Props in our Music Video

Props

In our music video we will need to use several props that we have to get. In order to make sure we don't forget anything we had to look into our storyboards to see what our video required.

What we need:

• A projector - to create the projected images needed in our video
• A pocket watch - we want to show Olivia-Mae waiting for someone but we didn't want to use a phone as it was considered too modern; we therefore decided to use a pocket watch to follow the indie convention
• A lighter - Olivia-Mae looks for a lighter to light some candles but this is how she stumbles on a letter that is the main catalyst for our video
• A letter - A note that Jenny to shows Ruth's unfaithfulness towards Olivia-Mae
• An acoustic guitar - for Ruth to play with Olivia-Mae in the garden or campfire (which is another convention for indie
• A broken guitar - to set on fire symbolizing Olivia-Mae's rage

After deciding on the props needed we set about sourcing the props. Below we have a few age ideas for who could provide them along with a couple of pictures wherever possible. 

Projector - Samuel

Pocket watch - Hannah's sister 

Lighter - Crystal

Letter - Coral

Guitar - Samuel

Broken guitar - Joseph (a friend of the group)

Acting in our Music Video

Actors

We need at least 3 characters to playing in our video as we'll have 3 main actors and the a few extra to play the friends in a scene when they all get together. I will still be playing the role of Olivia-Mae (I am the main character so the video will be mainly from my perspective) as I have acted in our AS media video and my group believes I have the abilities required. Olivia-Mae is in a relationship with the character Ruth so we needed another person to play this role and another to play the character of Jenny. We came to the decision that a friend named Coral will be good as the role of Euth as she has had her experience in acting and we know her very well. We have also decided that Hannah will be a good person to play the role of Jenny as she too has acting experience and she is part of our group so we figured it was a good way to show more members of our A2 group. Considering the fact Jenny has a minor role throughout the video we found it would be much easier for Hannah to be more involved in the actual filming for most of the time as well as another member of our A2 group (Anica) so we shouldn't be short of hands.
For our A2 I acted in the video and we hired another actor that we never actually met before but it came out well, hopefully using people we actually know will allow us to feel more vocal and it is easier to keep in contact with one and other.

Location Choices

Location Location Location

Our music video includes several locations so this could be challenging. Sam went location scouting in Shot-Over Woods which is easily accessible and has many sections to it which could enable us to use a wider variety of locations.

Field 1:

Possible issues:

Getting there might be difficult. It requires a 20 minute walk through the woods which in itself isn't strenuous, but our group has varying fitness levels and we might be carrying quite a lot of equipment with us.

The weather is also something to be taken into account. Because this field is wide and open and we will be standing still when filming this, we could get quite cold. This means we will need to wear a lot of clothing, and also prepare for wet weather should it appear. There is plenty of tree cover nearby if it does rain heavily, but we will need to keep the equipment dry.

If we want to film at sunset or sunrise (golden hour) we will have a short window of time in which we can film because of the dramatic changing light of qualities during golden hour. In addition to this, we will need to get home quickly after filming as it gets darker in the evening sooner, and this location is a 20 minute walk from any street lamps.

If it rains heavily before we film, the ground will be very muddy. We will need to wear appropriate footwear.

Notes on location:

This field is the busiest of the three fields I looked at, so we may need to wait for people to walk out of frame if we are filming towards the path (not in the photo above). However, it shouldn't be hard to frame the path out, and so we shouldn't have to worry about that.

I like this location, but the grass is short and kept which might give this location a bit of a park-like-look potentially being too similar to when Olivia-Mae and Ruth are walking the dog.

Field 2:

Possible issues:

Same as field 1 - it's right next to it.

Notes on location:

This is a favourite field amongst our group because the grass is longer and unkempt. Sam has filmed here in the past, and he believes the grass gives a really nice look on camera. The grass has always been long when he came here in the past, so he doesn't believe it will be cut between now and when we film (plus, it's winter time).

It's a quieter field, so we're unlikely to have to stop and wait for walkers which will make filming here much easier.

Field 3:

Possible issues:

Same as field 1 - they're all adjacent fields!

Notes on location:

The biggest field of the three. The grass is short much like the first field, but also has a path that goes through the field, so framing people out will be even harder. It is busier than the second field, but not as hectic as the first.

Forest Path:

Possible issues:
Same as field one. However, as it's a path it will be busier.

Notes on location:
This could be interesting considering it's symmetrical; if our subject was standing in the middle it would show great composition (rules of thirds) and create a good effect.

Forest Area 1:

Possible issues:
Same as field one. There's also an abundance of thorns bur the location should be surmountable.

Notes on location:
While it doesn't come out well in the photo this location could work really well because it is an accessible thicket of long grass and shrubbery. With a subject, movement and haze, this location will really show its depth.

Forest Area 2:

Possible issues:

Same as forest area one - This is right next to a path.

Notes on location:

Really good location if it doesn't bother the actors that it is right next to a path. The trees create a really desolate and lonely feel which would be good for parts of the video.

Campfire:

Possible issues: 
As seen in the above images, there's been wet weather recently. We'll need to store some wood. Fire is also dangerous so we will need to take safety precautions.

Notes on location: 
This is in Coral's (Ruth's) grandparent's back garden. Easily accessible with a house nearby in case of emergency!

A Change in Direction

Song choice

After our efforts to try and create an original song we recorded we eventually found it wasnt really working as well as we'd hoped. None of us really had much experience in recording a song so we were learning the process as we went on. It was an extremely valuable experience for us all and we developed some new skills. It helped us to establish what tone it was we were going for, and as a result, we will have a music video that can be more visually and tonally refined.

Here are four rough version of the song we worked on:
Instumental:
(Sam had to record all of the instruments in the song separately because there wasn't a full band)

Draft 1:
(Vocals)

Draft 2:
(Flute over vocals)

Draft 3:
(Vocals bought back up after flute)


Final decision:
(Biffy Clyro - Re-arrange)
















... We decided on this particular song because the tone matched the tone of our original song very well. We were able to keep many original aspects of our original ideas for the video. However, we had to change a few of our ideas to shift the artist from Olivia-Mae (me) to the already existing band/artist Biffy Clyro.

The Recording of 'Missing You'

Recording our Song

Here we have a behind the scenes video of our recording 'MissingYou', the song we are planning to use for our A2 video:

Audience

Audience Questionnaire

We decided to create an audience questionnaire to find out what styles/designs of digipak and advert would appeal to a potential audience. We used various examples of digipaks and adverts, including both mainstream and non-mainstream artists. We also tried to include examples from across the indie genre. 

We also wanted to see if age or gender had an impact on choices, as a difference here could mean narrowing our audience. In doing this we also stayed mindful that for some people age & gender may be sensitive topics, so we made sure we provided an option for those who preferred not to say. Below is a copy of our questionnaire:

We then went and asked 8 different people what they thought about the digipaks and adverts. We tried to ask a range of people so that we had a good overall idea of preferences, although obviously some groups (especially 16 - 20 year olds) had more representation than others, mostly because we could access these people more easily. Below are our results:

We seem to have gained quite a variety of answers in our questionnaire, and possibly if we asked more people we might be able to see stronger patterns. Nevertheless, some preferences have emerged. A and B seem to be the most popular digipak design, although all designs were liked by at least one person. In terms of the adverts, however, there seems to be a strong preference for A, with C also being relatively popular. Interestingly, nobody chose B as their favourite, everyone choosing either A or C. There also seems to be no link between favourite digipak and favourite advert.

Overall, we have found that there is a huge variety in people's preferences to indie digipak and advert designs, although Mumford & Sons seems to be a favourite. This shows how wide and varied the genre can be, and how different aspects of it appeal to different people in different ways.

Screenshot Analysis

Analysing Indie a Shot of Videos

Here we analysed screenshots of indie music videos and annotated on top of a chosen shot. Within these shots we can see what they do visually well. We took a still and decided what made them indie and unique according to the typical conventions. Each shot has at least one person in the frame and they're all artistic in some way. All portray a sense of darkness whether in colour or through imagery use through some visual effects.
Here are some ideas: