Locations video - Emma Holt

I feel that a forest would be an effective location for our music video as it could look quite mysterious and quirky if we use the right props and costumes. I like the fact that it is a natural place, we could use a contrast within certain shots by dressing me (the performer) in quite bright but natural dressed down clothes. Whether it is bright or dark in the forest it will set a certain mood; depending on the mood it creates, we can set those select shots to a particular bit in the song to match.

This an image of one of our desired locations (Manor Park), this road/park will be the location in which I will be seen riding the bike with the basket and balloons on, we decided as a group that this is an appropriate location for these shots as the background is quite dull and made up of dark greens and blacks. With a colourful bike,costume and balloons I will almost be in contrast to the location bringing an uplifting and positive feel to the place which is what we are trying to achieve.

Nonsuch Park is another choice of natural setting, by using two different parks it will mix up the setting slightly

and give the viewer something different to look at.

We are using a white/black room in shots using the paint and glitter, if the shots are taken in front of a plain background it will make the bright colours of the paint, glitter and lighting stand out. Which will make it more exciting to watch for the viewer, I think it adds to the mystery and the idea of making something boring exciting and colourful.

Prop and Costume List

Make up Trial:

I decided to experiment with various different make styles in order to see which ones would be effective with certain scenes and costumes. The more natural make up is the look we are aspiring to use in the more natural settings eg in the park and on the road side. Whereas the more creative and outrageous styles will be used for the set up scenes when using the glitter and paint against the plain backgrounds. I think using different make up styles it will make the video more exciting and avoid viewer fatigue as it will give the audience something different when the location changes.

I created a prop and costume list so whilst filming we know what props, costumes and make up to take to which locations. By having this table we will be well organised which will create more time for filming. 

This will be our first costume which will be seen in the park location shots, we feel this is an effective costume as it brings a more natural, country side feel to the music video which is one of the conventions that is typical of an Ellie Goulding music video. This look will come in complete contrast to the other costumes that will be seen in the video, this will avoid viewer fatigue and allow them to have various different costumes to look at.

This is another desired look for the music video, however a sequined dress and heels will be worn during the white background shots. By having an exciting and exaggerated outfit it will disguise the fact that there is a low key background, drawing all the attention to the performer and what they are wearing. This is also in high contrast to the first outfit, this more glamorous and party like outfit shows the more classy and dazzling side to the indie pop genre.

Props:

•  Balloons
•  Bike
•  Drum
• Glitter
•  Paint

This image (by Gemma Flinders) shows similar props that will be involved in our video, the props will work well with the cotumes. They are also brightly coloured and associated with positive aspects therefore they will bring a good feel to the video. We have over come problems of not having props eg the bike, by writing an email and forwarding it to a teacher who could then send it to the whole school. We received some positive feedback and now have a students bike available for us to use.

Draft CD Covers

Firstly I chose this image as I feel it would make a CD cover slightly more successful and effective as it is almost typical of the Indie Pop look. The facial expression and make up is quite natural which connotes the artist is happy and confident with the way they look. However due to the fact that the head is turned away shows that they may be hiding something or possibly doesn't want to face the viewers as this is the best side to the face. I edited this image on Photoshop by using the magic wand tool to select the face and neck, I then copied and pasted it onto a blank background and used the smudge tool to smooth the edges. I downloaded the font from 'Da Font' and chose a simple but quirky font that I believe ties in well with the Indie Pop genre. I decided to have a white font as it portrays innocence and purity which relates to the light hearted  genre. The pink flowery background was chosen to portray femininity and elegance, it relates to the Indie Pop genre and those that we have analysed are all female. By layering the background pattern over the face and lowering the opacity it has given a quirky, almost vintage effect I think this is effective as the audience would be attracted to this.

Planning posts - checking your progress Oct 16th SJA

WWW:

• Your posts for 'Intial Ideas' and 'Job Roles' are brilliant Jade - lovely idea, and really creative use of video to communicate effectively
• Thoughtful comments for your 'Lyrics Annotations' - your group has some brilliant ideas, and I am really looking forward to seeing them come to life in your video

EBI:

• Jade, your planning posts are not as compelte as I was hoping they would be? Some work that should be here is missing??
• Uplaod your 'Technical tutorials' and make sure you provide a thoughtful,  written explanation of what you did with the green screen and on Final Cut, and how these technical aspects might influence your own ideas for the video
• Where is your photoshop work for the CD cover practice? This needs to be included.

Overall assessment of 'Planning' so far: Unfortunately, it has to be IN (Improvement Needed). I know you will get this sorted out this coming week Jade. To reach the top of Level 4 (which is what you are certainly aiming for) you need to continue to show your excellent grasp of creativity, innovation, imagination and ICT technical flair for every post. The 'Planning' section of your blog really should provide you with loads of opportunities to demonstrate all of these things.

You and your group have selected a great track from a really interesting artist, and it should give you lots to experiment with in terms of mise-en-scene and representation. I am really looking forward to seeing what your group comes up with.

Concept

I have created a gif showing the main concept of our music video, we have decided to use brightly coloured, sparkly clothes and props to represent the artist and the song as being fun and energetic. The colours will be quite busy and clashing to attract the viewers eye and avoid viewer fatigue. We have the idea of making boring and plain/dull locations look exciting and more uplifting by involving the bright and sparkly costumes and props.

                              

This is the type of look that we have in mind, by using powder paints we can then create a happy, colourful explosion. This will relate to our genre as it has a feel good atmosphere about it, the explosions will automatically excite the audience and it will be interesting to watch. Current Indie Pop artists such as Ke$ha have inspired us to do this as it makes a music video lively and fantastical, it also portrays the artist as being someone who is care free, outgoing and creative.

We are also hoping to achieve the same explosion of colours by placing glitter onto drums and and hitting the surface making the glitter go in the air. Ellie has also used this in a previous video, however she is seen in a studio with lights positioned behind her whereas I will will be in a black room with the lights focussed on the drum/glitter and my face.

Image Annotation

We would like to represent our artist as being a mix between two extremes in the Indie Pop genre, Ellie Goulding is generally seen as being quite natural and pure whereas someone like Marina is known to be more outgoing and daring with her costumes and makeup. I feel that by choosing a mix between the two and maybe incorporating the two looks into the music video it will mix it up a little bit and we will also be including more of the conventions that are seen in an Indie Pop music video. Artists of the Indie Pop genre are typically known as being quite quirky and different, they will always look sophisticated and glamorous in some way. I would like to represent myself (being the performer) as being quite glam and sparkly almost party like.

Final Assessment 'RESEARCH' Oct 10th SJA

WWW:
- Well done for going back through teacher feedback thoroughly and investing so much energy and time in getting your Research section completed to a fantastic high standard Jade.
- All posts are visual, with many of an 'excellent' standard of thought, creativity in presentation and revealing excellent subject knowledge. I really like the use contact sheets, images and gifs throughout.
- Your analytical posts are really interesting to read, as you clearly are thinking carefully about how artists working within different genres choose to represent themselves.
- Your analysis of the audience questionnaire was excellent, and I hope the findings will be of good use in your planning.
- I haven't officially marked the Planning posts yet, but I really liked the ideas and level of creativity shown there so far...

EBI - For 'Planning and Evaluation' sections now:
- Always think of ways (and be prepared to allow yourself time) to continue to come up with creative and unique ways to present each posts - make sure you use functions like the YouTube tagging feature, or a voice over commentary to talk through any analytical posts. Use JING to 'show' technical skill - this will boost your mark in this aspect of your blog. This will help you to secure a high Level 4 grade overall.
- Be super organised in the Planning stages of your music video now - None of your work over the coming weeks can be thrown together - you will need to storyboard, plan effectively, try out lighting, etc, etc... Always document this visually, and keep on top of blog posts.
- Really work at developing your confidence and level of technical skill in the use of Final Cut - and eventually in the use of Photoshop for your Ancillary Tasks - come into Media perhaps at lunch on a Thursday to experiement - this a good time to try out new ideas, as the technicians are on hand to help you.
Overall mark for RESEARCH section: Level 4 - there is really some excellent work here, please make sure this continues, with no inconsistency in the quality of your posts.
The 'Planning' section should give you the opportunity to really show off what you can do in terms of presentation, use of ICT, and clever, creative communication of your thoughts and ideas.

Song Details

We have chosen the song 'Your Biggest Mistake' by Ellie Goulding as it is more upbeat and uplifting compared to other songs in the genre this song falls in. I feel that the song has brings a positive, feel good atmosphere which  the majority of people that took part in our questionnaire expected from a song and video that is of our genre. I think creating a music video to this song will be a highly a enjoyable experience, while listening to the song many thoughts and ideas spring to mind therefore these can all be brought together whilst story boarding the music video. This song comes from the Indie Pop genre, I think it takes a typical approach to the atmosphere that Indie Pop songs create. It is quite powerful song causing her to seem like an strong, independent woman.

Lyrics Annotation

Your Biggest Mistake – Ellie Goulding

Technical Theories

During one lesson we set up a green screen and props that created a band, I chose to be the lead singer as I felt I would benefit from the experience, gaining more confidence whilst performing in front of the camera. Three cameras were set up at points around the performers to record from various different angles. The differing shot types enabled us to capture a shot of each of us which we could then switch between whilst we the edited footage on Final Cut. We used the computer editing programme to put together the music video and alter the background, by using the Chroma key and moving the lines to select the green background we were able to remove the selected colour and put in an image of our own. We chose to use a clock as it related to the song 'Tik Tok' and fits in with the random Indie Pop aspects.

This task made me realise that not all of the locations/settings within a music video have to be natural and the green screen is a possible way of creating effective and interesting backgrounds that will avoid viewer fatigue and create a more fun and lively atmosphere. It has also given me more in depth knowledge of how to use Final Cut and the Chroma key which will be highly beneficial when it comes to editing our music video clips. I thoroughly enjoyed this task as it gave me an insight to what the atmosphere will be like when we film our own music video.

Roles

My main role in the group is acting as the artist and performing in the video, I feel that I would be a successful performer as I can be confident and exaggerated in front of the camera. I also feel that I fit the criteria that is generally seen in a solo woman performer in the Indie Pop genre. I will also have a chance of filming when we decide to film objects that will be in between shots of me, this is effective use of the camera as everyone in the group will have a chance of operating it. I feel I have had enough experience with cameras in media to create a shot that looks professional. I feel that being the performer it would be more efficient if I were in charge of hair and make up as I can try out different styles and colours on myself. 

Initial Ideas

I created a spider diagram to portray the initial ideas that me and my group have put together. The majority of things we recorded on the board were mise en scene factors such as, costume, lighting and props. We feel that this diagram will help us when story boarding our music videos and there are many aspects that we can incorporate into the production. 

Assessment 'RESEARCH' SJA Oct 3rd

WWW:

- Jade, I have really enjoyed reading through your blog, as it's so organised and really interesting to read your thoughts and analytical posts. There's some very impressive work here, and you should feel very proud of the work so far for many posts.
- Your Audience Research was excellent - I am please Survey Monkey was so effective for you - you just need to complete post 19 by scanning in (or taking a screen grab) of your actual survey
- Your Record Label research was also excellent - visual posts, with evidence of thorough investigation
- Great to see a blog with all 3 posts on Theories completed - I hope understanding these has helped you and your group think about your own music video


ebi:
- Post 12 - Low Budget Videos - could perhaps be enhanced through maybe creating a tagged youtube version of the videos, where you explain what effects / features were effective and why - or maybe a voice over commentary if you have time. This would really enhance your blog
- Post 13 - Good mood board - just needs a paragraph where you explain how artists working within this genre choose represent themselves and why
- Post 15 - Genre research - conventions - missing?? This is a big post where you should really show off your ideas / research, and technical skill with the blog
- Post 16 - CD cover analysis - I could only see two (very excellent ones...) - I think you need to do one more
- Post 18 - Advert research - A brilliant advert for Gwen Stefani - but no analysis?? Needs to have 3 adverts analysed
- Post 19 - Audience Questionnaire - scan in

Overall Effort: VG / Very Good - but with some IN (Improvement Needed) - just at this stage. We need to see this complete by Friday 7th Oct. I have to say, after marking some of the others, I have really enjoyed reading your blog Jade, make sure you spend study periods really being fussy with each post to ensure you come out with amazing grades. It has loads of potential - you just have to keep on top of it.

What Makes a Good Publicity Photo?

- Colour Scheme
- Body Language/Posture
- Lighting
- Facial Expressions
- Composition
- Shot type/angle
- Promoting brand image
- Mise-en-scene (Location, costumes & props)
- Editing
- Conventions of genre

Editing:
There can be two sides to editing a publicity photo, the first would be making the performer look perfect for example airbrushing the skin or making them look slimmer to create a 'phantasampgrical body' Editing can make a really effective publicity photo although too much can ruin it. However it can be a great promotional tool if it matches the genre, the coloured paint effect over this Jessie J publicity photo balances out her serious facial expression which works well with the genre.

Body Language/Posture:
Body language and posture plays a major part in a publicity photo, in this you can see whether the artist takes a confident or more shy approach about their appearance and also career. As you can see Pixie Lott is promoting herself as a sexual object which would attract a larger audience especially young men. The way in which is is thrusting her body up could connote she is happy with her body and the way she looks however this could influence her female audience to want to look like her as her body is perfect.

Facial Expression:
The facial expression of the artist usually sets the mood of the publicity photo, within the pop genre the expression tends to be quite natural. The artist is generally seen looking into the camera addressing the audience this would draw the viewer in and make them spend more time looking at the photo. Robyn is seen looking straight at the camera which poses as being quite threatening, however her stern face shows that she is serious and passionate about her career. I think this is quite an effective publicity photo as her stare is very intriguing.

Mise en scene:
A good publicity photo has to have well composed mise en scene; the props, location and costume have to be relevant to the music genre. The mise en scene in this photo of Eliza Doolittle is interesting as the clashing colours and patterns bring a light and lively atmosphere. The heart shaped glasses make her come across as quite fun and child-like which adds to the cheerful mood.

Lighting:
I think the lighting in this publicity photo although the lighting is natural and doesn't appear to have been set up it plays a major part in the photo. Due to the fact that she has been placed with the back against her sun it is enlightening the back of her. This could be connoting that she has had a positive past in her career and that she is progressing well.

Publicity Photos

WWW:I think this our session of taking publicity photos was a success, we came up with various different ideas that applied to the 3 genres we chose, female solo artist, girl pop band and a rock band. Our positioning was good in each photograph, especially the pop and rock photos. We thought about the stereotypical look for each of the genres and made it our own. I think the white background was effective on the pictures of me as it draws attention to the artist rather than anything behind, making me the main focus. We used a range of shot types, including low angle shots to make those in the image have a higher status.

EBI:We could have improved our publicity photos if we had more time and changed the locations and costumes to make it clear what photos were for which genre. We could have used little or more lighting for example in the rock photos we could have been situated in a darker place or edited them to not be as light. I also think we could have improved by taking more images for each genre as there is only a select few for each.