The Editing Process

I have recently started editing the footage for the music video that my production partner and I are making. We started by copying the footage into Final Cut Pro because this is a better programme to use as it is easier to understand and it looks more professional. Firstly, we put some shots of the band in so that we could see exactly where we wanted to place the shots of our narrative story. In order to make the shots of the band look effective we had to synchronise them so they matched the exact pace and timing of the music, this was very difficult because if we didn't do this correctly then it would just look unprofessional. Once we'd synchronised some of the band shots onto the timeline we began to make plans of what else we needed and where it would go in order for the music video to look good.

After we'd filmed some of the narrative scenes we proceeded to place them onto the timeline so they fitted with the song lyrics, this would make it synchronous and it would therefore help the audience understand what the video is about. Putting the narrative scenes onto the timeline was very easy, because my production partner and I knew exactly where we wanted them to go. However we came across some continuity problems which meant we couldn't use certain shots that we'd taken. We then had to crop and cut some of the other shots in order for the continuity to be correct, this was a tricky task because we had to make sure the footage looked good once we'd cropped it and if it didn't then we'd have to do some more filming. During the music video we have crosscutted between the narrative shots and the performance shots in order to create a richer and more entertaining structure for the video, this allowed the transitions to be smooth with no jump cuts as this is something we didn't want because we felt that it would make the video look unprofessional.

Once the video had all of the major conventions of the indie genre my production partner and I began to incorporate more shots from the narrative scenes in order to make it flow better with the band shots. We wanted the band shots to be synchronous with the overall beats of the song, with a match-on-action so when there is a drum fill we wanted a long shot of the drummer doing this fill as it involves audience members who are interested in this sort of instrument. This shot lasted for about 8 seconds so that the audience could see the drum fill properly, because cutting it would've made it look unfinished and may have given way to a jump cut. This makes the pace of the music video and the transitions flow smoother and reflect the conventional indie music videos that are seen nowadays.

Once my production partner and I felt that we had included enough of the narrative scenes we began to experiment with filters. We did this because we thought that by having a filter our music video would look more professional due to the type of genre the song is from. We looked at a filter called "Cold Steel" because we felt that it fitted in with the genre of our chosen song. This particular filter reflects the ideology and the mood of the song due to it being flat and melancholic, so then an active audience would be able to deconstruct the meaning behind the lyrics when they watch the video because of how the filter makes them feel about the song. Some of the other filters fitted with the genre as well but we didn't feel that there was enough light being shown through some of the others, and this aspect would make our music video look unprofessional which is something we didn't want. On the day of the shoot the sun was very bright and it therefore overexposed the actors so their facial expressions couldn't be seen, by adding this filter it gave a consistent flatter tone to the music video that was monochromatic with the use of blues and greys. This sort of colour scheme reflects the simplicity of the digipak as well, even though a sepia filter is used on the digipak and poster, it represents the ideals of the band and the song itself.

Richard Dyer's Star Theory

The term "pop performer" and "pop star" have become interchangeable and many pop performers are called "pop stars' purely through the amount of advertisement they receive from their management. This is easily done thanks to newspaper stories, a famous boyfriend/girlfriend, attendance at premieres and other events that famous people go to.
Richard Dyer said that 'A star is an image not a real person that is constructed out of a range of materials.'

Stars are made to look in a particular way that will appeal to their audience more, whether it be through their looks or the clothes they wear, accent or body language. They are changed in order to bring in more interest to a particular media product so that the audience enjoy it more. A true pop star does have a lasting significance and also has something called "brand awareness" amongst a wider market over a period of time.

Stars are constructed, artificial images even if they're being represented as real people with real emotions, stars seem to be more successful if they have a unique selling point that represents them and makes them stand out. Music artists are manufactured by their music and the company they work for because the record companies nurture the stars in order to make them as successful as possible, TV talent shows are a good example of this sort of nurture because they tend to manufacture what they think the audience want.

Stars provide audiences with a focus for ideas of what people are meant to look like, for example women might think that they're meant to be thin and beautiful due to the amount of female singers in the music industry that appear to look perfect. Other stars construct characters or alter egos which helps them to create an identity that appeals to their target audeince. The characters may be outspoken and end up becoming an icon to their fans who feel they can relate to them in one way or another.
An example of this would be Lady Gaga, she has become an iconic character who dresses in a unique way which draws attention to her as an artist, she works for her fans and interacts with them through social networking sites like most pop stars. However, she has made a sociological impact on the public due to the unique selling point she has which would be her dress sense.

This theory applies to our band because we go against it, the band are not constructed in a way to appeal to the audience more because they're a natural indie band that dress well and look good in what they do. This will attract a niche audience that are particularly interested in the way the band sound and look compared to what they do to make people like them more.

Decisions and Planning- Production Schedule

Production Schedule

Logistics

The email I sent to our Media teacher about the mini bus hire.

In order for our first day of filming to be successful my production partner and I need to get everything organised so that the day runs smoothly. In order to get to our chosen location we would need to hire a mini bus big enough for all our equipment and the people that are helping us. Due to the fact that neither of us own a mini bus I decided to email our Media teacher about the enquiry of a mini bus hire because I thought this would be the best option for us. After a few days our Media teacher got back to me and suggested that we go and visit the school office to find out if hiring a mini bus would be possible. So we went to the school office and sorted out a mini bus for Thursday 14th November 2013, which was our first day of filming, hiring a mini bus was the best way to get all of the equipment to the location. It made the day much easier to get through and it meant that no one had to use public transport which was good because it takes longer to get to the location by bus.

A map of the route we took to get to The Chase

This is a map of the route we took in order to get to our location, the journey was about 15 minutes long which is more efficient than going by bus because it would've taken longer that way. We decided to change the location of filming because Hainault forest was much further away compared to The Chase and it would've taken a lot longer to get there with could have potentially put us behind schedule. This means that we might've had to do 2 days of filming instead of 1 so in theory it was a much better idea to change the location and hire a mini bus.

Day One of Filming

Thursday 14th November 2013

Today Perry and I were filming some band shots for our music video, we travelled to The Chase with Mr Fossey, Mr Wing, Scott Long and Daryl Staggs. We chose to film at The Chase due to finding a really natural open space yesterday when we went to get some test shots in order for us to get used to the camera as it was new. After arriving to the location and setting up the drum kit and piano, we started to think about what sort of shots we wanted and how we wanted them to look effective in the music video. We started off just getting a normal long shot of the band at eye level, this can be edited in order to fit in with other shots for our music video so it will look more professional. The location reflects the ideals of the band because it represents what they're about and it shows the audience a side to their personality through music. The location had a few trees lying around which made it look more rural.

Getting to the location was easy, we hired a mini bus big enough for all the equipment and the people we needed in order to complete the filming. Once we'd arrived we parked up and began to unload the equipment because we had to carry it to the location in which we'd be filming. It took all of us about 15 minutes to get the equipment to the final location and the about 15 more minutes to set up the equipment and position it correctly in the location we were using to film.

We got some really good shots during filming today, they included some close up of both actors singing to the camera which we will be able to use in our music video to show the synchronisation of the band members which will then reflect the ideals of the band to the audience. Other good shots included a tracking shot of the actors walking to their instruments, this shows the audience the kind of relationship that the band members have with each other and can help the audience to also build a relationship with them on screen.

"Runaway" Lyrics

Intro

Verse 1

I want to know what it feels like to be a runaway with you,

Only needing to touch, only needing to breath.

All I do is await your company.

Verse 2

Take me in your heart, never tear it apart, I'll give you everything,

I know we're always the same, love and never complain,

And we'll never give up, no not today.

Chorus

Runaway (runaway), runaway (runaway), runaway with me,

We'll find a life together, forget the world forever,

Runaway (runaway), runaway (runaway), runaway with me,
Just walk towards our love and then we will be free.

Verse 3

I want to know what it feels like to be a runaway with you,
Holding you in my arms, taking you in my hands,
All I do is await your company.

Verse 4

I'll take you in my heart, from the very start, I'll be your everything,
I know you're always the same, you'll love and always remain,
Right here next to me.

Chorus

Guitar Solo

Chorus

Outro

Audience Profile

Gender: Male or Female

Age: 16-22

A typical audience member for our music video has a psychographic profile of a reformer, they are kind, sensitive and like to buy organic and free range foods in order to make the world a better place. They like to watch independent films and go to film and music festivals with their friends, they do a lot for the environment such as planting trees in their local park and cleaning up litter.

In order to attract a typical audience member to my music video I intend to find a location with lots of natural wildlife and greenery, such as a forest or some wort of nature reserve, this will attract the audience member to our video because it involves something that interests them and they will enjoy the music video more because it involves their common interests. The actors in the video will be of a similar age to the target audience member, this will give them a chance to identify with them, this links in with Blumler and Katz's Uses of Gratifications Theory that people consume media texts in order to relate to characters and artists.

Storyboard

This is the storyboard that I have created for my music video, making a storyboard will give me an idea of what I need to film in order for my video to have a good narrative and some effective shots. The first few shots revolve around the two main characters in my music video, it shows the audience them getting ready to go somewhere but the audience don't know where. This gives them an enigma code to deconstruct which will keep them engaged when watching the video, the type of shots I shall be using include long shots and mid shots to show the audience what the boy and girl are doing. I planned to include some close up shots as well to show the audience the facial expressions of the characters which will show how they're feeling at that particular time. The next few shots involve the boy and the girl getting breakfast as if they need to be somewhere, they'll be in a rush which will make the audience question where they're going. Both of them get onto different types of transport which is shown to the audience through long shots, the camera then jump cuts to a long shot of the boy

sitting on the bus going to his destination. An establishing shot is then shown of the girl waiting at a train station, and the audience don't know why so this will offer them another enigma code to deconstruct whilst they watch the music video. Another split scene is shown as both the boy and the girl travel to the unknown location, the camera the jumps to a high angle shot of the boy getting off the bus. The camera then cuts between the boy and the girl using various shots such as close ups and long shots, this will show the audience that boy and girl meeting up and walking through a forest.

Band logo ideas

My production partner and I had a discussion about the type of logo we would like our band to have, after looking at other band logos we came up with a few ideas. They included:

• A broken heart
• Cogs or some sort of mechanical equipment
• A banner for the band name
• An old fashioned theme 
• Dark or washed out colours

The heart idea was simple yet iconic because it can be used as a tattoo design depending on the complexity of the image, a broken heart shows the band and their fans that they can unite as on through the music the band produce reflecting their ideology. This connotation comes from the two sides of the heart being apart. The colours that I thought about using included red, or a dark maroon to connote love that the band have for their fans, the use of black and grey reflect the style and genre of music as having dark undertones.

The cog design was influenced by the relationship between man and machine. The cogs will be different sizes to connote that no matter who you are you can still fit in with the crowd regardless of your appearance, ethnicity, age etc. Representing the idea of conformity, it also connotes individualism and makes links to linguistic and visual meanings. In relation to other bands logos this particular idea would be very unique and people will instantly recognise it when they see it somewhere. It reflects the ideology of the band through the way the cogs are positioned so closely together, it connotes the type of relationship that the band have with each other as the solidity of the two images create a sense of uniformity.

The banner design was a more decorative feature for the band logo to make it look more appealing to the target audience, a banner will make the name of the band clear to whoever is looking at it. To add more of an indie effect to the banner it is going to included some jagged edges to make it look worn and ripped, this will link in with the font of the band name which is also going to be jagged and in capitals to connote anger to the audience.

Incorporating an old fashioned theme into the logo, such as a sepia filter or dark/washed out colours, will make it conform to the conventions of the indie/rock genre because it makes the logo look faded and worn. It's symbolic codes link back to the 1950's which can help make textual references from then to now through the logo, sepia tones will make the logo look more unique and aesthetically pleasing.

Questionnaire Analysis

Questionnaire Analysis

Band Logo Analysis

Band Logo Analysis

Analysis of Digipaks

Analysis of Digipaks

Web Page Analysis

The official webpage for the band "Paramore" is a very colourful and attractive web page. This is obviously a good thing because it will then grab the attention of fans and other people who are interested in the band. The web page navigation is laid out in a simple yet groovy fashion, the tabs are different to what you'd usually see on a web page. They're not just square boxes or links, they slanted rectangles and this makes them stand out more, the images featured on them are colourful and interesting which will make the audience want to view them. There are many recent news articles that involve the band on the web page, this helps the audience stay up to date with what the band are getting up to and any new songs that have recently been released. The fonts used on this webpage link in with the typical conventions of an indie/rock music video because they reflect the type of music that the band produce. The denotation of the fonts used for particular headings are similar to that of graffiti but not as colourful, they're only black or white depending on the background colour. This connotes that the band are fairly simple yet still interesting, by the use of other colours used on the webpage. The font used for the tabs is the same sort of font that the band use on their album covers, this helps the band to become more well known within the industry because they're using the same fonts and colours on their logos and albums which will make them easy to remember amongst people.

There is a direct link to a music video by Paramore on their web page which gives the audience easy access to something they'd be interested in looking at. This makes the navigation on the web page very easy for the audience because they will be able to find the content they're after without all the hassle of clicking on lots of different tabs and going on YouTube to look at videos. The hero shot of the lead singer from the band is iconic due to the fact that it markets the band as a whole, the hero shot is in fact a music video which will then attract more people into listening to the band. In the bottom right hand corner of the webpage there is a small link to Twitter, this type of digital marketing helps people to become more aware of the band and what they're getting up to. This also links in with Blumler and Katz's Uses of Gratifications theory that people consume media texts in order to find out information about a particular thing, in this case people will follow the band members on Twitter in order to find out what they get up to when they're not making music and on tour.

The official website for the band "The Pigeon Detectives" is a very classical type of website due to the fact that the colours used are quite plain and neutral. The font used for the main title is very clear and attractive to the audience because it's in italics, this convention deviates from the indie/rock genre. The image on the website appears to be the same as the one on the album cover, this makes the band easily recognisable to the audience because they're using the same images and font to represent the band. This webpage won't grab peoples attention compared to the "Paramore" webpage because it's not as colourful and bright, however the simplicity of the webpage will attract a niche audience because it's not bold and 'out there'.

On the webpage there is a video, much like there is on the "Paramore" webpage, both webpages have used the same kind of advertising for their song. By putting it on the webpage their fans will be able to listen to it and download it, they'll also be able to follow the band on Twitter and like them on Facebook as there are social netoworking links at the bottom of the webpage. Having the video in the centre of the page makes the navigation to it much easier as it's right there in front of the audience, this makes it easier for the band to become more well known because the video isn't in the corner of the page where no one can see it.

Having tour dates at the bottom of the webpage is a good way to advertise gigs that the band are going to be taking part in, this will be of some interest to the fans so when they see tour dates they'll be keen to book tickets.

Biffy Clyro- Black Chandelier Music Video Analysis

The music video starts off with establishing shots of the surrounding areas to show the audience the location, these shots last for about 12 seconds before an extreme close up shot is used to show a guitar head stock. The camera then goes to another extreme close up of a speaker with something that looks like black tar dripping on it, this immerses the audience to the intricacies and technicalities of the band instruments, these shots are very common in indie/rock music videos. Soon after this camera shot the lyrics and music start to come in, "Drip, drip, drip, drip, drip" comes in when the tar like substance is dripping off a microphone, and another extreme close up is used to show this. The main colour used is black and this supports the genre because black is a dark colour that is usually associated with indie/rock music videos as it reflects the actual song.

A high angle shot shows the audience the lead singer who is making a clear use of direct address, this makes the audience feel as if the singer is aware of them and the music video itself because of the way he is performing the song. From this particular eye level shot we can see that the singer isn't wearing a shirt, this could be a way of attracting women to watch the video because his body is on show. This aspect of the music video isn't something that will feature in my own because I don't think it would be appropriate and it won't flow with the ideas my partner and I already have.

This birds eye view shot shows peoples shadows as if they're running somewhere, this gives the audience an enigma code into the other occurrences in the video, also making them wonder who these people are and what their significance is in the music video. For my own music video I could use this type of idea because it's mysterious and interesting as the audience won't know who the people are. This idea also fits in really well with the idea that my partner and I have agreed on of a cult worshipping a band, and travelling to where they are in order to worship the band. This shot almost shows the exact same thing, but obviously the audience can't be sure of it until they watch the rest of the music video.

This birds eye view shot shows helicopters flying above lots of cars and people running down below on the road. This sort of birds eye view shot reveals a lot to the audience because it highlights a problem in the video which the audience can then link to the people running in order for them to understand the music video better. The low key lighting is very dark which connotes the genre of the band and the song by making clear links with each other whilst also making the fans aware of what genre the song is.

This establishing shot shows the audience the people who seem to be running somewhere, and one of them is jumping over what looks like a concrete barrier. This connotes the eagerness and determination that these people have to get to where they're going. The lighting is still dark which further connotes the genre of the band and the song, and the only bit of real bright light is shining down on the people who are all covered in black, which connotes that they have some importance throughout the music video.

A close up shot is used to show the audience the drummer and a selection of his symbols, this will appeal to the target audience because it is a common conventions amongst the indie/rock genre of music and this is what the audience like to see in these types of music videos. They make the videos interesting and exciting to watch which is why they appear so much, the audience can clearly see what the band are doing without having to go to a live concert which would obviously be quite expensive. The video replaces that live concert feeling by relating a music video to a concert, giving it the same kind of feeling and atmosphere to a live concert by having close up shots of the instruments, shots of the actual band and low key lighting like there would be at a concert.

Evaluation of the Focus Group

In order to gain some feedback on our idea we organised a focus group to come in and talk to us about our idea, at the beginning of the focus group my production partner and I explained our ideas to the group, we did this because it would give them an idea of what our music video might look like. We then showed them three videos from the indie/rock genre to get them used to the sorts of conventions that are common in indie/rock music videos, this gave them a chance to look for regular occurring things in each video and make connections between the different videos. The videos we different in terms of the type of video but they all had key features that were common in each, we then told them why we liked those certain videos and what ideas we could take from each one to use in our own. After we'd explained why we liked each video, we asked our focus group which one they liked, this then helped us with our own ideas because if the focus group liked a particular convention we could then use something similar to it. Getting feedback from a focus group was really useful in the way that it helped my partner and I structure more ideas based on the groups likes and dislikes, it helped us to decide whether we wanted to make our music video simple or actually quite complex. In order for it to compete with other bands in the same genre we felt that our video would have to be unique and different in the way that it would reflect the ideology of the band, in order to do this we'd need to think outside the box when it comes to filming the footage. We decided to keep things simple yet interesting due to not having a big budget, obviously we'd need to be original with what we do and also make sure that every shot we get looks professional and effective when it comes to getting something across to the audience.

Blank and filled in Questionnaire

Click here to take survey

Music Video Questionnaire

Initial Group Ideas

As a pair we discussed all the different ideas that we had, and decided on the most realistic yet unique one which we both felt would make our music video look professional and exciting. Our ideas included:

• Having a narrative/performance music video which involve the band and their dopplegangers, this sort of idea stemmed from Thirty Seconds To Mars' video "The Kill", we both felt that this sort of idea would intrigue the audience into wanting to watch the video. We decided on showing the band while they travel to a studio and how they get on and what they get up to, the camera would go back and fourth between the band and the dopplegangers who were already at the studio and recording the bands song.
• We'd decided on using a filter for the video to make it look more indie and different, giving the video a retro feel to it, making it more interesting.
• Filming some of the music video in a field and showing the audience the bands relationship with each other, and how they interact with one another.
• Having the band and the dopplegangers meet at the end of the video, we thought this might be effective because the audience don't know what's going to happen next between both groups.
• The band and the dopplegangers wear different clothing and have different hairstyles so the audience can differentiate between the two groups, this also shows the audience that everyone has another side to them and their personality.
• Narrative camera shots, such as a point of view shot and over the shoulder shots, this will help the audience to relate with the band as they'll be able to see things through their eyes.
• Editing techniques such as fast forward and slow motion when the band are travelling to the studio, this will give the audience a chance to see how busy but also how laid back their lives are.

As a pair we also discussed other ideas, because after receiving feedback on our initial idea we realise that it might not be as realistic and professional as we once thought. So we thought of another idea which seemed more professional but also unusual:

• Having a narrative/abstract music video that involves different people waking up and getting ready, but all putting on the same clothes. Once these people are ready they leave their house and start travelling to an unknown location which then turns out to be a forest, upon their arrival the people realise that they're all dressed in the same clothes and that they're all going to the same location. Once they get into the actual forest the audience realise that the people are following the sound of a song that coming from within the forest, the people then arrive to where the band are playing and they all start worshipping the band and dance along to the song.
• We decided that using low key lighting would work best with this music video so we were going to film it during the early evening in order for the music video to look mysterious and unusual.
• Filming on the transport the people use will help the audience to understand that they're different to everyone else and that they're sort of the main characters because the music video revolves around them and their journey to the forest.
• A long shot can be used to show the audience the people walking into the forest, this makes the audience wonder what they're doing and why they're going into the forest.