Monday 28 June 2010

Evaluation

My music video I did think suited the genre of the music (rock) because although it was an old song, I decided to set it in the present day but it still had that style of the 60’s rock decade. I think because of when the song was made, music videos were not invented but it suited the song because it had no lyrics and it was a bizarre yet entertaining song, so I could be experimental with it. I feel the video was similar to a mix of videos and also keeps that authentic feel about it with some particular scenes (such as the banana) but with the similarities, the shot with Chidera looking menacing does look very urban and 90’s which relives the “coolness” that videos had in that decade.

Card games are involved in some videos however I stole that card game feel from Sean Connery Bond films which was also made in the 60’s and just knew this would work as the song was also made in 1962-the same year Dr No was made.

I think that the rest of the video was completely original as it was very random, however it still suited the music by the way I edited it and it told the narrative by the way I edited it e.g. The shot of the joker card I used mixing that shot and the shot of Chidera about three times to tell the audience that Chidera is the joker, here I think I achieved this and thought this was a really good way to story tell. I then decided to use this idea continually throughout the video.

The most bizarre moment of the video was the banana scene; there might be a few red herrings as to why this was included in the video that I’m eating a banana due to the song being called Green Onions. However this was used because the banana was a gun and the fact that it is a bizarre game says that is a fruit as well as a gun, and because the video included me eating it enthusiastically was because I was eating in celebration. I was though, going to use two cap guns or water pistols as the weapons; however the ban of using replica guns turned out to be a blessing in disguise.

I don’t think it was similar to other videos in some respect but there were some influences such as the James Bond idea and the use of the card game being like a tarot reading which also relates to a character in Live and Let Die being the tarot reader. The film was made in 1973 which is not far enough to when the song was made and the film throughout used quick zooms and angles which is similar to my editing.

The concept is used when the card says “dance” and then the use of the dancing with a psychedelic background but it is also includes some performance based because of the actual dancing. The narrative is simple-I’m in the game and have to escape the dangers and also follow the orders the cards says. In some feedback people said it was like a video game, which it is like because of the “winner”. The game is based around true reality and virtual reality but it is actually reality.

I asked people questions whether they understood the music video, one said “not really” however that person was the only one that said this, I think with some people in an audience that would watch this would require a second viewing to understand it, which I would take as a positive because then he/she would watch it again and understand it and therefore enjoy the video which everyone said they did.

I asked everyone in a survey what they didn’t like about the video, one said the red background and the rest of me in black and white. I was very surprised by this criticism because I thought it recaptured the 60’s with the burgundy colour and I thought this was very stylish. Most did say the banana scene and this scene is where people laughed at which this was the reaction I was hoping for but feel they didn’t like it because it was the strangest scene of all.

I then asked what everyone liked about the video, most did say the green screen with the dancer, I agree that this was very good and this was the most memorable scene in the way it suited the song and the decade it was made by the groovy colours that was used with the pattern that I simply found on Google images and edited the colours on Avid with some backgrounds I went on paint on the computer and chose some colours by using the fill bucket and tried to do my own designs but I thought the patterns I did were too naff. However I also feel the best bit of the video was the “linking the cards as establishments for the main action” as one person said.

The last question that was did you like the video? And all said yes which I was very happy with. With this concept/narrative based video, I wanted the audience to be simply entertained by the video and to entertain a younger audience (late teens) to enjoy a song which is 48 years old.

Monday 14 June 2010

Music Video Diary

Pre- Production

Day one

For my music video I had to decide what to use as my song and I had a couple of songs in my mind including Propane Nightmares by Pendulum and Thunder in My Heart Again by Meck. I thought of dancers and things in my mind however I thought it was not different and exciting and also it would be very hard to find dancers and edit as well and as I’m not an editor, I would like to do something original and also very challenging in making it epic.

So I decided to use a song that I wouldn’t normally listen to but also like. So I chose In This Shirt by The Irrepressibles. The song uses a wide range of string instruments including violins. When I first heard it I thought it was quite depressing but then I had a change of thought that it was actually quite captivating and I had my video in my head within a minute and here I chose to have a message inside in my video but not make it boring. I then thought can I have this video to be watched by teenagers, and I think I can achieve the video with the song.

Day Two

So here I started work on the video with my paperwork, I completed treatment and storyboard, so I wanted to shoot early in East Grinstead which I did however my battery run out really quickly but it turned out to be a blessing in disguise because I had doubts about the video because the hardest location I wanted I could not find (hilltops- loads of them). And it was going to be harder than I thought when I needed loads of televisions. So I decided to scrap the whole idea and choose a new song- and quick.

Day Three

So I started to choose songs through my mp3 player and see if there was any images and ideas going through my head when I’m listening to a song and I had one when listening to Green Onions by Booker T and the Mg’s- a 60’s mod type band. My idea consisted of a 60’s feel which would be shot in the present day to recapture the decade. I thought this would be a fantastic idea as it was different to the obvious dance, grime/rap and today’s music.

Day four

So after a difficult three days, I wanted to get my pre-production work done as quickly as possible. I sorted my locations which were T41 as it included the green screen and somewhere outside of college for a banana shootout between my character and the joker.

Production

Day five

So I completed my pre-production and I was raring to go to shoot my dancing scene which included the green screen and help from Nicola. I shot using a HD DV camera. I needed a female dancer for my screen and there were shy classmates that didn’t want to participate so I had to shoot something else in the meantime before I found someone.

I used Nicola to shoot me playing the card game but first I shot cards falling down in front of the camera to use as my introduction and the ending of my video which will be slowed down in editing. It didn’t start well because I threw the cards at the same time but I did try to spread the cards when letting them go but they had to drop in small groups at a time which therefore worked. I also decided to throw the cards over the green screen and flying them everywhere in case so it will be creative to do so in editing and if I had nothing else to fill up at the end in case I had no more footage left and my narrative already ended.

I had my card game scenes completed and I was happy when the footage was played back and I now needed a dancer, and one fortunately said yes, the music video regular Zoyia Ali who wishes not to be named as dancing behind the screen with the red head did look a bit risqué. Firstly I used Zoyia in front of the screen with the light behind her casting a shadow but it was difficult to position the camera because occasionally Zoyia’s body would get in the way. I therefore positioned the camera behind the curtain with Zoyia in front of it and the red head behind her so it formed the idea silhouette. She isn’t the best dancer in the world but what I imagined in my head was nigh on perfect to this however when the footage was played back, the light was visible and also the pole but I was satisfied enough with it. When it was seen on editing, it was questioned whether I should re shoot the scene with Zoyia because it seemed a bit “dirty” but I was allowed to keep it.

Day Six

I uploaded the footage onto Avid and I did a bit of editing before needing a banana shootout scene which is based on my card game. In the game, the joker is out to kill me so I needed a joker and thought Shaun would be ideal but he was unavailable on the day so I asked Chid and he accepted to help me. I used a simple DV camera and I shot the footage and it didn’t take me long to shoot the scene. The quality of the footage was usable but it didn’t look high quality but I did feel that it did recapture the ambience of the 60’s particularly with the shots used such as a CU when Chid is looking evil whilst stalking me.

Post Production

Day Seven

On my first day of editing I started with the cards falling down in slow motion which I put a 60’s background on it but in black and white. Everything was very easy to edit and I did want it to be a simple edit with less naff edit tools because even though it is a 60’s concept based video, I still want to recapture the 60’s by colours, shots, randomness and very quick cuts- I don’t want any rubbish effects and transitions included.
I filled most of the video with the cards at the beginning and me playing the game, so it was a successful first day in the editing suite.

Day Eight

On my second day of editing, I had the dancing scene included and I did struggle to use the green screen effect on it, but Nicola showed me how to do it and afterwards I got the hang of it. I used the same background as the one with the cards falling but I decided to use colour, each time the music changed beats, the colours would change each time. This process did take some time and I enjoyed playing about with the colours, such as black and red and a mix of rainbow colours.

Day Nine

I put the footage of the banana shootout in and used a repetitive shot of the joker card and Chid to tell that Chid is the joker and this was a great way to say that he is the joker through the editing. The quality was not great on this footage so I used black and white effects which made it better and it still managed to have the feel of the 60’s.

Day Ten

There was a small gap that I needed to fill between the card game and the dance scene, and I had days of frustration. I had pictures of backgrounds first but I did think that it looked naff even though it went well with the music well. I therefore changed that to flashes of the dancing scene then after that the shot of me turning the dance card so it looked experimental and it worked with the narrative.

Day Eleven

My editing was going very well and smoothly and had no problems whatsoever but was going slower than expected due to colour changes and green screen effects. I then edited myself celebrating the victory over the joker and eating the banana, here the banana being eaten is also a way of celebrating the win and also the randomness coming into effect as it shows that the banana was a gun and also a good source of vitamins. I again used a regular feature in my editing which was switching between two clips and using at a fast pace-here I again used this with the banana and me in my chair winning. I then edited the card turning of winner and put it by slow motion. I also chose myself to be in a stylish black and white with the background in red. With these scenes of the card playing being consistent with the red background.

Day Twelve

Adding the effects of the card playing scenes because there is a shadow on the screen and want to get rid of it, here I did this on almost every one clip. I also hired an illustrator for my storyboard which would look perfectly for my animatics.

Thursday 27 May 2010

Call Sheet: Location Two

Storyline: My music video consists of performance, narrative and concept based however the majority is concept. The idea of this being a 60’s concept in an art form. I am playing a card game where performance and narrative comes into the frame.

Day/Time: 17th May 2010

Location: Outside college

Props: 2 bananas

Characters: Martin Ladd and Chidera Nduka

Description of Scene: (Please explain what happens in this scene)
Chidera Nduka (the joker) is looking to kill me and we have a bizarre shootout and he dies.

Director/Camera: Martin Ladd

P/A: Chidera Nduka

Sound: None

Lighting: Natural sunlight

Actors: Martin Ladd and Chidera Nduka

Additional information about how the scene will be filmed: None

Call Sheet: Location One

Storyline: My music video consists of performance, narrative and concept based however the majority is concept. The idea of this being a 60’s concept in an art form. I am playing a card game where performance and narrative comes into the frame.

Day/Time: 10th May 2010

Location: T42

Props: Playing cards

Characters: Martin Ladd and Zoyia Ali

Description of Scene: (Please explain what happens in this scene)
Cards will fall in slow motion and I will be playing the card game and when it cuts to a card, Zoyia will start to dance.

Director/Camera: Martin Ladd

P/A: Nicola Walters

Sound: None

Lighting: 1 Redhead

Actors: Martin Ladd and Zoyia Ali

Additional information about how the scene will be filmed: Green screen included as Zoyia’s shadow will be lit on the screen. Green screen will also be used for when I’m playing the game.

Monday 10 May 2010

Treatment

Song title: Green Onions

Artist: Booker T and the Mg’s

Story- The video is performance based and also narrative based. The idea of my video is of a man playing a card game which he gets handed strange cards (for example a card saying dance so the man has to dance). Throughout most of the video there are shadows of girls dancing within the background colour changing. He then gets other cards and his chips are stolen and he has to retain them when finally he wins the game. The idea is very retro in which the green screen will play a huge part in the video, I will put some nice 60's patterns and colours in the background. There is also a slight hint of it being concept because the video is supposed to be random as well.

Director/Camera operator: Martin Ladd

Duration: 2:52

Audience:

Late teens to older audience, 18-20’s

Both male and female but targets male audience more

Tuesday 2 February 2010

History Of Music Video



1920’s/30’s
With the arrival of the sound films and talkies in 1926, many musical short films were produced. Vitaphone shorts (1926–30), which were produced by Warner Bros, featured many bands, vocalists and dancers. The series entitled Spooney Melodies was the first true musical video series. The shorts were typically about six minutes in duration, and featured art deco style animations and backgrounds combined with film of the performer singing the song. This series of shorts can also arguably be considered to be the earliest music videos.

40’s/50’s
Another early form of music video were one-song films called "Promotional Clips" made in the 1940s for the Panoram visual jukebox. These were short films of musical selections, usually just a band on a movie-set bandstand, made for playing. Thousands of soundies were made, mostly of jazz musicians, but also of "torch singers," comedians, and dancers. Before the Soundie, even dramatic movies typically had a musical interval, but the Soundie made the music the star and virtually all the name jazz performers appeared in Soundie shorts. The Panoram jukebox with eight three-minute Soundies were popular in taverns and night spots, but the fad faded during World War II.

In 1956, Petrushka, directed by John David Wilson for Fine Arts Films aired as a segment of the Sol Hurok Music Hour on NBC. Igor Stravinsky conducted a live orchestra for the recording of the event. In 1957, Tony Bennett was filmed walking along The Serpentine in Hyde Park, London as his recording of "Stranger in Paradise" played; this film was distributed to and played by UK and US television stations. According to the Internet Accuracy Project, disk jockey-singer J.P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson was the first to coin the phrase "music video", in 1959. It is no coincidence that the rise of popular music was tied with the rise of television, as the format allowed for many new stars to be exposed that previously would have been passed over by Hollywood, which normally required proven acts in order to attract an audience to the box office.

60’s
One of the earliest performance clips in 1960s pop was the promo film made by The Animals for their breakthrough 1964 hit "House Of The Rising Sun". This high-quality colour clip was filmed in a studio on a specially-built set; it features the group in a lip-synched performance, depicted through an edited sequence of tracking shots, closeups and longshots, as singer Eric Burdon, guitarist Hilton Valentine and bassist Chas Chandler walked around the set in a series of choreographed moves. But it was The Beatles which made everything popular in the 60’s including the music video.

70’s
In 1971, avant-garde group The Residents began filming what was supposed to be the first feature length music video "Vileness Fats". Due to time constrains and technical problems, the group abandoned the project in 1976. The group would, however, create videos for "The Third Reich 'n Roll" (which used props from Vileness Fats), "One Minute Movies", "Hello Skinny", and their cover of "It's A Man's Man's Man's World". Nicolas Roeg's 1970 cult film Performance contains a sequence in which star of the film Mick Jagger did a rendition of "Memo From Turner" combined with a psychedelic collage.

80’s
The first video to be banned by MTV was Queen's 1982 hit "Body Language." Due to thinly veiled homoerotic undertones plus lots of skin and lots of sweat (but apparently not enough clothing, save that worn by the fully clothed members of Queen themselves), it was deemed unsuitable for a television audience at the time. However, the channel did air Olivia Newton-John's 1981 video for the hit song "Physical", which lavished camera time on male models working out in string bikinis who spurn her advances, ultimately pairing off to walk to the men's locker rooms holding hands, though the network ended the clip before the overt homosexual "reveal" ending in some airings. The video for "Girls on Film" by Duran Duran, which featured topless women mud wrestling and other depictions of sexual fetishes, was banned by the BBC.

90’s
In 1991, the dance segment of Michael Jackson's "Black or White" was cut because it showed Michael Jackson "inappropriately" touching himself in it. Michael Jackson's most controversial video, "They Don't Care About Us" was banned from MTV, VH1, and BBC because of the alleged anti-Semitic message in the song and the visuals in the background of the "Prison Version" of the video. Also in 1991, emerging country music superstar Garth Brooks found himself at the center of controversy when his video for "The Thunder Rolls" was banned by both The Nashville Network (TNN) and Country Music Television (CMT). The video dealt with the issue of domestic violence in stark visual terms, and featured a heavily-costumed Brooks portraying an abusive husband. Although both Brooks and director Bud Schaetzle publicly denied that the video was crafted specifically to foster debate, its banning shed light on Nashville's conservative programming practices and brought attention to Brooks' developing sense of showmanship. In the wake of the video's critical acclamation, and with public support generated by nationwide "viewing parties" organized by supportive radio stations, TNN and CMT reluctantly began airing it. "The Thunder Rolls" went on to win the Video of the Year Award from the Country Music Association, and was named by both MTV and CMT as one of the "100 Greatest Music Videos Ever Made."


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Music_video