First Draft Video Feedback

• 'Very good use of mise-en-scene in first scene, authentic to '50's', 'Diner/Monroe era', good use of colours throughout, as well as conotations eg, red - love/lust'
• 'Authentic setting as well as realistic lipsyncing, beauty spot is a nice touch, good use of cuts. Only negative feedback is the shadow on the white background and when she looks into the camera near the begining and sings, this doesn't look as good, I think the facial expression needs to be straighter.
• 'Very good picture quality, good mise-en-scene, maybe look at lipsyncing, the person is very static'
• 'Really good lipsyncing, good locations and mise-en-scene, the artist looks believable. Really good camera quality, good start.'
• 'Good locations and lighting. The theme works really well and the mise-en-scene matches the theme well. Really good.'
• 'Bed shot appears grainy with the spotlight and looks out of place with the other clean shots, could be replaced.'
• "Shot quality is very good, the girl is very effective and the mise-en-scene for the most part is effective."
• The lip syncing looks a bit forced in places as if she isn't singing the song - this can be a bit distracting."
• "From 48 seconds on the video works best - when you get to the hook/chorus and increase the amount of shots you utilise"

Feedback Evaluation
Firstly, we appreciate that our feedback notices the references to the 1950s era and mise-en-scene as this was intentional and was vital that it was recognised by our audience. This enables the connotations of bright red to be interpreted by our audience and adds entertainment and drama to our video. Therefore, we will remain with our shot types as our set up has clearly been effective as it has been recognised in our feedback.

On the other hand, we disagree with the comments regarding the use of shadows on the white background as it was intentional to make it appear blank. We think the shadows add a dimension to it rather than with no shadows which may have made it unrealistic. Also, the comments regarding facial expression has been misinterpreted as we wanted to create both serious, fun and charming persona of our artist which is represented through serious facial expression to then laughing facial expressions. We will not be changing this as the mix of serious and fun is later developed in the video and is not immediate in the first 20 seconds. We chose not to have our artist moving around alot, hense the feedback of our artist appearing static, because we wanted to focus on the face and lip syncing. We also thought that the theme of the song, although upbeat, was not appropriate to have dancing etc.

We agree that some parts of the lip syncing is effective in some places however appears out of place and therefore forced in others as the words don't match up. For our final version we will edit uneffective shots, such as lying on the sofa at the beginning, and replaced them with cleaner and clearer lip syncing shots.

Music Video Draft

Album Tracks: Titles

The album name will be called 'Ghosts' and these are the track listings that will appear on both of our Digipaks.

Animatic Story Board

Application of Narrative Theories & Conventions: Music Video

For our music video, many narrative theories have to be applied to ensure the purpose and meaning of the video is portrayed through the shots.

Our video will follow the genre caterogory of amplification. This is because we will cut between both performance and narrative but these will not directly illustrate the denotations of the lyrics  but also unusual ideas, such as our homage to the 'Living Dead' icons of today such as Marilyn Monroe or Judy Garland. Whereas at some shots we will interpret the lyrics exactly, such as by using a 'black balloon' prop in a shot and edit it alongside the lyric of the same relevance i.e. 'Sucked into a black balloon'.

The Musical Synaesthesia is relevant to our music video as the elements of the song will determine the progress and pace of the shots and the time it takes to change them. For example, the dominant musical arrangement of the strong bassline in our chosen song 'Living Dead' is key as it varies from a slow pace to a faster pace at the chorus. Therefore, we will interpret this dominant beat by changing shots simultaneously to the beat. This will be more evident in the chorus, as the beat speeds up to the repetitive lines such as 'Dead, dead, dead'. We have decided to change the shot at each bass and word change so that it adds to fast up-beat song and the action shots will entertain the audience.

The conventions of a Performance Video for a solo artist can also be applied as only one individual will feature throughout the entire video. It is therefore important to promote and emphasise the image of our artist. As we are not incorporating dance routines, we will enhance the 'repeatability' of our artist by the person engaging the viewer with close up shots of the face with frequent eye contact shots which will feature rolling and provocative gesturing with the eyes. We will also follow a hybrid form by cutting between performance of vocalisation of singing to other narrative actions that do not feature any vocalisation, such as with walking or posing toward the camera.

The Star Image is important as the artist's personality and style have to be promoted but continually adapted and changed to meet audience needs and preferences. So for example, by adopting our 50s style mise-en-scene this manipulates the artist's image with the new single to broaden the appeal to new fan bases by adopting a new style that they may like more than their previous music video images.

Again, the Audio-Visual Technical Codes are again relevant due to the changing pace of the bass within the song and the extended vowels and consonants of long lines in comparison to the shorter chorus lines. The camera shots therefore during the chorus feature more close ups and extreme close-ups especially during the lines which require vocalisation. Whereas the verses contain longer seconds during each shots and shots that are further away such as long shot or extreme long shot that do not require any vocalisation so it is not as important to focus on the mouth. The camera movements follow more active actions during the chorus such as twirling of the dresses or fast poses of the star with hand-held action shots; whereas during the verses the camera movement is more stable with a tripod or more controlled hand-held shots.

Straus's Theory of Narrative can be applied to our music video as we will use the binary opposites of both location and the style of our star. For example, in terms of location we will switch between outside shots and inside shots to meet our genre category of amplification but also portray our 50s theme better. In terms of mise-en-scene we will change from a bright pink dress in the indoor scenes to a black dress and a white faux when our star is outside. This contrast will be effective for our amplifcation narrative. 

Todorov's Theory of Narrative could also be applied to the cut between the performance and narrative. This is because as the video progresses from the location of the bedroom to a perfect 'equilibrium' state of mind to a disequilibrium that is formed as the star becomes more frustrated with her apparent 'lonely' lifestyle which would later be evident in the diner as she sits alone. However, the leave interpretation and stick the conventions of the genre category of amplification a new equilibrium will not be formed but will instead return back to shots in the room in the final chorus where the previous equilibrium began.

Therefore this can also relate to Barthe's Theory of Narrative by using the Enigma Code which will leave the audience questioning the artist's life at the end of the video and how, if ever, her lonely state would be resolved. Also, the Semantic Code could also be applied as we will use different mise-en-scene to represent different emotions or foreshadowing. For example, red lipstick and clothing that will be used may reflect her sexuality and obsession with fame but may also suggests that this will lead to her death - such as with other icons like Marilyn Monroe.

Representation: Music Video

REPRESENTATIONS:

By adopting the 1950s inspired look we hope to make our artist appeal more to a wider audience but also by crafting a identifiable aesthetic which fans will be able to relate to her performances. 

The Artist
The representation of our artist is key in order to create a stereotypical look from the 1950s that our young audience can immediately associate with in order to interpret the abstract locations and other props within our music video. Therefore by manipulating the mise-en-scene and location we will be able to create a whole new star image. However, for outfits such as a 1950s dress and hair will also reveal the legs so we will be conforming to the provocative sexuality that women are now expected to convey within the contemporary music industry. As we use several close up shots of her putting on her shoes, clothes etc. this will portray our artist more provocatively in order to appeal to a mass audience. By also emphasising the artist by have heavy make-up such as vivid red lipstick this will also represent the artist in a feminine way, in order to fit a pleasing aesthetic which the audience - in particularly the male gender - will be drawn into more. 

This also addresses the relevance of the 'Male Gaze' because within our storyboard our artist will be making eye contact with the camera. This also gives the audience power in other shot types where the artist is looking away therefore giving the audience power as they are watching the artist without their acknowledgement. 

The Locations
We will also manipulate the representation of locations to fit in with this. For example, by using a 'done up' and well presented room with luxurious furnishings it will give off an unrealistic ideal of having a lifestyle of luxury that our artist has within the video. By doing this it also adds interest to the artist and enhances their star image as they are thought to live a 'better lifestyle'. The unusual furnishings also removes the artist from the modern day characteristic of bedroom furnishings and suggests perhaps they are in a different world of their own. Another example would be outdoor shots in a floral and well kept garden; suggesting that this could only be obtained by a glamorous, wealthy and pretty woman. 

Again, by using a 50s style diner that adopts conventional architecture and furnishings typical of the time, such as bold quilted seating and checked floor tiles, it allows the audience to enter the abstract world of our artist as she almost revisits another time period. 

Risk Assessment: Music Video

RISK ASSESSMENT

LIGHTING AND ELECTRONICS

1. When using lighting ensure all plugs are inserted correctly and are not loosely fitted
2. Check bulbs work before inserting them into a live stand.
3. Ensure all wires are not tangled and to the side of any walkways - make all personnel aware  of wires and their location before filming.
4. Do not keep lighting and bulbs on without supervision or they could overheat and set a light.
5. Make sure all stands are turned and stable as they could fall over.
6. If using lighting outside with an extension lead ensure that area is dry or covered to avoid damaging the cables and/or causing a fuse.
7. Do not cover with any textiles or open raw materials.
8. Ensure stands are fully attached and twisted to the furthest possible point to make sure they remain stable throughout filming.

VIDEO CAMERA & CAMERA

1. Make sure video camera is fully attached to the tripod before filming.
2. Safely pack away and check video camera is fully functional before and after filming.
3. Keep fingers clear of closing tripod - close the tripod slowly to avoid injury.

LOCATION: THE MAIN BEDROOM

1. Ensure all occupants, directors and actors are aware of all fire exits and call points before filming.
2. Do not run on set as this could result in a fall and injury.
3. Do not cover electronics with any textiles furnishings.
4. Ensure when using make-up equipment electronics such as hair straighteners and curlers that they are kept on a solid flat surface and under supervision whilst turned on and plugged in. Make sure they are turned off and moved aside to cool down after use.
5. Do not block fire exits with props or equipment such as suitcases or unused lighting equipment
6. Refer back to all relevant LIGHTING AND ELECTRONICS risk assessment also when using these.
7. Do not leave any props or equipment on the floor as this could is extremely accident-prone if stepped on
8. Do not leave any sharp items such as knifes, scissors or equipment open and ensure they are put away efficiently and safely.

LOCATION: GARDENS

1. Make sure all lighting cables are suitable for outdoor use, if weather is wet ensure cables and plugs are covered safely with a water-proof cover
2. Make sure areas for smoking are safely with no open flammable materials that could set alight if in contact with loose ash e.g. wood or bark
3. Make sure cigarette lighter is safely put away and closed after use and not left on the floor which could be stepped on and broken
4. Ensure cigarette is firmly in the cigarette holder when using the prop

LOCATION: THE DINER

1. Ensure all spills are mopped up immediately.
2. Do not run - especially as tiles could be slipped on, ensure floor is not wet.
3. Refer back to all relevant VIDEO CAMERA & CAMERA risk assessment also when in this location.
4. Make sure filming equipment etc creates no threats or hazards to other people on location as this is an area open to the public.

Music Video: Story Board

Location and Props Lists

Bedroom Location:

Dressing Table

Bed

Props:

Record player
Mirror
Lipstick
Shoes
Perfume Bottles - Chanel No.5 
Fan
Black Balloon
Phone
Chess Board
Rose
Monopoly

Outfit One:
Pale Pink/White Dress
White/Nude Shoes
50's Style Make-up - Bright Red Lipstick
Long Wavy Hair - Bow/Clip in hair

Outfit Two:
Pale Pink/White Dress
White/Nude Shoes
50's Style Make-Up - Bright Pink Lipstick
Hair in Rollers

Garden Location:

Props:
Cigarette Holder
Rose

Outfit:

Black Dress
50's make-up/Bright Pink Lipstick

Long 50's style hair

Ed's Diner Location:

At a Table

At the Bar

Props:

Burger and Milkshake

Lipstick

Mirror

Outfit:

Black Dress
50's make-up/Bright Pink Lipstick

Long 50's style hair



Locations: Research & Analysis

These are locations that we are considering for our music video. We have taken some pictures of our some locations as well as recieved them from other external websites of public locations. From our schedule list, availability and shot type combined with mise-en-scene we will analyse whether it will be best and fit the colour scheme and theme of our video and artist.

Kilworth House, Leicestershire:

If we are able to acquire permission to film in the ground here we would use their gardens and a room to film in. This is because the rooms are done to an old fashion but glamorous style which would fit perfectly with our brand and fit ideas for our locations storyboard. We may also use long shots of our artist walking up the long drive up  towards Kilworth House to add to our genre catergory of amplification.
Coombe Abbey, Coventry, Warwickshire:

This location would be a substitute instead of Kilworth House for the garden location shots as they also have a well maintained garden and beautiful florals which would match our desired artist  style. To benefit our production values, this would be free to film within which would help reduce costs. 

Ed's Diner, Highcross Shopping Centre, Leicester:

The interior of this locations matches our 50s themed artist style perfectly, due the checked floor tiling and striking red leather sofas. We have decided to shoot here as it allows us to also add extra props, such as food which we have chosen to be order a milkshake and burger, but also different seating styles. So we will shoot in a booth and can also shoot our artist sitting at the bar. This style of shot we have chosen would be represented as if it were an amateur recording and in post production we may add a grain and increase saturation to the image to make it stand out. To follow the continue a fluent and colouring style, we will attempt to incorporate red objects in other shots so that the overall iconography will be fluent.   

Alternative Pop Conventions

Here I have compiled several videos that fit into our alternative pop/pop genre. I wanted to investigate the typical conventions that are evident. The main artist at the moment that matches our target audience is Lana Del Rey. As I have seen from my previous research her videos typically tell a story. Lana Del Rey is often depicted as a retro, hipster style artist in this video however I think this is appropriate for the slow pace of the song. Whereas she is typically seen as more of a pin-up retro typical 'American Girl' through other videos. However I wanted to pick a video that diverted from this media depiction and took a different route, such as this one. What was interesting was the vast range of location shots but the use of a blue filter allowed all to appear seamless together. 

This is something I should incorporate in the post-editing stages of my music video by editing the brightness and contrast, for example, in order to avoid all the appearance of lighting etc. looking different. Therefore this will appear less noticeable by the audience and a more aesthetically pleasing video in terms of fluency to watch.



Here parallel editing is the main focus, as it cross cuts between the narrative style singing in front of an audience. This then cuts to a montage style editing of what the audience can presume is past events. This shows outtake, off the wall style shots, which enable the audience to try and deceiver these past events in her eyes. This is a typical convention used within her videos, and perhaps her own personal preference of her she wants her songs to be depicted; however I think this would be difficult to achieve with such a small budget. 

Especially as the mise-en-scene includes set up locations, such as the motel and bonfire which would require a lot of preparation and time which our music video lacks. However, I may use the inspiration from how these are shot for our music video because several shots comply with 'The Male Gaze' theory which arguably is a significant convention of typical music videos involving women as the centre figure, in order to draw a mass audience.  

Inspiration: Research & Planning

This is a video I like particularly and take heavy inspiration from for the concept of our video. The abstract music conventions that it adopts is immediately evident. There is no clear story line however I like the contrast between the realistic/outtake shots and then the serious lip syncing images. I think this would work well for the genre of our music video as I think it would suit the playful brand of our music artist.

In terms of editing, I like the particularly fast shots that are used in time with the dubstep beats as the chorus begins and the bass is more clear. This enables action match shots as well as parallel editing to be used between the bedroom shots and dining room shots etc. I also like the way that the soft colour palette of the mise-en-scene is used in the central verses and chorus however this changes to black and white during the bridge. I think this is a clever technique as the bridge is a lot slower than the rest of the music video so this allows the black and white to reflect the sad state of mind the artist may be feeling. This is also effective as it then portrays the lyrics well, perhaps suggesting that the artist has not lived up to the expectations of her 'primadonna life'. I think it would be interesting to perhaps use this technique within our video, as our chosen song also has a bridge that it slower reflecting a dim mood, so this would contrast the up-tempo beats with the low tempo beats. Ultimately, creating a more entertaining video. 

Analysis of other texts

Marina and the Diamonds 'Hollywood':

Here I have added three screen shots (above) of shots that we particularly like. The first one is effective as the extreme close up draws attention to the lyrics and is also easy to replicate if we were to do it ourselves. My focusing on the lips it also is very provocative and would fit in well with our brand. To make it even more effective we could speed up the lyrics whilst recording and then later slow down in editing to give it a slow effective. The second is a close up shot of the artist lying on the floor and gives the video a unique look, adding to the variety of shots. On the third shot we particularly like how the artist has been positioned to the left third of the screen and the way she is sitting which makes her look innocent. From this video we have considered the importance of a continual colour scheme, such as the red, white and blue in this one. The colour theme is reflected in the mise-en-scene and set as well to make the variety of the shots match together. Also the costume used follow this and puts emphasis on the artist, adding to her on trend but unique style. In terms of lighting we like the use of spotlights focusing on the artist and the background is left darker and out of focus.

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Lana Del Rey 'Summertime Sadness'

In the first screen shot footage is being projected over the artist whilst she remains stationary. We particularly like the lighting in this as it creates an almost ghostly shadow on the wall but the colour saturation gives it an old fashioned style shot with a small grain. The second screen shot we have taken inspiration from as the spotlight is now used behind the artist to create an angelic glow behind her. The third also gives an amateur style as it uses overexposed lighting during filming to manipulate the appearance of the artist to make her appear ghostly as she walks towards the camera. It also makes her outfit stand out whilst the background remains dark and dull. Throughout these images you can see a constant overlay on the image from the top left of the screen which shows a red glow to give it a retro and solid contrast; helping the variety of shots to appear matching. These shots would also be easy to replicate ourselves for our artist.

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Ellie Goulding 'Your Song'

We chose this video as we like the the shot types and shot style within the video. For example in the first screen shot we chose this close up as the lighting completely saturated the clear shot of the artist, resulting in a soft blue style overlay. In the second shot we chose this section as the seconds of the video had been shortened down to make it appear as if it were filmed on a camera of lower quality and made the shot appear old fashioned, recording a person's memories. For the final shot we also liked the unusual addition of the feet within the grass. We could perhaps manipulate this ourselves to fit our artist by perhaps instead using heels to suit to style of our artist, Lexi and the Spectrum.

Animoto - Pitch & Feedback Evaluation

From presenting our pitch and receiving feedback we have learnt that the key element to make our video a success with our 50s styled theme is the mise-en-scene. This should be communicated through both outfits and setting. Therefore we understand from feedback that it may be difficult to replicate 50s style settings in a natural environment so we will have to create with the mise-en-scene the appearance of going back in time. A key location we will then consider is a 50s style diner that we can film in which would make the video and artist appearance more believable. Other locations we considered was a rose garden to symbolise love, a old fashioned style house and garden which would include accessories such as bunting and a cigarette holder for effect. Resultantly, we have created a list of props we may require including items of clothing to buy and locations which we will further research into. 

Also we have decided from our research and feedback that we will follow the genre category of amplification to represent both the lyrics but still have a surrealistic approach. Therefore we will not follow a specific narrative but interpret the lyrics and the title 'Living Dead' to create a metaphorical video that takes inspiration from artists that have passed away but continue to live on in terms of pop culture. 

We are happy that are target market of 16-24 is the correct choice for the style and genre of our music video, with the retro look appealing to the modern, fashionable female market. However, through our feedback we have learnt that the glamorous and provocative representation of the female artist within the video would also appeal to a young male audience, so we should also take this into consideration during filming to always have a glamorous style.

Audience Profile & Evaluation

Name: 
Alice Hoar

Gender:
Female

Age: 17

Occupation: 
Student

Background:
I am currently at college studying Media, Art and English. I have a huge passion for music, mainly from the pop and indie pop genres. My two main hobbies are art and fashion, I enjoy keeping up to date with the latest trends as well as exploring old trends and cultures. I use social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter to share and discuss current media revelation and artists I like with other fans, as well as follow and keep up to date with artists that I listen to. I regularly go to concerts and gigs of artists that I am a fan of which I enjoy and also buy artist merchandise to be a part of the experience. I like to explore and listen to new artists who are quite unique and bring something new to their genre; I also like to explore older artists, from which many current artists source inspiration. I mainly like artists which have a unique style and put on an elaborate and memorable live performance. Some examples of artists that I like include Marina and the Diamonds, Lana Del Rey, Lady Gaga, Pink Floyd, Ellie Goulding, Maroon 5, Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, James Brown and Florence and the Machine. In my spare time I go out with my friends and I also have a part time job, in a small, indie music and clothing store which I fit in after college. I also buy music magazines such as Q and fashion magazines that regularly feature artists such as ELLE and read tabloid papers to keep updated with celebrity gossip and read interviews with artists that I like to keep involved.

Ambitions: 
In the future I aim to get a job in media, focusing mainly within fashion or art. I enjoy both these subjects and I will be going to University to study one of them. I will also stay at my part time job as I enjoy working there and the experiences I gain. 

Musical preferences: 
Mainstream Pop, Indie Pop, Alternative.

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Evaluation:
From this audience profile we have found that this is the ideal audience to appeal to and would also fit into our previously desired target market range of young females aged 16-24. However, although our video and artist will be catergorised as Indie Pop we can also appeal to a larger market by including mainstream pop culture elements in our branding. This can be done by focusing entirely on the artist within the video to follow pop genre conventions to appeal on a wider scale which would create an appeal to both males and females aged 16-24. By directing our artist at this market we would be able to use social networking sites to involve our audience and promote the video and digipack as the audience will be able to quickly share the video with friends to spread word of mouth. By having the artist also fitting into the age range the audience will be able to easily relate to them and are more likely to enjoy the contemporary song.

Artist Profile

Lexi and the Spectrum

Alexa Crystal Smith (born 20th June 1989), most commonly known by her stage name 'Lexi and the Spectrum', is a West London born and bred singer-songwriter. In 2010, she rose into the spotlight with her debut album, Spectra Heart, which reached the top 5 album chart. Her debut single, Optical, went to No. 1 in the UK and Ireland. After the success of her first studio album, she released her second extended play, Spectra Soul EP, with the help of 679 Recordings. In 2011, she was signed to Atlantic Records in her bid to gain global success, and announced she would be releasing her second album, Ghosts, in late 2012. The much anticipated album is due to release in December, along with her single, Living Dead.

Her stage name, Lexi and the Spectrum, consits of her nickname, Lexi, and the Spectrum, taken from the idea of Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon album cover, this is representional of her inspiration to become a singer-songwriter as a child.