in the same world as the audience. It was intended to make her feel more real. “There aren’t many shots of that nature so it just looked a bit cliche” - verbal feedback.

Some final changes that I made were to switch out the opening shot of the actress lying on the bed for two of her laughing with reduced speed. I much preferred these to the original because it lead the audience to expect a happy theme through the video, whilst the colour balance could be interpreted to suggest something darker. The effect I chose to use in differentiation of the two emotions was very high-key and partially desaturated. I kept my colour correction consistent, and made sure to ask the viewers of the video whether it came across as effective to them, which thankfully, it did.

The main issues that were brought up by viewers of the video were luckily all easy fixes, simple things such as balancing the colour correction and changing the timing on shots. Similarly, in my ancillary products, the feedback showed that it was just small tweaks needing to be made, such as text sizing, placement and font consistency. Here are some of the things said to me about my first drafted tour poster;

- "Some text is difficult to read where it blends into the shadowed side of her face." - lighten the ends of words?

- The text may look better were it lined up and justified

- "Use the negative space" - keep blank the area above her, where she is looking to imply space

- "Keep the text in two chunks so that it doesn't come across scrapbook-y"

- "The font is all the same, and all the same size, some variation would make it more interesting to look at" 

Although the general consensus about my tour poster was positive, there were some concerns raised that it wasn't particularly eye catching, and so when it came to my digipack and album release poster, I was careful not to fall into the same trap.

Evaluation Question Three

I chose to use the annotation tool on YouTube in order to create a visual version of my evaluation question.

Evaluation Question Two Written

How effective is the combination of your main and ancillary texts?

When I was designing each of the elements for my ancillary products, I was careful to consider correlation between each of them, consistency to my theme, and features which would appeal to my target audience. 

I asked people who fell into my target demographic, what they would expect to see on the front of an album cover or on a poster, and the main responses that I got were; “something alternative, arty, something that would stand out to me but not necessarily because it’s covered in colour or shocking cartoons”; “keep it simple and chilled out”; “something different, something that reflects the ideas in the video”. 

My original plan was to use Maria as the ‘poster girl’ for all of my texts, as she was my performer in the video- this was a clear idea to jump to, however, I was unable to collaborate with her for a photoshoot due to locations and timings, and so I had to use a completely new model. This is something that I would change were I to do it again, but none the less I am more than happy with the results I got. When it comes to the two posters there is a clear difference in tone. The tour poster is very different to the album release poster, and yet both of them relate back to my digipack, which in turn, relates back to my video. The overall theme of my music video was very clinical, whitewashed almost, and so I replicated the mise-en-scene in my photoshoot by having my model wear very casual clothes, and by using very bright, white, directional lighting just as I did in the main product. The style of photography used reflects the mood of a lot of the songs on the album, there is a running theme of emotional detachment if you read between the lines, and this was something which I endeavoured to use as a base for my products. 

Additionally, a concept which I planned on exploring right at the beginning of my video was the idea of ‘old school’ 3D image layering. Using red and blue toned layers in order to create a quirky, alternative effect. The idea was that it would not only reflect the nature of the genre codes I am conforming to- I have mentioned in an earlier evaluation question the use of light and effects used to create a warped or distorted ambience, but would also tie in to the idea of the character in the video and her two sides of emotions. Two personalities almost. Equally, it would play into the underlying theme of emotional detachedness. I chose to use this effect on my album release poster, as it gave opportunity to really catch onlookers’ eyes and advertise the band as a whole, not just for the single album. 

I think that all of my final products work together well due to the consistency in theme and how it ties in with the mood of many of the songs on the album, songs such as Lisbon and Turn too Dust have very similar codes within them to the song I made the video for, and just as the album tracks tie in together, the ancillary products do as well. Saying this, there are a few bouncier, more pop-rock based songs such as You’re A Germ, Freazy and Bros, thus, I felt that a slight variation in aesthetic would be a good idea- hence the differing posters. The idea of the blue band running across the album design is a way of creating a house style almost, I used a semi opaque blue due to it’s calming and serene nature, in order for it to play into the hands of indie fans.

Evaluation Question One Written

In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products? 

During my research for the project, I watched a lot of music videos within the indie-pop genre, including Palma Violets, Nirvana and The Wombats, alongside Wolf Alice, the band I am using for my video. The main points highlighted by the videos which I watched were that indie rock videos often; included elements of distortion in terms of light and editing; used techniques in order to create an alternative atmosphere; and that only fifty percent of the time included live band performance, while most of them did include fragmented pieces. E.g. just the singer, or single members of the band in random/remote locations.     Firstly, lighting came across as very important in the majority of the videos I watched, as it allowed for undertones to be set within the atmosphere. Often, lighting alone was used in order to create a slightly “off-looking” ambience, where there was a sense of something being not quite right. Equally, such techniques were used as a nod towards being under the influence, for example, in the video for 1996 by the Wombats, where a mixture of low key, house-party-style lighting and strobe or disco effects were used alongside blue and green hues to back up the hints of being under the influence shown by the mise-en-scene. As a result of this research, I chose to light my video in a very high-key manner, with bright, white lights that gave off an almost clinical feel. A way in which my video subverts the genre conventions is that it was, as previously mentioned, very high key. This is often not the case with videos of this nature, because of the darker themes that run through the music and the videos, but I wanted to produce a more cinematic piece, one that would effectively get across the concept of struggling with issues such as bipolar disease or multiple personality disorder. I wanted to use a much brighter lit set so that the contrast between her happiness and her distress was clearer to see. One theorist in particular, whose theories were reflected clearly within this idea, is Claude Levi-Strauss, who talks about the use of binary opposites within media texts. For example, in film, the juxtaposition of good vs evil, and in the case of my own music video, the happiness vs sadness, shown through the use of lighting, hue, and contrast altering effects post-filming.     Secondly, something that I noticed was that often, depending on band preference, there wasn’t a heavy influence on live performances in front of crowds or on stage, often, there were simply shots of the singer, sometimes there was no reference to the band performing at all, as in The Wombats’ video for Just give Me  try. The video only includes three shots of the band themselves, they are not in a musical or studio setting at all, but just sat casually as a group while the lead singer lip synchs a line in the chorus. There is one shot near the beginning of a character within the video actually lip synching a line. This was where the original concept for the clip in my video where the actress lip synchs the lyric “slowly I could die” came from. I chose a line that related well to the point I was trying to make with what she was feeling, and had her sing it into the camera instead of my performer. 

Album Release Poster

Final Tour Poster

Poster feedback

Feedback notes:

- "Some text is difficult to read where it blends into the shadowed side of her face." - lighten the ends of words?

- The text may look better were it lined up and justified

- "Use the negative space" - keep blank the area above her, where she is looking to imply space

- "Keep the text in two chunks so that it doesn't come across scrapbook-y"

- "The font is all the same, and all the same size, some variation would make it more interesting to look at"

First Draft Of Tour Poster

This was the first draft of my poster. Initially, I was pleased with the general design concept; the image and the presence of tour dates, but there was clear feedback on certain aspects.

Problems Encountered

It took three filming sessions in order to get all of the shots I needed. One problem that I faced was the availability of my performance actress, in that I had only one evening in which to capture all of the lip synching. This situation was helped by the fact that I was only filming in one location, however it meant that both myself and the model had to be well organised. Another problem which lead on from this was the facts that Maria kept tripping up on the lyrics, in order to deal with this and ensure that we did not waste too much time, I got the lyrics up on a laptop screen and made sure they were easily readable and only during the shots where she wasn't looking at the camera. 

Final Digipack

Album Cover Feedback

Album Cover Drafts

Final Cut Of Video

This is the final cut of my video. Some last minute changes that I made were to switch out the opening shot of the actress lying on the bed for two of her laughing which I reduced the speed on. I prefer these to the original because it leads the audience to expect a happy theme through the video, whilst the colour balance could be interpreted to suggest something darker. The effect I chose to use in differentiation of the two emotions was very high-key and partially desaturated.

From the first rough cut, I acted on some audience feedback. Suggestions were made to slightly alter the timing of the shots at the beginning, as they were not quite in time. I also evened out the desaturation on the laughing shots and made the effect slightly more prominent.

This effect never made it to a final cut, as audience feedback showed that is wasn't particularly effective. The idea was that in the three shots where the performer isn't looking into the camera, this add-on could make it look as though she's being seen through the eyes of the producer. This was just an idea that I thought could make a link between the audience and the star, as it removes her from the artificial scenario and puts her back in the same world as the audience. It was intended to make her feel more real, however, "as there aren't many shots of this nature, it just looked a bit cliche." - spoken feedback.

Rough Cut - Fixed Audio

Fixed audio.

Issues With Filming

In my initial storyboard, the idea for the long introduction was to have a long, wide angle shot looking down on a couple sleeping in bed. The idea behind the shot was that it would show a distance between the main character and the rest of her life, were she to be lying awkwardly and with great distance between herself and her partner. However, there were several problems with capturing this shot.

First of all, it was very difficult to get the camera at the correct angle due to the fact that I had to hold it at arms length and so I couldn't see the shot as I took it. This added a lot to the filming time of our first filming session. The second problem I encountered was an issue with camera stability. It was practically impossible to keep the camera steady for long enough, and when I did manage, my actors struggled to stay still long enough themselves. The way I chose to get around this was to take a still from the shot and stitch it together multiple times.

First Rough Cut

After uploading my first completed rough cut of my video to YouTube, I noticed that the audio was very poor quality. Although it took some time to work out what the issue was, I lowered the levels of the audio to remove the crackling. 

Revised filming schedule

My revised production schedule is as follows. These are the designated filming dates, within which I must try and get all of my filming done. I only have one evening with my performer so we must be very productive.

1st December - rough cut

11th December - final cut and ancillary / poster / CD package

14th December - screenings

25th January - final deadline

Dolly Zoom Test

Although it wasn't in my original plan, I thought that a dolly zoom may be very effective within the context as it would present ideas of distortion, and heavily suggests a spinning head or dizziness which could fit in very effectively with the concept of her struggling to keep on top of what's inside her head.

I didn't use a tripod for the test shots which was clearly a mistake, as there is a strong camera shake throughout. I feel as though the deep green background worked well in contrasting my actress' pale complexion and the washed out nature of the shot, all in all I felt as though the shot could have been very effective. 

Test Footage - Outside Concept

Here is some test footage I put very roughly to the music. During the filming of these shots, I decided that it would be more effective to have the entire video filmed in the same location, in order to hint at the concept of her being trapped within her own mind, however I was curious to see if the shots I had taken were effective regardless. 

Filming Dates

Main dates for filming. These are the dates I have set aside to film the bulk of my video, on top of this  there will be two or three evenings of shooting extra clips for the lip sync parts.

Lighting plan

-Two continuous white lights

-One reflector

Light directly in front of actress / model to illuminate face

Light slightly from above or below - depending on mood of shot - in order to illuminate surroundings - creates clinical feel.

Reflector to cast subtle illumination from behind model, provides 'halo' and increases definition, makes subject stand out from background and prevents everything blending into one.

Shot List

After planning my video in a storyboard, it has become clear that due to the fact that I'm keeping the entire video, a lot of the shots are very similar. In order to avoid a sense of repetition and stop it from becoming boring, I have planned a list of shots in order to increase the variety and simultaneously conform to music video conventions.

-Variation of close ups and mid shots of performer.

-All shots follow general rule of getting closer in as the video progresses.

-Film from different perspectives depending on room space.

-Variation of angles, especially with the actress

     -Low angle shot of her throwing pillow over the camera

     -Extreme close up of performer to create a synthetic relationship between the star and the audience, direct eye contact with camera is important

     -Some shots of performer not looking into the lens- makes it feel as though the audience have been let in on their life, creates a synthetic relationship

     -When the actress is swallowing the tablets and drinking, the shots should be at a consistent distance, however angles can alter

     -Equal amount of close up aggressive shots to close up laughing shots 

Copyright

It was very difficult to access contact information for the record label Dirty Hit, and in the end all I could find was a general email address. I sent a brief email explaining what I am doing and requested their permission to use the track.

Risk Assessment

Risks -

Light bulbs get very hot and will be very close to models' faces

Ensure that lights are switched off between filming so as not to over heat. Ensure that the lights are not too close to models' skin.

Wires will need to track across room in order to provide balanced lighting - trip hazard

Tape wires down where necessary, tuck them out of the way, make sure everyone present is aware of them.

Items being thrown could be hazardous 

Extreme caution when throwing items towards the camera specifically as there will be people standing behind it. Make sure that the actress has a safe place to aim.

Glass bottles lying around floor and bare feet

No broken glass, any particularly thin or flimsy bottles should be on the table rather than the floor. No empty cans to be placed on the floor as they can be very sharp.

Consent

Both of my models were over 18 at the time of filming, so there was no need for parental consent, however I requested official consent from both of them before we began filming in order to make sure that there would be no issues later on in the project.

Pitch

Prop List

Cigarette - not to be shown smoking however it would be implied by a puff of vapour and the cigarette butt being extinguished.
Glass bottles or wine glasses - to imply an alcohol issue
Pills- scattered around bedside?
Books, photos, sentimental items - photo frames - to be thrown in anger or distress

Market Research - Survey Results

 All of my respondents were 17 which means that I can't analyse my answers for target audience age/ maturity, as they're all the same age and technically therefore fall into at least one degree of the intended demographic. Furthermore, some of them went on to say that indie rock was among their favourite music genres. These answers were the most interesting to me as they were likely to reflect some of the expectations of the planned audience.

The purpose of this question was to try and fish out some of the things that make music videos tick with my target audience.

The majority of respondents ticked that an abstract style was the best form of video to view, although, only 11 people took part in my survey so this can't be necessarily classed as conclusive.

This question is fairly self explanatory and just hi lights a few things that should possibly be avoided, or at least worked with very carefully. For example, the unnecessary sexualisation of dancers and people with no ends to provide anything for the meaning other than to be attractive.  

This question was interesting, and showed that there was a clear expectation of performance in an indie rock video, but also "reasonably abstract narrative." 

Effects Tester 1

The location of my test shots wasn't ideal, so I played around a bit with filters that would add to the outcome of my edit. I also just wanted to test the quality of the tone altering effects and research which of them may be of use later on in my project.

Lip Sync Test

This is not the song I am using for my music video, however I chose to use it in order to test Alice's ability to really sing into the camera. The test was purely to make sure that my performer would be comfortable in front of the camera. I used the opportunity to briefly play around with the editing techniques, but I'm not completely happy with how that particular element turned out as I didn't have a good enough diversity of shots to work with.

Due to limited time, I only filmed from a few angles, these were the best three and the three I chose to work with. I didn't like the location or the tone of shot at all, and the camera lacked a manual exposure function so her face was often incredibly over-exposed in some of the other shots, I put them in black and white not to simulate the tone of my video itself but to make it come across in a  slightly more sophisticated manner.

Costume List

I've taken inspiration from this Disclosure video where there is a very clear contrast in the differing of the character at the start and at the end of the video. Here, the two shots are very similar, same location, same pro(an)tagonist, but her clothing has changed alongside her manner. There is a clear change from the Goddess-like robe she wears at the beginning of the video and the black, wet look leather and bold red lip she transforms into at the end.
Although I would don't want the performer to entirely change outfit as the song progresses, but her clothes will become visibly more worn down and casual, a sleeve slipping off her shoulder as she sings for example.

List:


Performer:
Casual clothes, leggings, loose t-shirt/shirt, no shoes- socks-  she is meant to look casual, representation of target demographic - meant to appear relatable.


Actress:
Pyjamas or slacks. Made to appear scruffy, under dressed but comfortable to fit the juxtaposition of the emotions she is feeling.

Edit Ideas

Using some general test footage I have scanned through all of the available preset effects and filters, I don't want to overly rely on these but I feel that a few of them in moderation could really add to my video. One answer on my questionnaire actually hi-lighted the overuse of filters and effects which has confirmed my initial thoughts on the subject. 

This particular effect I feel really fits with the genre I'm working in. Indie pop and rock culture both follow similar ideologies to some extent, pursuing the almost trance-like atmospheres linked with the experiences of seeing the band play live and up close. There is a heavy focus on the sound itself and the emotion being put into the music, however there is also emphasis on the feelings and experiences surrounding the effects of the music. Often this involves filming and editing techniques that are not only of retro style but also quite surrealistic. The "BadTV" effect on Final Cut Pro X offers up a really effective style, maybe flashes of something like this over the performance elements would add to the Indie "vibe," as it almost replicates the feel of being in a live crowd in front of strobe lighting.

The existing video for Palma Violets - Step Up For The Cool Cats provides a good example of this style of thinking, and throughout uses a moderately similar technique. Looking at it closely it would appear that this is not post production but instead was just the initial footage re-filmed through a second screen. This is definitely an idea I will test some shots out for and revisit.

Recce - Location Shots 1

I asked a few people that I know very well to provide some preliminary shots of a few locations I was considering for different sections in the video. These first two  photos I'm not too sure about as the room appears very snug and homely, almost too relaxed. Also, while there is room to film in, there is a lot of window space which I would need to be careful about if I chose to film here with regards to the windows' reflections.

Lyric Plan

Mise-en-scene

Lighting

- I have thought very carefully about how I am going to light the scenes that I plan on filming in my video, and in order to facilitate the often dark locations I would like to try and use, (the sunset) I am going to use my three continuous studio lights. I may also use a flash bulb which I could use to create a subdued strobe-like effect when filming close up on faces. I also have an idea for a shot which would involve setting up the performer(s) in front of car headlights, where  lights would be needed in front of them out of shot in order to keep them from being silhouetted.

Setting

Performance:   -Standing in front of their car parked in front of a church?
                        -A few lines filmed in a studio environment - the pit? my studio?
                        -Generic outside space at the beach
                        -Kept in the same room as actress? To portray sense of being trapped within her mind?

Narrative:       -White washed bedroom, double bed, white sheets, as empty as possible.
                        -The beach - sunset

Props
- Cheap glass bottles/ glasses for her to smash in anger - to signify her having been drinking - his side of the bed is clean
-Real bottles
-Pills
-Items to throw - photos, books, bedding

Costume
Within my video it is important that I differentiate between the two main 'characters.' 

- The performer- who needs to convey the genre conventions and implied emotions, and the subject - the character entirely separate and fictional from the performer.
The Performer - fairly neutral but with a darker tone. Black skinny jeans? Black skirt, bare legs and Docs? Dark high neck vest top?
- The Character - Dressed in a very casual manner - pyjamas, loungewear. Her makeup and hair is not so important, it's more the effect of her not having the makeup or looking very dressed-down due to the perceived state of her mental state

Make Up
- The Performer - dark makeup to some extent yet relatively 'bare?' -  Heavy eyeliner, nude lip? Blank face
- The Character - halfway point between very sweet and effeminate, pink lips rosy cheeks etc, and dark, more aggressive or emotional. 'Bare' face 

Performance

- The song that I have chosen is audibly very expressive, and so the performer I choose will need to really sing into the camera and really get into the music, as otherwise, the final product will immediately say student video. 

Locations

Settings
Possibly a motel-like setting? Just as blank of a room as possible - white walls, as empty as it can be. Preferably a large window with venetian blinds for lighting effect.
A possible shot idea I am planning for the intro would be showing her getting into the shower or bath. Simply a towel dropping around bare ankles and a hand turning the tap. It can't be too heavy but simply a suggestion of the idea without causing any issues with modesty of consent.
Another idea is filming her in the car driving with him near the beginning as the singer begins so I will be using my own car in order to achieve this. I am wary however that shooting from inside a car can very easily appear amateur or  clumsy so I will do some research into this technique later on.
Southwold beach - shots of her sitting alone watching the tide - Wednesday 18th

68 Ashdon Road -  Modern room, blank walls, plain bedside table. Easy accessibility and space for camera and tripod movements.

Storyboard

Star Image

Star image.

Richard Dyer's star theory basically sets the premise that stars are created by the industry by means of making money. He talks about the concept that the stars are intended to represent real people in a manner that would appeal to the target audience, something that they can relate to. 

If we take Demi Lovato as an example, we can see clear development of her character as her career progresses.  

• Early star image
• What was the image established in the earliest videos?
• Star image development
• Are they shown playing a character / performing?
• What visual motifs are associated with them?
• How are they sold?
• Are close- ups used throughout their work?
• How are hair, costume, props, other people used in videos to support image?
• How do camera and editing reinforce the image?
• Give examples and consider why these features have been chosen?
• Wider cultural significance
• Why is/ was this star popular at this particular time?
• Do they fit into any cultural trends like ‘girl power’, etc?