Shooting Schedule

Together me and Ian have put together a shooting schedule, which we had hoped to follow fairly meticulously in order to film our music video and edit it easily and effectively. However me and Ian have faced many difficulties when trying to film due to incidents occurring provoking us from doing so.

Problems:

• The weather has caused filming to be delayed slightly, as we feel it best to film when the weather is sunnier in order to produce a more positive tone. However due to the winter and this time of year, we have had to become more lenient as the weather is a factor that cannot be controlled.
• It has been decided that most of the indoor filming will be taking place at my house, as the walls are all white, allowing us to create the peaceful and clean image of the video we desire. However, we were unable to film on two separate occasions due to my mother falling ill, leaving us unwilling to film as so not to disturb her. However, she has now made full recovery and me and Ian are to begin filming again tomorrow (29/11/2010).
• The school has disallowed pupils to go off site during lessons, a huge disadvantage as me and Ian will not be filming the majority of our video on site. To overcome this, me and Ian are planning to work weekends in order to achieve the filming out of school that we need for our music video.

Although faced with a few set backs, me and Ian are keeping in constant contact and are ensuring that we cooperate as much as possible in order to achieve what we want.

Establishing shot

This is an image I took of my school where me and Ian will be filming part of our music video. I believe it is a good idea within a narrative music video to have at least one establishing shot, due to the fact that it keeps the video consistent and allows the audience to establish where it is that the characters are.

Me and Ian filmed this part of the school from 3 separate angles with an additional one where we have panned the camera from left to right to give a broader view of the location.

When it comes to editing we may not use all shots that were filmed due to timing, however we felt it best to gain different angles as to be creative and produce more images for the audience.

Angles we used include :

• Low angle shot - Used filming the entrance of the school looking upwards
• Close up - Used filming the entrance in order to show the school in more detail
• Long shot - To give the audience a complete image of the school. We believe this one will be most effective as an establishing shot to determine the location of the characters.

By using the location of the school for about a third of our video, it reflects the youth of the characters and will be a familiar setting that our target audience can relate to. We also believe the main building to be eye catching and quite extravagant, giving our music video a different look compared to other schools. Although quite a detailed and quirky idea, I believe the school to look almost castle like, perhaps revealing that the teenage male character sees the girl he admires to be somewhat like a princess.

Further Locations and filming

This image was taken just outside of my school and is always very quiet during lesson time, allowing me and Ian to film without interruption.

When we filmed here we found the sunlight to be fairly tricky, posing risk of revealing shadows of the camera and tripod we were using in order to film. However, we overcame this by finding the right angles and were able to film a shot of Ian walking towards the camera which will be interpreted as him walking towards me within the video. I find this location to really add to the video as the sunlight adds a certain innocence, reflecting the romantic, teenage tone of the video and music. The quiet setting also exaggerates the two characters being alone together, emphasising their secret longing for each other.

Here is another shot taken of the same path shown above,with Ian in the foreground. This shot is a perfect shot to show the two characters have minor interaction with each other in a peaceful setting. The sunlight was again a factor that caused issue whilst trying to avoid casting shadows of our equipment. Me and Ian also felt pressured due to timing, as lessons were due to finish whilst we were still filming, making us feel slightly rushed, however we ensured that we achieved the shots we wanted without disturbing the quality.

This is a shot of my car which we filmed for part of our video. The car plays the role of allowing the audience to establish how the character (me) travels to school, in order to keep the video coherent and narrative based. I believe the car to be a signifier of how the girl in the music video has an element of control over the boy, making him smitten and obviously in love, whilst she remains fairly dominant. Within this picture it is clear that our shadows were reflecting against the car. To overcome this when filming, we used a variety of angles with the camera so that our shadows could not be seen.

Storyboard

In order for me and Ian to achieve a successful narrative based music video, we have produced a story board in which we hope to follow. As a result of creating a storyboard, me and Ian will have more of a clearer idea of how to shoot our video for 'You, Your Cat and me'.

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These images of our storyboard which have been scanned in to a computer, show mine and Ian's first thoughts and decisions about the plot for our music video. The first 4 shots drawn in the first section of our storyboard will be filmed against a plain white backdrop in order to reflect the image we are planning to have as the cover of our Digipack. Although the storyboard shows 4 different shots which would presumably last around 4 seconds, me and Ian have made the decision to film each shot here from 3 separate angles in order to reveal the character's depth but also make the video more aesthetically pleasing for the audience. We believe this to be quite an effective approach to filming, although very time consuming. For most of the shots in our video, me and Ian will use a variety of different angles to establish the mood, setting and character with more depth, allowing the video to flow easier. When it comes to editing, me and Ian will use quick cuts when putting together the same shot from the separate angles, a technique used often within music videos.

The images within our storyboard shown above are merely first ideas and are most likely going to progress through more planning and experimenting, however we believe they create a solid foundation for beginning filming.

Target Audience for Music Video

Me and Ian have come to the conclusion that the target audience for our music video should be teenagers both male and female between the ages of 13 - 18. We have chosen to aim our video at this age group as we interpret the lyrics of the genre of music to concern rather teenage, trivial issues about liking the opposite sex. We also feel that the sound of the music appeals to the younger generation as it makes use of instruments which can often be quite loud and energetic. The appearance of the artist is also important as his quirky, modern and fashionable image will be more pleasing to those between the ages of 13 and 18.

Within our video we are going to create our own image and branding for the artist. However this is quite difficult as his sound and appearance is similar to what we are both striving for. In order to overcome this, me and Ian are going to use locations and wardrobe to enhance the age of the teenagers. We might possibly place familiar items and images within the video enabling our target audience to recognise them and relate more easy, such as the latest fashions or fashion products.

Locations

To complement the narrative idea for our video, me and Ian have decided to film in a variety of locations for our music video to keep it flowing and to also ensure that it makes sense. We decided part of the video should be filmed around school and below are some images that we took as possible locations when it comes to filming:

Here is an image of outside the front of the school. We believe that this large open space is a perfect opportunity to create a section of our music video. It could be possible to use quick cuts when editing, between the girl walking from the far building on the left, to the boy being seated at one of the benches in the foreground. This will engage the audience and allow them to understand the situation between the two characters. The negative issue about using this space would be lighting. In order to ensure that continuity is not disrupted, all filming would have to be completed within the same day.

To the right is a picture me and Ian took within the courtyard of my school. The benefits about using this location would be the small area and rounded alcoves could enhance the idea of voyeurism and reflect a romantic vibe, however the previous issue regarding lighting still remains a factor we must take into consideration whilst filming. To overcome the problem, all filming would have to be completed within one day, again, ensuring that continuity errors are not present when coming to editing.

Here is an image we took of a small garden within the school. Here we could have the characters situated at separate tables but edit the shots to show them either looking at eachother, or one character looking at the other to emphasise the notion that they are secretly in love with the other person. Again, the issue about lighting is present with this location, meaning we must follow to a shooting schedule to ensure all filming is completed in this part of the school within one day.

This location within the school is different to the others as it is not outside but in an inside environment where we can control the lighting. This space is often left empty meaning me and Ian should have little disruption when filming. The use of curtains along the back wall and lighting along the ceiling enables us both to control the lighting to suit how dark or light we want it to be. We were possibly thinking this space could be used to unite the two characters, having them alone in the centre of the room at the crescendo of the video to portray their love and to create an equilibrium.

Although we have many ideas to base our video around the school, me and Ian feel that the video should also have a large segment filmed in the location of a house in order to create a background for the characters so it is easy to establish more about their personality within the video. In order to decide, me and Ian must create a well planned storyboard and shooting schedule which indicates where and when we are to film and what will be included.

Finding an Artist

When told to plan and create our own music video to go with a track of an unsigned artist, i instantly knew the artist I wanted to use. Because of this, I had no problem in seeking what genre and artist to use, although I did browse a few unsigned pages on MySpace incase I was not allowed to use my chosen artist and therefore would need a reserve solution.

I fell upon using the artist 'Frank Hamilton' who has become widely known through the help of MySpace but still remains as an unsigned artist. I found this artist around 2 years ago when searching for new music on MySpace and throroughly enjoyed the acoustic music that he created.

I came to the decision to use his song 'You,Your Cat and Me' as it has been my long term favourite and I believe the lyrics would work well when aiming to create a narrative based video - possibly about a boy admiring a girl from afar (use of voyeurism may come into use when further planning).

Once I had decided what song I wanted to use, I then went on to seek permission from the artist. I used my MySpace account to send a personal message to his MySpace music profile, which can be found here: http://www.myspace.com/frankhamiltonband. As I interpret him to be a fairly laid back and humble artist, I took a more colloquial approach when sending him a message via social networking site. Below is a screenshot image of the message I sent him:

Below is a copy of the lyrics to the song 'You, Your Cat and Me':

And you make me sweat right through
I know that all I missed
Off my Christmas list
Was you

And you make me think out loud
And I’m holding on
But my head’s just gone
To the clouds

So wont you tie me down for good
(Tie me down for good)
And wont you tie me down for good

‘Cuz there’s nowhere I would rather be
Than on your sofa watching cr*p tv
With no-one else there
‘Coz it’s just you, your cat and me

And you make this feel like school
Going out for smokes
Playing pratical jokes
Like a love drunk fool

So wont you tie me down for good
(Tie me down for good)
And wont you tie me down for…

‘Cuz there’s nowhere I would rather be
Than on your sofa watching cr*p tv
With no-one else there
‘Coz it’s just you, your cat and me
Find More lyrics at www.sweetslyrics.com

Think it, say it
Think it, say it
If you think it, say it
If you think it, say it (cover it up)
If you think it, say it (cover it up)
If you think it, say it (cover it up)
If you think it, say it
Cover it up, cover it up

(cover it up)
If you think it, say it (cover it up)
If you think it, say it (cover it up)
If you think it, say it
Cover it up, cover it up
x2

‘Cuz there’s nowhere I would rather be
Than on your sofa watching cr*p tv
With no-one else there
‘Coz it’s just you, your cat and me
Cover it up, cover it up

(cover it up)
If you think it, say it (cover it up)
If you think it, say it (cover it up)
If you think it, say it
Cover it up, cover it up
x2

After carefully listening to the song that lasts 3:11 minutes, I went against the idea of working in a group alone as I believe the task to be too great and I highly appreciate the input of others. Instead, I joint up with Ian Beattie, another member in my A2 class and we have decided to plan and create this music video together.

When discussing with Ian what material should be contained within our music video, we thought it should be of a narrative based kind as it would complement the lyrics and sound of the track quite well. Although slightly unclear, the two of us thought it quite fitting if the story of the music video were to be a young teenage boy admiring a girl from school, unaware that she also admires him back, however the two have never met. We felt this idea to be quite simplistic but could work well with the right locations and general mise en scene.

Album Covers

I am going to look at 5 different album covers and create a brief analysis of each one. By doing this, it well help me to understand what I need to do in order to create a cover that represents my artist to their full potential and that is pleasing to the consumers.

To the left is an image of the album cover 'In Rainbows' by 'Radiohead'. The album cover instantly grabbed my attention through it's use of vibrant primary colours and intriguing background. The font used for the album title is the same used as the name of the band 'Radiohead' and although it corresponds, I find this to be a negative use of design. To those who have never heard of the album or the band, it would be unclear to them what the album is called and what the band is called as the font is similar in colour and size. However, I appreciate the attention to detail with the eye catching background which suggests a band full of energy and creativity, linking to it's image of an explosion. The colour scheme works well against the surrounding dark baground and without a doubt, this cover certainly attracts attention quickly.

To the left is an image of the album cover 'Just the Way You Are' by 'Bruno Mars'. The instant reaction to this album cover would be to draw your eyes to the large pink and purple image to the left of the cover. The image is cleverly designed using feminine colours to relate to the artist's target audience of young, teenage girls who will find this image more appealing. The font used here for the artist is simple yet displayed well so it is not totally overwhelmed by the image. I especially like the mosaic effect on the album cover, giving it a unique look whilst being effective in drawing attention at the same time. When designing the artwork for my Digipack, I am going to take inspiration from the use of individual idea and design from this album cover in order to create a personal and different form of album artwork.

To the left is an image of Cheryl Cole's album '3 Words'. Unlike the previous 2 album covers I have looked at, this one clearly places the artist in the centre of the cover so audiences can instantly recognise the familiar face of the popular musician. The classic black and white colour scheme reflects the almost 1950's pin up girl style and decorative head piece used here. The imagery of the flowers and pose of the artist appeals to both males and females, creating an alluring but feminine appearance that many will find attractive. The use of displaying the artist's name and album name 'Cheryl Cole 3 Words' as a tattoo on her shoulder is highly clever and makes the consumer look harder at the cover, bringing more and more attention in. I really like and appreciate the design and work of this album cover and will use the elements that link together such as image,font and colour when creating my own Digipack.

Here is an image of the album cover 'The Libertines' by 'The Libertines'. The album cover features the two well known figures of the indie world - Pete Doherty and Carl Barat who are positioned clearly in the centre of the cover. For those familiar with the band, the raffish charm of the two men corresponds well with the music of the band and almost works as the artwork itself. The font works well with the genre and imagery of The Libertines however the cover itself gives very little insight into the full band and only merely the two lead singers. I feel this album cover to be useful in not what to do when creating an album cover for my artist.

Below is an image of Lady GaGa's album cover 'The Fame Monster'. It shows the artist positioned well in the middle so the audience can establish and recognise who she is. The font used it simple and clear so it is easy to read and the black and white colour scheme means that the album is different and suggestive, linking to her questioning eyes which pull in the audience's attention. I particularly like the angles used in this picture with the square edging of the jacket and triangular shape of the hair which suggest the artist is modern, eccentric and unique. When designing my own Digipack I am going to consider this album cover in the sense that it's layout works extremely well, giving the information needed whilst being effective also.

Album Art

When creating the cover to my Digipack, it is important that i take many factors into consideration in order to establish a good representation of the artist that I will choose to use.

• Genre: This is important as it will enable me to distinguish who the music is aimed at, what is appealing within that particular genre and what will inevitably attract the audience to the CD.
• Audience: By establishing who the target audience is, it will be easier to decide how to present the CD cover as I will gain information about what people look for when choosing the product.
• Imagery: Imagery is important as it depicts the artist in a negative or positive light. It is important that the right images and artwork is selected and that it represents the chosen artist in a realistic and positive way, creating an effective and well designed cover, rather than an over crowded and messy one.
• Font: This is highly important as the typography used must reflect the artist's music in a true way. It would be wrong to select a font such as 'Courier', which has connotations of a simplistic and acoustic artist when designing an album cover for a heavy metal band. The font used must coincide with the imagery and music contained within the CD and it's cover as it is a highly important factor when aiming to appeal to target audiences.

Digipack

- Digipacks were originally created by MeadWestvaco and their product named 'Digi-Pak' is now trademarked.

A digipack is a type of CD package which goes against the normal representation of how a CD would usually be displayed. The packaging for a digipack is often made out of heavy paper or other cardboard material, giving it a more defined and unique look. Digipacks often have the design of opening like a book or similarly, to that of an everyday plastic CD case. However they can often have three parts to them, one part opening to the left, the other to the right both covering the CD that is placed in the centre third. The Centre that holds the CD is often made of a plastic material, like that of a traditional jewel case CD, this simply means that the plastic portion is attached to the cardboard or paper background.

Digipacks come with many positive and negative effects, many reasons for having one benefit the artist however the cost of having one can come as a hindrance.

• Digipacks are aesthetically pleasing and offer the artist a unique approach to displaying their CD. It also allows the artist to create further inside artwork or displayed lyrics or artist information as the design offers more room for development. However this ability to more creative comes at a price as constructing the ideal Digipack is more costly than an average CD case (Jewel Case).
• Jewel cases have been known to crack or snap easily, sometimes even when first opening it after purchasing. Digipacks offer a more sturdy approach to packaging which seems unlikely due to it's material use. However, after time the paper beings to separate and rips and tears begin to appear, making the Digipack look less attractive.
• The trays in Digipacks break more often than they do in Jewel Cases. There is less protection as the outer casing is constructed from flimsy materials such as paper, cardboard or card stock. As a result of this, the teeth that keep the CD firmly in place are at a higher risk of cracking and/or falling out.
• When the unfortunate event of the teeth breaking in a Digipack happens, the CD falls out the bottom of the packaging as unlike Jewel Cases, there is no material left there to hold it in place.
• Digipacks are more environmentally friendly compared to Jewel Cases. They are often made of recycled materials such as paper and unlike Jewel Cases, offer a more friendlier approach to packaging. However to establish such an eco friendly case, it is not always the case when it comes to physically producing the product, going against the original cause.

With help from my partner Ian who I have chosen to work with in a group creating our own Music Video, he has offered his Digipack by Damien Rice for me to demonstrate what one may look like

After analysing this Digipack I found it's appearance to be very simplistic, not very eye catching and it delivers very little insight into the artist. I decided to listen to the music on the album 'O' by artist 'Damien Rice' and found it to be calming and simple, thus linking to the appearance of the Digipack. Although the sound of the music and the appearance of the packaging coincide with eachother, when it comes to my Digipack working in a group with Ian for our artist, I want it's appearance to be eye catching and relevant to the artist, creating a corresponding theme. In order to establish what our Digipack will look like, me and Ian have decided to produce our own designs for our artist and combine them to produce what we believe represents our artist in the best possible way.

My first thoughts about how to display the Digipack are in the format of the packaging that places the CD in the centre third with the left and right portions covering the disc. On the cover will display the arist's name and an image that relates to the music i.e. acoustic guitar. The inside left sleeve is an ideal place to have a placement for the song lyrics and on the right some simple artwork design that reflects the artists image. On the back of the Digipack a corresponding art design will surround the edging, similar to that used on the inside, alongside a centred track listing in our desired font.

The Online Revolution

The Online Revolution has had a lasting, profound effect on today's music industry, affecting all those involved i.e. the record labels, the companies and the artists themselves. More and more people in society today are gaining access to the internet and with almost 2 billion frequent internet users across the globe, the music industry is reaping the benefits but also suffering the consequences.

Internet users today can access the web through normal laptop or desktop computer which appears to be the desired way of using the net. However, recent developments in technology and use of convergence has meant that people around the world can gain internet use through a variety of different devices. The launch of the iPhone and iPod Touch has enabled buyers to access the internet within the palm of their hand, ensuring that within seconds they are able to surf the net wherever they are in the world, be it a theme park, a restaurant or whilst sitting on a train. This easy way of browsing the web is becoming increasingly popular and more people across the globe are catching on to this leading technology.

With internet users rapidly increasing and more than half of the UK using the internet on a daily basis, the music industry has suffered catastrophically. It would seem natural to say that with all the easy access to the internet, the publicity and promotion that follows for music would be benefitial, however it does not seem to be the case. Although people can listen to music for free via YouTube and Spotify, they follow through by going one step further and resorting to illegal downloads in order to have the music for themselves. Converter websites have become increasingly popular in the past 2 years, with internet users converting YouTube mp4 video files, into mp3 music files, the rate of illegal downloading has risen dramatically. It was reported by IFPI (The International Federation of the Phonographical Industry) that in 2008 over 40 billion songs were illegally downloaded, having a severe knock on effect to all those involved in the music industry. This costly figure accounts for a whopping 95% of all online downloads made, slashing profits for record labels and companies, leaving only a mere 5% profit. In simplistic terms, online file sharing and illegal downloads are costing the music industry an equivalent of a loss of around £45 billion. In response to this great deal of losses made, iTunes made an increase in song price from £0.79 to £0.99 in hope of generating more of a profit, however this has a negative effect for the public as they believe it is too much to pay for a single track, and instead resort to illegal downloads. This becomes a vicious cycle both for the consumer and the music industry.

Although the music industry has suffered major set backs, large companies such as Universal Music Group who are part of 'The Big Four' are developing newer ways to promote their artists and sell their music.

• Web 2.0: Web 2.0 allows artists to create online social networking pages such as Facebook, MySpace and Twitter. The benefits of sites like these allows the audience to feel more associated with the artists and involved in their music. These sites often integrate latest music videos and a selection of songs from past and present albums within the page, enabling the audience to sample the music before making the decision wether to legally purchase the tracks. These web pages often include hyperlinks to a legal downloading facility such as iTunes which makes downloading quick and convenient for the consumer.
• Vevo and YouTube: YouTube has often been a bustling hub for music lovers across the globe. However, due to file sharing and illegal converter websites, consumers are now resorting to convenient and illegal ways to gain the music for themselves. As a result, Vevo was launched early 2010. Vevo allows the audiences to listen to the music whilst watching the artist's video at the same time. This enables the consumers to recognise the visual attraction of the artist as well as enjoying the track itself. Vevo does not consent to illegal downloading and instead offers the audience a chance to merely sample it, however offers quick and easy links to legal and affordable downloading facilities.

After reviewing and analysing how the Online Revolution has impacted the music industry, it is clear to say that in order for record labels and companies to enhance benefits, they need to be creative and understand what the consumer's wants and needs are. In today's society, music lovers want to access their music within seconds and be able to download it more conveniently and affordably, the use of hyperlinks on social networking sites and Vevo to iTunes is a way of responding to the customer's needs.

Branding

Branding enables an artist to create an identity for themselves and those who follow branding, often use similar and recognisable images, sounds or clothing in order for audiences to familiarise themselves with the artist. I have chosen to use Lady GaGa as an example of branding, as her unique and almost niche style has created mass popularity and global recognition.

Each image I have presented below indicates that Lady GaGa has branded herself as unique and individual. Her recognisable images of the lightning bolt, jagged costume and black and white theme that correspond throughout her appearance and merchandise ensure that as an artist, she is easily noticed. The use of the lightning bolt can be seen in the image of her covering half of her face with her hand, revealing the lightning bolt on the other side. This indicates that Lady GaGa has almost made this symbol as her trademark so that audiences will recognise her. She has branded this lightning bolt onto a t-shirt with a black and white theme that also corresponds with her music video image. The black and white colour scheme can also be seen on her album cover as well as the trademark lightning bolt. In addition to this, the image of her performing live shows a costume that is sharp around the edges, bringing connotations back of that familiar symbol used throughout her image.