A2 Music Video: Film Session Three

The weather was a bit poor today again, but no snow!

Garden:
We decided to film the garden scene first to make sure that the weather didn't get worse. The first part that we filmed was Chris entering the garden. This was done with two separate shots. One from the outside of the garden where we used a slight pan to follow him into the gate. Then another from the inside of the gate for match on action. Again this was a pan from the gate to halfway across the garden. After this we had a static shot of Chris running through the washing line. We then used POV and ran through the clothes with the clothes. Then we did another track shot in front of Chris following him through the clothes. We plan to cut these together to add variety. We then filmed one more shot of him running across the rest of the garden and down the little gap beside my house with a bra attached to his head.

After this, we set up the camera from outside the house facing a fence (he had just ran towards this.) This was a static wide shot of the fence where the audience can watch Chris jump over the fence with a bra on his head the run off screen. We are planning to join this to the street shots we filmed yesterday.

Office:
The first part that we shot for the office scene was the CCTV viewpoint. Typically, a CCTV is positioned in a high place filming a high angle. Due to the limited space in my room, we used the bed and bedside table for the height. The dots in my diagram show where there camera covered, to shoot this wide range, I slowly rotated from left to right, then back again following Chris as he walked to the chair and sat down. In editing, we plan to make the image grainy, black and white and add some digits. This shot was also used to film Chris singing the lyrics to Vampire Weekend. Although we had planned what parts we needed Chris to sing along to, we asked him to lip sync to two chorus' and a verse to be sure. We thought catching him singing on CCTV added to the humour that our target audience wanted. The only difficulty was for me to keep the camera in the same place for the number of takes we had to do.

We had planned to show Chris putting a "Vampire Weekend" CD into the laptop so to do this, we had the CD ready on the desk and held the camera above the CD. A high angle was used. Similarly to this show, we filmed a close up of Chris turning up the volume on the laptop indicating his enjoyment.

The next part that we filmed was Chris throwing paper up in the air, and using the paper as a transition. We set the camera up using the tripod. Freddie held a piece of paper big enough to cover the lens above the camera and as Chris threw the paper up in the air, Freddie covered the lens with the paper. We stopped recording at this point. This process took a few attempts because the paper didn't spread like we wanted. After we had got this right, Chris wore a bandanna and stood on the desk with a guitar. We placed the paper back over the lens, pressed record and moved the paper to below the camera to reveal Chris rocking to the song. After editing, it should look as though a piece of paper Chris has thrown, floats over the lens and as it comes down, he will be on the desk playing and singing along.

The next part we filmed was Chris playing the guitar and singing along, unfortunately, he cannot play the instrument. We decided that this didn't matter too much because the image of him dancing along, singing and guessing how the guitar should be played was much more fun and entertaining. The most of our video is supposed to convey energy, humour and fun so the fake guitar playing added to this nicely. All of the guitar shots we filmed were hand held and a bit shaky to give a more natural, fun image. We used a wide shot for Chris playing to see the whole of him, a close up of the guitar as he strummed it and we also had a shot from the fret board, looking down the guitar. This section was fun to film and we hope that the variety of shots will convey energy.

The final part we filmed in the day was the office workers reactions. This was easy to do as we only needed short shots. This was quite fun as we used ourselves for the talent. I held the camera whilst Freddie popped his head out from behind a board. The board was used as an office desk divider, his expression showed excitement and shock towards Chris. This was a hand held medium shot of Freddie's Face. Freddie then filmed a slight high angle of me entering the room with a smile on my face. I held some "documents" in my hand to help the audience identify me as an office worker. I feel that filming went really well today although it was getting a bit dark toward the end of the office scene, we hope that this didn't affect the footage.

Window Pan:

We waited for it to get dark to film the last part we needed which was a pan from one window to another. We needed it to be dark because we were using lit Windows to show where the character was in the house. Freddie was outside with the camera whilst I was inside, the window was partially open so that we could hear each other. I turned my bedroom light on and when Freddie shouted "GO" I turned the light off. When he shouted "GO" a second time, I turned the bathroom light on. Between the two "Go's" Freddie filmed a close up of the bedroom window, then panned to the bathroom window. This worked well.

Issue:

We have completed filming apart from one shot. We had planned to shoot Chris entering the "office" building. We have planned to use the school for this but because it is half term, we were unable to do this. Fortunately, we have planned a re-shoot day in December in case we need more footage so will shoot this then.

A2 Music Video: Film Session Two

It snowed today! And because we had planned to do our outdoor shots, the weather made this difficult. This is when we decided that we would finish the indoor shots that we didn't have time to complete.

Clothes Montage:
This took a long time to film, in the music video, the main character goes to get changed and cycles through a load of outfits in the mirror. This links to the fast, upbeat song. The first outfit we placed him in was the one he was wearing on Monday. The purple shirt and black trousers. Unfortunately, the shirt was washed and we had borrowed the shirt from my dad. He wasn't pleased about the orange juice spill so we weren't allowed to do it a second time. Luckily, we only needed the purple shirt for him to walk into the bedroom to begin the outfit montage. The outfits that he cycles through are listed in the costume section. To film this, we asked Chris to stand in front of the mirror and set up the camera on a tripod so that it was an over the shoulder shot, mainly with Chris' reflection in shot. The tripod means that the shot can remain the same for each outfit which is better for the jump cuts. We also marked the floor where he stood so that his reflection was also in the same place each time. Hopefully, the only changing element in the shots will be his outfit and expressions. It was very fun to do and we feel it has worked successfully. We filmed Chris posing in each outfit.

Bathroom:

This scene was also very fun to do, this is where Chris is doing several activities all at once. The first shot is Chris grabbing a toothbrush from a cup, we did this in one take, just a static, close up. After this we filmed him applying toothpaste to the toothbrush and look at the "mirror." In fact he looks at the camera lens as though it is a mirror and starts brushing his teeth. We set the camera up on a tripod for this part because both Freddie and myself were taking part. We both wore white long sleeved shirts to match Chris' costume although our bodies were out of the shot. I applied shaving cream and brushed his hair whilst Freddie shaved his face (the plastic cover was still on) and hair dried his hair. The first time we did this, we played it back to realise my body was in the shot, this was not good because it was supposed to look like Chris had several arms for humour. Our second attempt worked much better although it would have been even better if there was more space around him. I was stood on the bath and Freddie was leaning in awkwardly from the other side. I am very pleased with how this went.

We then filmed Chris spitting out the toothpaste with the shot being focused on the sink. We then stopped recording and moved to behind the mirror so that when Chris stood up from the sink, his reflection was a cleaned face and winked at the reflection. Spitting out the toothpaste was a close up of the sink from the side, then the mirror shot was level with the mirror and an over the shoulder shot of Chris.

Tie Change:

This part of filming took a very long time. I was looking forward to filming this part most. We had a total of five ties so we knew we had to film Chris coming down the stairs five times in a different tie, each time. It took us a few attempts before we realised that we must have a system that makes sure he walks down the stairs exactly the same each time. Our system was that he must put his right foot on the first step every time, he must keep his left hand on the banister as he comes down every time. Also, to ensure that he came down at the same pace, I sang the ABC, a letter per step.

Like most other shots today, we used a tripod to ensure that the composition of the shot was exactly the same each time.

Leaving House:

From the steps, Chris walked to the front door and as he was about to open it, his wife tapped him on the shoulder. This was filmed in two separate shots. One of which was a pan from the stairs to the front door, this was challenging as there is a large mirror in the room and we had to avoid a reflection, the second was a close up of Gabriella's hand tapping Chris' shoulder.

Kiss:

Next shot we did was from outside of the house, the snow/rain had stopped now. Kneeling on the floor outside, we filmed a static mid shot of Chris's and Gabriella's legs, Gabby's leg lifts up similar to cheesy love films to indicate that they had kissed. This is the end of indoor filming for the day.

Street:

It stopped snowing halfway through filming the indoor parts so we decided to get the street section completed. We were really excited about getting to use our dolly, however, when we attempted to use it, the wheels we used meant that it was really shaky. This is when we decided to shoot the tracking shots using my car.

Whilst I was driving (slowly), Chris was running on the path. Freddie was seat belted in the back and faced the camera out of the window and we drove along side him. Running in different directions, we filmed many shots of Chris running. We also needed Gabriella to play a school girl. We carefully arranged the stunt where Chris pushes Gabriella out of the way so that it happened just as we drove past. It took a few takes but the end result was just as intended. I feel that the car has worked far better than our dolly would have!

Despite not getting everything we wanted to film done, we have managed to catch up with the film schedule ready to soot the garden and office scene tomorrow!

A2 Music Video: Animation Experiment

During the initial idea stage, we thought about experimenting with some stop motion animation. This would add the the fast, erratic style of the song. As the main character gets ready, his tie will knot itself.

Using a tripod and the camera, we set it up so that the camera was tilted 90 degrees facing the floor. Underneath the camera, we dressed a pillow in the suit. This was to avoid a messy animation caused by using a real body. The flat body meant we could direct the tie in any way we wanted.

Using the still image feature, we took photos of the torso. In between photos, we moved the tie a tiny distance each time. We took a total of 80 picture then uploaded the frames to MonkeyJam, a free stop motion programme.

I feel that it worked out well, however, I don't think it will be appropriate to use with our live actor. Or if we repeat the dressed pillow idea, it will be an obvious change in "person." We will not fully disregard it at this stage:

A2 Music Video: Film Session One

26th October 2009

Waking Up:
The first action we filmed was the main character waking up. We got Chris dressed in his pyjamas and then he laid in my bed. A tripod could not fit at the end of my bed so we had to kneel down and hold and the camera as steadily as we could. Throughout the filming we used the song as a template to how fast Chris should do things. For example, the beats at the beginning of the song were used to determine the rate at which Chris had to sit up. We filmed this several times. We then asked him to do the same thing again, but we changed the shot from a wide shot to a close up of his face, filming him opening his eyes.

Alarm Clock:
The first action to be seen in the music video is the main character switching off the alarm clock. For this, we made my bedroom dark, set the alarm then as Chris pressed the switch, we turned the bedroom light on. This took several takes to get right. We will place the button/light switch on a beat in the song. We used a static, close up for this shot and didn't take too long.


To the Shower:
Whilst he was still in his pyjamas, we then filmed his feet running across the landing. The position of my landing in relation to the stairs meant that we could use the steps to lean on. This creates a steadier shot:







Next to film was Chris grabbing the numerous props: towel, shower toy and the shower gel. To make this as interesting as we could, we set up the three objects in different places. The towel was positioned over the door and we filmed it using a static, close up shot. We also filmed a high and low angle of this as safety shots. The shower toy we placed on the bed and using a high angle we filmed Chris snatching it, this was the same for the shower gel except it was positioned by a sink.

Shower:

This "stunt" required a little more patience. As he was going to be stepping into the shower in his pyjamas and getting out wearing his work clothes we used the tripod to ensure the camera was in the same position the entire time. Firstly, we turned the camera on, positioned it where we wanted then asked Chris to walk into the shower holding the three props (match on action) and fully close the shower door. We then stopped recording, using the remote so that we did not move the camera. Then Chris got out, and quickly changed into a suit and stepped back into the shower. Using the remote again, we pressed record and Chris stepped out and stood in front of the camera and adjusted his suit then walked out. Whilst he was adjusting his suit, we had to pan the camera up so that we could see Chris' body as opposed to his feet. Unfortunately, the first time we did this, we panned up too far ruining the shot. This meant we had to repeat the entire process to ensure that the camera doesn't move during the costume change. Unfortunately, the next time was ruined due to the talent laughing. As the saying goes "third time lucky", the third attempt worked out just as hoped.

Wife:

The next shot we filmed was of Gabriella calling Chris for breakfast in the kitchen. This didn't take long as all we needed to do was shoot her walk to the door (with rolling pin in hand) and hold her hand beside her mouth and shake her head a little. Because there is no dialogue in our music video, body language is needed to tell the story. We were happy with her acting so moved on after a few takes.

Coming to Breakfast:
To further help the audience know that Gabriella was calling Chris. we filmed two short sequences. One of Chris running down the stairs and the other of him sitting on the kitchen chair. The running down the stairs was filmed as a tracking shot. As Chris Ran down the stairs, Freddie stood along side them and followed him down like this:

The shot of him siting down was a simple static shot position on the chair, and then Chris entered the shot and sat down.

Watch Zoom:
The watch is a key prop to show that the character is late and sends him into the frenzy. To emphasize the time we decided to do an extreme zoom. However, in practise, the camera took a long time to focus. To resolve this, we decided to reverse the zoom in filming coming away from the watch. This means we can reverse the shot in editing and there will be less focusing and a successful zoom towards the watch.

Breakfast:
Despite our film schedule stating that we would get all of the indoor shots today, the breakfast scene was the last that we filmed this day. We were perhaps a little too optimistic and unrealistic with our schedule. We also didn't take into account that the shower scene may take a long time to film, nor did we think we would need several takes because of laughing etc.. On top of this, it began getting dark so filming after this scene would have meant that we got some dark, less successful shots.

For this section, we first filmed an over the shoulder shot from behind Gabriella (wife) of Chris finishing his breakfast then looking at his watch (we will put the watch zoom after this). He felt a little uncomfortable eating a non existent breakfast so we had to do this several times. Next to film was Chris spilling the orange juice down himself, to save a lot of time we needed this to be done in one take because of becoming messy. The shot of him drinking it then spilling it went well, however, as soon as it had been on him for a little while he burst into laughter. Although the first part was good, the laughing came a little too abruptly. We decided to shoot some unplanned close ups of his face and made him re-spill the orange juice (the already messy shirt wasn't in view) for some back up takes.
Because it had now become dark, we decided to stop filming for the day and order pizza. We hoped the pizza would bring us closer as a group and make our actor happy to film another couple of days. We were also apologetic for getting orange juice all over him. :)

Despite not getting everything we had planned done, I feel that the filming went very well with only a few mistakes.

A2 Music Video: Response from Vampire Weekend

Unfortunately, we have not received any form of reply from Vampire Weekend. However, we have assumed that the email has been looked at or the subject of the email has at least been read.

We have decided to use the song due to our extensive planning. On top of this, we have not received any objection to us using their song.

A2 Music Video: Film Schedule

With half term approaching and knowing that Chris has a tight schedule we have decided to film during the mornings of half term week. This will also be better for lighting because of Daylight Saving. Preferably, we should film whilst it is light outdoors to get the best natural light as possible. We do not have the resources for added lights.
Below is the half term film schedule, we also have another day on the 3/11/09 for any re-shoots that we may need. This allows us a week to edit the rushes. We've made sure that we schedule to save the most time as possible, this is why our scenes are not being filmed chronologically:

A2 Music Video: Equipment

We now have our locations, story, props, characters, costumes and shots planned, we now feel that we are ready to start filming,

The Camera:
The camera we are going to be using for our music video is a Canon MD235 MiniDV Camcorder.


Other equipment that we will be using is a Kodak Tripod , this should enable us to get some steady, static shots. We will also be using our D.I.Y Dolly that we made previously. I am looking forward to filming as we have planned a wide variety of shots to test out.

A2 Music Video: Costumes

Main Character:
Pyjamas - Black Jogging Bottoms and White T-Shirt
This is the first outfit that viewers will see the main character in. They are not too important so we have gone for a typical pyjama combination despite designing an embarrassing onesie.

Suit - Black Trousers, Purple Shirt, Pens in Pocket, Black Shoes
This is the outfit that the main character will be wearing when he leaves the shower; smart, sophisticated and the pens convey the office job. This is a combination of the first and third design we did, smart but with no tie.

Suit - Blue Denim Shirt and Black Trousers
This will used during the outfit montage. This is another typical suit: shirt, trousers combination,

Suit - Blue and White Stripey Shirt, Brown Jacket and Black Trousers
This will be used during the outfit montage. A typical suit combination again, however, the old fashioned style of this suit should entertain viewers.

Suit - Blue Denim Shirt, Beige Tie and Black Trousers
This will be used during the outfit montage and is a simple shirt, tie and trousers combination.

Cool - White T-Shirt, Black Leather Jacket, Black Trousers and Sunglasses
This will be used during the outfit montage. Similar to the old fashioned suit, this cool outfit mixed into the montage should hopefully create entertainment and humour for the audience.

French - Grey Cardigan, Brown Hat, Brown Scarf, White T-Shirt and Black Trousers
This will be used during the outfit montage. Similar to the cool and old fashioned style, this ridiculous outfit will hopefully create humour.

Suit - Blue Denim Shirt, Black Trousers, Blue Tie and Beige Tie
This will be used during the outfit montage. The main character will be comparing two ties against the shirt in this shot.

Suit - Black Trousers, White Shirt, Black Shoes and Watch
This will be the last outfit used in the montage and it will be the outfit the main character decides to wear. It is a simple trouser, shirt combination like our designs but without a tie. This, however, has inspired us to think about incorporating stop motion into our piece. It would make the piece more interesting if we could have the tie, tie itself onto the character. We may try this later on.

Ties - Several Colours [seen in props]
The ties will be used for when the main character walks down stairs and his tie will change on each step. We have chosen brightly coloured ties so that the changes are obvious.

Rock Star - Black Trousers, White Shirt, Red Headband and Black Shoes
This outfit is essentially the same as when he enters the office, however, we will scruff him up a bit so that his collar is messy and he is now wearing a cool headband.

Wife:
Dress - Pink Floral Dress, Grey Cardigan, Rolling Pin and Black Dolly Shoes
This combination of clothing is used to reflect a house wife. The rolling pin is explained in "Props." The use of a pink dress conveys femininity with pink being a stereotypical girls colour with the floral pattern adding to this. This along with the dainty dolly shoes make the "perfect housewife."

School Girl:
Grey Skirt, Grey Jumper, White Shirt, Tie, Black Shoes and Blue Blazer
This is my younger sister's school uniform so works well at indicating a school girl.

A2 Music Video: Costume Design

After deciding our characters, we decided to begin some costume designs:



Top Line:
Knowing that our main character was going to be a business ,an, we decided to design a few office wear clothes. The first one consists of plain black trousers, a white shirt and a tie. The second is the same with a jacket, glasses and briefcase added. Both of these designs are very similar in the sense that they are both formal. This would be the most suitable option for a business man. The third design is a scruffier take on the first two ideas. He has a short sleeved shirt that is un-tucked with no tie. Although this would probably convey our character better, as a bit erratic and crazy, it is unlikely to be dressed like this for work.

Second Line:
These designs are three alternative wives. The first is also quite business like but we decided this was wrong if we wanted to convey a house wife. This is when we designed the second image with the girl wearing a loose top and skirt. We decided that this was much better than the first female design but developed it into a dress, cardigan and the rolling pin. The floral pattern, long dress and delicate cardigan conveys a more feminine woman. The third design is the most favourable option.

Third Line:
The first design is the man in a hat, scarf and cardigan. We like this silly outfit and are thinking about using an outfit similar for the outfit montage. For the same reason, we deigned the leather jacket and sunglasses combination. Both of these have turned out quite successful. The final design is the man in a set of pyjamas that will be used for the opening scene.

A2 Music Video: Casting

Main Character, Man

Christopher Morton

We have chosen Chris for several reasons. Firstly, he was our main actor for our AS piece and it worked out well, he is also aware of how we like to work which will benefit us. Secondly, when we asked him if he was interested in acting for us, he seemed very interested which again is an advantage as he will be willing to try different things in order to improve our footage. And also, he fits the specification of being male and a little bit crazy. The only issue however, Chris is only available for Tuesday afternoons and weekends so our filming may take longer than necessary. We are willing to do this:

Wife and School Girl

Gabriella Nagy

We have selected my younger sister, Gabriella Nagy, for both of these roles. Firstly, she is in year 9 at another school making her an actual school girl. On top of this, she also seems very eager to be a part of our work. She will also play our wife, the main issue being that she is quite young. To resolve this issue we are willing to only shoot her from behind and side views. We have selected her for this role as well for convenience and she will always be available when we need her.

Office Workers

Freddie Elsom and I have decided to fill these roles as they will be very short. We thought it would be nice to be a part of our own work. Also, because the actors will be needed for a very short time, it will be much easier to keep casting simple.

A2 Music Video: Characters

From our planning and storyboarding we need a total of three characters and an extra.

Main Character, Man
We will leave the title of this character un-named because there is no dialogue involved and no need to use a name. He will be the main character on screen the majority of the time so it won't be complicated. We wanted the nature of the song to be reflected in the character: fast, upbeat and erratic. This is why we have planned lots of silly, fun events. And because we want personality to be reflected, a certain appearance is not essential except for the need to be male.

Wife
We have planned for this character to appear twice throughout the song. The actress must be female, again appearance is not essential. We will reflect the idea that she is a housewife through props and costume. The reason for wanting a wife is because we want to give the main character a little story, a wife and possibly a family behind him makes him more of a likable character. Also, the idea that he is a family man is strengthened by including her.

School Girl
We have planned a scene where the main character will push a school girl out of his way. This will not be in an aggressive way, it is more of the idea that he is so crazy and caught up in his day. A whirlwind if you like. This will hopefully add to the humour that our audience would like to see. Again, gender is the only preferred trait, and preferably a younger person. This makes the event a little more surprising than if he was to disrupt another man's journey.

Office Workers
One or two people are needed for this role. During the main character's guitar performance near the end, we have planned to have office workers respond to the scene. They may enter the room excited or dance along. This has not yet been decided, it is only a small part.

A2 Music Video: Why these props?

Alarm Clock
This props main function is to start the music video when it is dark. The alarm clock goes off and the main character will switch it off as the light comes on, with the more interesting action to follow. It is a typical morning event which is why we have used it.

Towel, Shower Toy and Shower Gel
These are the props the main character will grab before getting into the shower. Again, the towel and shower gel are typical items to take to the shower with you. Our market research showed that it wanted humour in the music video so our first, less humorous object is the dolphin toy. These props will also be used as he gets into the shower, but he won't come out with them, they act as an illusion to indicate that the character as washed, had fun and dried.

Watch
During breakfast, the main character will look at his watch to realise that the time is later than he thought. In terms of mise en scene, the watch will be compositionally placed the centre of the shot. Realising the late time will lead him to spill drink down himself and send him into the fun, crazed frenzy lasting through the video.

Orange Juice
This is quite a key prop used for humour. As the character realises the time, he will hurriedly drink the juice spilling it down himself. When this happens, the character will need to get ready again.

Tea Pot, Plates, Cutlery, Food Crumbs
These props will be used during the breakfast scene for authenticity. The food crumbs will indicated that the man and wife and already eaten without showing that process.

Rolling Pin
When the wife is calling for the man she will be holding a rolling pin. This has been done to two reasons, firstly, our female actress will most likely be young so it is give her some false age. Secondly, a stereotypical housewife was expected to clean, look after her husband and cook. The rolling pin will hopefully allow viewers to understand who she is as it will be their first time seeing her.

Toothbrushes In Cup, Toothbrush, Toothpaste, Shower Foam, Hair Brush, Hair Dryer, Razor
The toothbrushes in a cup will be shown to convey a family man. All the other props in this title will be used when the main character is getting ready, they are all typical things a man would do when getting ready in the morning. For humour, however, all of these acts will be done at once.

Ties
When walking down the stairs, the main character's tie will change each step he takes. This should challenge our editing skills whilst also make the video more interesting to watch. We will use a variety of ties to emphasize their change.

Washing Line, Bra
During the scene where the main character runs into the garden, he will run through a washing line and come out with a bra attached to his head. This has been doe purely for comedic affect where we will offer a range of shots.

CD
In the office scene, the main character will open a CD on his desk and place it into his laptop. The CD cover is going to be our Digipaks from our ancillary tasks.

Pencil, Pen Pot, Note Pad, Laptop, Notice Board
These props will be placed on a desk to transform the corner of bedroom into an "office." The result has been quite pleasing, using typical office stationary, we feel we have done a good job. The notice board will have sticky notes, photos and work on it in hope to convince audiences' that it is a working office.

Paper
Also on the desk will be a piece of paper. This prop will be used as a transition where the main character throws it whilst being in the groove. It will fall over the cameras lens and the character will be revealed standing on his desk with a guitar rocking out to the song.

Guitar
This prop will be played along to the music which is a typical music video convention. However, the surprise of it will hopefully come across as amusing.

These props along with costume should hopefully work to our advantage in conveying the correct story.

A2 Music Video: Prop List

Bedroom:

Alarm Clock.

Shower:

Towel, Shower Toy and Shower Gel.

Kitchen:
Orange Juice, Tea Pot, Plates , Cutlery, Food Crumbs and Rolling Pin.

Bedroom:
Costume Changes [separate blog entry]

Bathroom:

Toothbrushes in a cup, Toothbrush, Toothpaste, Shaving Cream, Hair Brush, Hair Dryer and Razor

Stairs: Ties:

Garden:
Washing Line and Bra.

Office:
CD, Pencils, Note Pad, Laptop, Notice Board, Pot of Pens and Paper:

Guitar:

A2 Music Video: Location [Scene Two + Three]

Garden:
Once our main character leaves the house he runs through a garden for comedy. This is the garden to the house we used so that we maintain continuity. We have planned to use a shot like this where the character enters the garden here:

Garden:
After the character has entered the garden through the gate, he will then run through a washing line (not set up here.) My garden is quite spacious so will enable us to get some good camera angles:

After our character has ran through the washing line (and is covered in clothes) he will continue running and exit the garden over a fence. The fence he will jump is below, it has sections on it that will enable him to climb it, however, we will shoot this part from the other side so it looks more smooth. Although it might be funnier, I doubt that viewers want to see him struggle:Street:

We have planned a shot where the character will be running through the streets on his way to work. Here is one area we aim to use, it is opposite my house so will help with continuity and improve the appearance of the video. It also means we don't have to go too far. This street we are planning to use for when the main character pushes a school girl out of his way:

Office:

The location below is Stanground College. We will use this building purely for this entrance to try and portray the character entering an office building. This is because we will be using my bedroom for the office and need an alternative entrance to help viewers understand this:

Office:

This is a corner in my bedroom, we will set this up to look more like an office, possible with a notice board and computer. This room will be used because we are unable to find an office space. With limited time and no actual office space, this is our compromise. We hope it will be successful once we have transformed it a little:

A2 Music Video: Location [Scene One]

Location is very important for the overall mise en scene. It, along with costumes and props is key in a music video. This is because there will be no dialogue to help put across our ideas. We are relying almost fully on visuals and the music.

Exterior:
One of the very first shots will be a pan from the window on the left to the window on the right. The left window is the bedroom and the window on the right is a bathroom, a light will turn off in the left and come on in the right. This will indicate that the character has moved from one room to another. We chose my house for this because it is where all the other indoor action is taking place:


Bedroom:
This is where we will shoot our character waking up in the morning. My room was chosen because I have a double bed and we wanted to make the idea that he is a married man, more convincing. It is also quite spacious and enables us to get a tripod in there easily:

Shower Room:
This room is to be used for the shot where our main character steps into the shower in his nightwear and emerges fully clothed. We thought this location worked well because you can't ac tally see into the shower to give away the illusion, but at the same time, it is clearly a shower:

Kitchen:

It doesn't really matter who's kitchen we use, mine was mainly used for convenience as it is where we will shoot all the other indoor locations. I feel that it works well because it will be easy to identify that the couple will be eating a breakfast together. The space around also enables us to get some interesting camera angles:

Bedroom Mirror:
Another reason we selected my bedroom was because of the full length mirror. We have planned a scene where there will be a montage of outfit changes. The space in my room allows this, also staying in the same place will be better for understanding and continuity in the music video:



Bathroom:
We have planned for a scene where the main character will be completing several tasks at once such as brushing his hair, brushing his teeth, shaving his face and hair drying his hair. For comedic effect, there will be other hands, as well as his own completing these tasks. This room allows several people to get in and be hidden to the left and right of the toilet. (The toilet won't be in shot.) We want to make sure it looks like he is in a bathroom, the shelving helps portray this:



Bathroom:
In the same bathroom we will have a shot of the main character rinsing his mouth and face. Then as he stands up, he will wink in the mirror. This room works well because the previous shot including the several hands will make it look as though he was stood in front of the mirror the entire time. Also, the sink being with a mirror is perfect for our planned shots:

Hallway/Stairs:

This location will be used twice. Once for when the main character's feet run across the landing (at the top). Standing on the stairs will enable us to get a good shot of this. Secondly, these stairs will be used for when the main character walks down the stairs and his tie changes. This location is best because the house has straight stairs so we can keep the camera and tripod in one place for the entire time. The stairs are also directly in front of the front door so matching the action will be made easier:

Exterior:

Once the main character leaves the house, we have planned a shot where you see him and his wife's legs as they "kiss." We could have used another house but for continuity and convenience, the same house was used:

A2 Music Video: Why those shots?

Close Up
Our close ups are used to draw attention to an element of our story and show more detail. It makes sure the viewers understand the story by focusing in on one element, rather than hoping that they look at the right elements in a wide shot:

Wide Shot
This allows a more general view where the viewer can see a lot of action at once. For example, a planned shot where the main character will be standing in the mirror. The viewer is able to see the outfit, as opposed to just the mirror or back of the character:

Medium Shot
This will used to highlight a character. A wide shot allows a viewer to see everything, a close up allows a focused look at one particular detail whereas the medium shot captures the entity of one person. For example. there will be a shot where the main character is looking at his reflection after washing his face. The focus is on him, a wide shot would provide too many distractions:

Establishing/Long Shot
Allows the viewer to see where the action is taking place. For example. the main character entering the office building will be essential because we are unsure whether we can use a real office space. It acts almost as an illusion:

Extreme Zoom
Similar to a close up, it focuses on one detail. On top of this, an extreme zoom conveys drama, it is a visual depiction of his emotion. For example, when the main character will look at his watch, the idea will be that he is late which will be the reason for why he spills his drink on himself afterwards.

High Angle
This angle will be used to allow viewers the chance to see an over looked view of the action. It will also add variety to our shots. It will also be used as a CCTV camera because they are typically high angled recordings:

Low Angle
We will use this angle to highlight our main character providing him power. For example, when he will become a "rock star", a low angle will convey his importance, confidence and talent. We will also use with a pan to reveal his costume change:

Point of View
Again, this will be included to add some variety, when our character is comedically running through clothes, the point of view should hopefully allow viewers to connect with the man; seeing what he sees.

Over the Shoulder

This shot is similar to a POV because it allows the viewer to see what a character is seeing, its almost like a third person point of view. This involves viewers with video:

Panning
This will be used to allow longer lasting shots so that we can follow the character during action. This will make the music video smooth in some places, but fun and energetic in others.

Tracking
With our new D.I.Y Dolly, we are hoping to film tracking shots of our main character. This will allow us to follow him but also add a nice variety to the final video.

A2 Music Video: Shot List

Below is a shot list for our music video, it shows all of our planned camera angles and movements:

SCENE ONE:
LOCATION: HOUSE
CHARACTERS: MAN + WIFE

1. CLOSE UP, hand switches off alarm clock
2. MEDIUM, man sits up with eyes closed
3. CLOSE UP, man's eyes open
4. WIDE PAN, house in darkness, light off in one window, light on in another, LOW ANGLE
5. CLOSE UP, man's feet running across landing
6. CLOSE UP, man's hand snatching towel
7. CLOSE UP, man's feet running across landing [opposite direction]
8. CLOSE UP, man's hand grabbing shower toy
9. CLOSE UP, man's hand grabbing shower gel, HIGH ANGLE
10. WIDE, man enters shower in nightwear, emerges fully dressed
11. WIDE TILT UP, man adjusting suit
12. MEDIUM, wife calling man from kitchen
13. CLOSE UP TRACK, man's feet coming down stairs
14. CLOSE UP, man sits on kitchen chair
15. OVER THE SHOULDER, man and wife at breakfast table, man checks watch
16. EXTREME ZOOM, time on watch
17. OVER THE SHOULDER, flustered man spills drink down himself
18. JUMP CUT: CLOSE UP, LOW ANGLE, MEDIUM, man spilling drink
19. WIDE SHOT, man enters bedroom standing in front of mirror
20. JUMP CUT: OVER THE SHOULDER, outfit change montage [x8]
21. JUMP CUT, cycles through outfit change montage quickly
22. CLOSE UP, man's hand grabbing toothbrush
23. MEDIUM, man brushes teeth, shaves face, brushes hair, blow dries hair [several hands]
24. WIDE, man rinses mouth, HIGH ANGLE
25. OVER THE SHOULDER, man winks at reflection
26. JUMP CUT, as man walks down stairs, tie changes per step
27. MEDIUM PAN, man walks from stairs to door
28. CLOSE UP, wife's hand tapping man's shoulder
29. WIDE, outside, door opens, man and wife's legs, wife's leg lifts up [kiss]

SCENE TWO:
LOCATION: STREET
CHARACTERS: MAN + SCHOOL GIRL

30. TRACK, montage of man running to work
31. WIDE, man enters garden
32. WIDE, man runs from garden gate across grass
33. TRACK, man runs through clothes on washing line
34. POV, man runs through clothes
35. WIDE PAN, runs to fence with underwear on head
36. WIDE, man climbs fence and continues running
37. TRACK, man hurriedly runs and pushes over a school girl
38. ESTABLISHING, man runs into office entrance

SCENE THREE:
LOCATION: OFFICE
CHARACTERS: MAN + OFFICE WORKERS

39. WIDE, CCTV POV, man enters office and sits at desk, HIGH ANGLE
40. CLOSE UP, man places VAMPIRE WEEKEND CD into computer
41: WIDE, CCTV POV, man taps his pencil and sings to song
42. OVER THE SHOULDER, man nods his head to music
43. WIDE, CCTV POV, man notices camera and starts to confidently sing
44. CLOSE UP, man increases volume on computer
45. OVER THE SHOULDER, man throws paper into air.
46. WIDE, paper wipes across screen, man stands on chair with guitar singing, LOW ANGLE
47. CLOSE UP, man strums the guitar
48. CLOSE UP, man strums guitar twice, LOW ANGLE
49. WIDE, man strums guitar twice
50. ZOOM, guitar solo
51. CLOSE UP, montage of guitar shots
52. MEDIUM, man plays guitar
53. CLOSE UP, reaction from office worker
54. MEDIUM, man plays guitar
55. CLOSE UP, reaction from office work, HIGH ANGLE
56. MEDIUM, man plays guitar
57. CLOSE UP, man strums guitar
58. MEDIUM, man plays guitar
59. CLOSE UP, man strums guitar
60. MEDIUM, man finishes playing guitar, FADE TO BLACK

A2 Music Video: Flash Storyboard

In order to help us refine our storyboard. We made half the music video using flash. We did this to helo us wth editing and filming, We already have a basic idea of how we are gong to edit our footage to the music, whilst also knowing how long shots need to be.

A2 Music Video: Storyboard

We now have our initial ideas ready to start planning in detail. We made this storyboard to begin this process, using drawings, we have planned out our entire music video sequence in order. The images below illustrate our ideas.

A2 Music Video: Final Idea

After looking at all of the ideas, we decided our idea of a crazy, busy man living a "normal" day was the best. The availability of my house, a need for two actors and the need for humour makes this option the simplest. It will also enable us to fulfill all of the elements required from the market research.

Rock Music
Firstly, our song choice fulfills this. Secondly, typical elements of a rock song include a performance and musical instruments. This has inspired us to create a scene where the main character will play a guitar.

Indoor Location
This idea means that we can create shots in locations such as the main character's home and work place.

Funny
This idea means we can include lots of little humorous events such as the main character stepping into the shower in pyjamas and emerging fully dressed.

Story + Performance
The story will be the idea of the man on his busy day. It will allow a relationship between the music and the visuals by illustrating a guitar performance.

In Time With Music
A fast paced song, along with the idea of having lots of small events means we can have fast cuts, to fit the music.

Few Special Effects
This is the only problem so far, because we will be using simple, outdoor locations, it will be difficult to incorporate special effects that seem necessary.

A2 Music Video: Initial Ideas

Below is another collection of ideas. We started thinking about possible locations and activities that could happen in our music video. After collecting a few, we decided that we really liked the idea of filming a man living a normal day. However, this idea along with the fast paced, erratic music, we thought it would be fun (and humorous) to make his day fast paced and erratic. Hopefully, this will allow us many cuts, many little activities and funny, entertaining visuals, camera angles and energy.

A2 Music Video: We made a Dolly

This was not a set task: when we were filming our AS piece, we thought that a dolly would help us achieve some more professional, interesting shots. However, our school lacks equipment such as this, so this year we decided to make our own.

Using scrap pieces of wood, wood screws, glue, caster wheels, a drill, a hammer, a protractor and a tripod, we were able to create this dolly. The tripod was used as a template to create the dolly's framework. The tripod was an equilateral triangle so we knew each corner would be sixty degrees. The wheels we used were taken from a mobile computer desk.

We feel that although our dolly is not industry standard, it was practical for our time scale and resources. With this, we hope to film some interesting tracking shots.