Filming the Film.

Different Types of Music Videos.

Music Videos can be filmed in various different ways they can:

•  Feature special effects
•  Be animated
• Feature  the singer/ band members
• Use stock footage of the singer/band on tour
• Include the song lyrics
• Film real people 

Special Effects

                                           

This is an example of a special effects video called 'Earthquake'by Labrinith the special effects have been added during editing and the singer has been filmed separately  during pre-production against a green screen and then the special effects were added to the footage during post production. 

Animated

                                         
An example of an animated video is Dare by the Gorrilaz. Animated videos use expensive high- tech computer technology in order to produce   the cartoons and the  generate the 3D depth on the computer so that the animation appears some what life like. The editors have to carefully   enable the cartoon to mime  the lyrics  in sync with the original recording of the singer.A variety of shots have been used also with the aid of a camera.

Featuring the band members

                                         
An example of a video that solely  shows band member is  Foo Fighter Pretender.This is a simple video  where the band members perform the song a large variety of shots and matched cut and the editing is very fast  paced in time with the fast paced and loud  rock music.

Stock-footage-singer/band on tour

This video pumped up kicks by Foster the People is video that uses stock footage recycle footage) of the band on tour and recording their album.It is a very entertaining  video and is designed to give the fans an insight  in to what the band or singer do behind the scenes.
Song Lyrics

This sis an example of a lyric video by Calvin Harris Drinking from the Bottle .Lyric videos are animated as the lyrics move on screen in time with the song and this song in particular is fast so the cuts between each lyrics is very swift. Lyric videos are designed to promote a song publically before the actual music video has been released.Its like a teaser advertising the song.
Filming Real People

This is an example of a music video that capture a real person this is Lego House by Ed Sheeran. It is a fairly simplistic video and the actor is telling the story while miming  the singers lyrics.This a recent trend that many singers are using in their music videos.

Research into black and white music videos.

As a group we have decided to film in black and white.By filming in black and white you can communicate different emotions  it can suggest pain and suffering,depression or in some instances it can symbolise glamour and wealth.Colour filters are often blended in black and white music videos  in order to contrast two different jutxposing  emotion such as sadness in the past and happiness in the present and vice versa.I have researched using these methods to see how these videos portray these.

Black and White films portraying  wealth and Glamour. 

(Jason Derulo It Girl)-https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4oGUHRXT-wA

                             
1)The characters dark skin the foreground of the shot with his dark sunglasses jutxposes against his white colour and his suit which with a black and white colour filter appears as a pale grey which jutxposes against the white and pale grey in the background.This make the singer in the foreground look more prominent in the shot which draws attention to his attire of his suit and sunglasses which suggests wealth and power.

2)Daylight is used which brightens the actresses face and the make-up is heavily applied  which causes her face to have an expensive glamorous shimmering  glow.The lighting  with the aid of then black and white filter softens the actresses dark skin so that it subtly contrasts against her black  hair which conveys happiness and contentment.

3)In this shot the light is blending in and appears blurry or slightly foggy in the background are pale greys and whites which accentuate the dark figure.The singer is wearing a pale coloured jacket that has grey on it that links with similar shades of grey in the background.This perhaps suggests that he feels  that the character is shy.Wealth is also suggested by his attire.

(JayZ and Alicia Keyes New York)-https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0UjsXo9l6I8

1) The man is wearing mid tone shades of black and white which link with the similar shades in the background.

2) In the split screen the shot on the right features pale shades of grey whereas on the shot on the right black is a colour that is more heavily used this juxtaposition  perhaps shows the difference between wealth and a deprived life. This is  because the shot on the left shows busy city life which looks appealing and pleasant whereas with the use of black the shot on the right looks sinister and uninviting .The hostility  promoted is more evident because the two people in the shot,one is wearing black and the other white.

3)In this shot black is heavy used the singer in the foreground is accentuated by the rich use of black that is glammourised by the use of white  which appears as a  shining  shimmer.

Transition from black and white to colour.

          

(All of the Lights-Kanye West)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HAfFfqiYLp0

                           
1) The black  and white a heavy contrast between bold use of black is harsh against the white element of the shot that appear almost a bleach white.This perhaps suggests depression or angst.

2)The colour of the flashing illuminating font that appears immediately after the first shot contrasts heavily with the strong bold black and white used. This does not  link but instead appears random and disjointed perhaps suggesting  either happiness or disorientation.

3)Black and white is featured in the foreground and the brightness  of the figure slightly contrasts  against this.However the sunglasses are black and the brightness of the light reflecting  on the rappers face appears white so the black and white colour filter is in effect used but with the slight introduction of colour that might suggest hope.


       

(EverythingEverything-CoughCough)-https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cjKcmZGhUrQ

                                 
1)Black is used by more mid tone grey and a pale grey white colour is used on his face the balance with the black and white filter unifies the shot.

2) The black and white used in this shot  is much harsher as the black is used  as an antagonist shade in this shot with slight strikes of white which conceal the singers face which appears sinister.

3) The use of the colour filter of really vibrant orange that from an illuminating light once again heavily contrasts against the colour filter used in the last shot suggest happiness.The change in the tonal value colour filter used in each shot with the illuminating colour introduced in the last shot perhaps portrays a mood change.

Black and white used to convey emotion.

(Beyonce-If I were a Boy)-https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cjKcmZGhUrQ

                              
1)The protagonist has dark skin mid tone and the dark grey along  with the dark grey of the singers hair  contrasts with  white wall.This perhaps shows that the character  portrayed  is being victimized and is hurt by something which is evident by  the sorrowful expression on her face.

2)Th heavy use of black completely covers the right hand side of the man's face causes him to look sinister like he is hiding something .The soft focus of the jacket blurrily blends into the background drawing  the actor  into the background which shows the character is deeply upset.

3)A close shot is used and the mid tone grey used on the fact with the dark shade of grey of the singers hair. However the singers hair dark grey is harsh against the pale tone of grey on her face. Select focus is used so that the bright white background is more dominant suggesting the naivity that has led to  hurt or perhaps lost innocence of the character the singer is depicting.

The character  is wearing a black clothing which indicates her depression. She is wrapped in a white sheet  which suggests vulnerability and this contrasts with the black that may also be associated with lust evil and death. The background surroundings are a mid-tone grey which causes the protagonist top be the central line of focus considering that she is positioned in the centre of the shot.

Q2)Evaluation question:How effective is the combination of your main product and ancillary texts?

Here is a video that shows my group and I discussing the evaluation question.


Below is video presentation that portrays me exploring the question further(an audio narrative of my voice with a visual presentation).

Making the song Choice.

 We liked this video because the song was slow so the editing was  slow and gradual in order to fit the slow tempo of the song. The video portrays the singer going on a journey on a bicycle while visiting different cities. We liked this idea and liked how each transition to scene was another location that the singer had reached on his bicycle. The singer does not mime the lyrics but instead the song is placed softly in the background so in effect the singer is promoted more so than the song. The video only features one protagonist so we thought that it would be simple to base our concept on the video.

We liked this video because it shows scenes of the singer miming the sing and then a jump cut transition is used that shows a series of people with low self esteem that don’t think they are beautiful. This is suitable because the chorus of the songs message is stating that just because your considered a misfit that you are still beautiful regardless. The colour filter used which reflects the mood conveyed of people feeling hopeless and  having a low self esteem.

 My group liked  and I liked this video because of the special effect of the overlapping images and opacity used that creates a blurry faint image. This relates to the song and conveys to the audience that the singer is intoxicated  as the distortion created  allows us to see what he sees.

We like the narrative structure of the video as the lyrics tell a story as does the video. We liked the opacity used that portrays to the audience the different events that related to the protagonist simultaneously. This reflects past events in the characters life that  caused her to doubt herself. The singer is featured in video  and acts as the narrator singing the story  thought song while its been portrayed by  the actress. Towards the end of the video the colour filter used in the video is much brighter and more vibrant in order to portray that the charters  present life is much brighter and happier. Whereas throughout the rest of the  video in order to represent the characters past a murky blue colour filter is used in order to portray her depressing life.

 As a group we unanimously liked this video best because the song is catchy and the lyrics tell a story of a struggling young woman who is forced to live a promiscuous life in order to financially support herself and  we  felt this video was really touching. We liked that it was filmed in black and white which reflects that the characters  constant depression and the melancholy  is always present in her life. Production wise it is simple which promotes social realism and makes the audience believe that the protagonists  is real and  is really  living  hard life ..The  effects used are really creative and there are a variety of shots used that make the video entertaining to watch. A lot of matched cut shots were featured which showed different perspectives of the characters life or situation she was encountering .There are  also some point of view shots used which enables the audience to empathise with the character as we can see something happening from her point of view. The singer Ed Sheeran dos not appear in the music video instead  the protagonist is left to tell the story. The video has a narrative structure so a story is being told that relates heavily on the lyrics. This portrays to  the audience  what the song is about. Overall my group and I unanimously decided to base our music video on this because it was a fairly simple ideas but was also really original we also like the symbolic use of the video being shot in black and white.
About the song further information:

The song is based on a young woman who leads a miserable life consisting of prostitution, drugs, loneliness, ending in death.

These are a few of the lyrics within the song and the meaning behind the lyric, and so for parts of the song we decided to film alongside the lyrics as if it is telling the story:
"The worst things in life come free to us"
- The violence shes getting is free, and its sort of ironic because she gets paid for because shes a prostitute.
"And we're just under the upper hand"
- Also a symbol for violence and neglect, and the fact she is overpowered by her pimp.
"Go mad  for a couple grams"
- This is about the drugs, and the fact she doesn't have much of a meaning to her life so she will go mad if she gets a few grams of drugs because they'll make her feel better
"She's in the 'class A' team."
- A way of saying she's in the team where people consume and are addicted to class A but in a more subtle way.

Final Magazine poster.

Final cut.