Test Shooting

The test shots below are examples of different shots that Lola and I want to include in our Music Video. We want to make the shots within our music video interesting and vary, so that it is interesting for our target audience to watch and not get bored. Even though our actress is unaware of some of the lyrics in the song during this footage, it shows how our lip syncing will improve for our final footage. For a practice, I personally don't think it is too bad. 

Planning - Props and Equipment List

Equipment List . . . 

1. DSLR Camera - Nikon D900 

Lola and I have been able to shoot very good shots with this camera. We wanted to use a camera like this especially, because it allows us to do pulled focus as well as the quality of the camera being really high. By using a camera like this, it will enable our video to have a lot of clarity to it. 

2. Dolly 

Using a dolly is very effective for tracking within a shot. I will be using the dolly in some of my footage to track the dance when she is dancing in the dance studio. I think that this will add depth to the type of shot that I am trying to create as well as varying what I am doing within each shot and how I am going to string them together. 

3.Tripod 

This will be used so our footage isn't shaky and looks bad, just like someone is holding the camera and moving around. The shots will be steady and it therefore makes it look more professional. 

4. LED Light 

This LED light is attached onto the lens of my camera. I have three different colour LED lights to choose from; blue, white or yellow. Each one gives off a different mood around the actor/ess when performing in front of the camera. I think that I will most likely use the white LED light attachment for doing close up lip sync shots of my actress, Lauren. It highlights the face very well, especially in dark rooms / locations. 

Planning - Roles of Team

Within my team, it is only Lola and I. We came up with the decision of being in a pair since we thought that we would still be given the chance to work independently, in order to make our project the best that it can be. With the two of us doing different jobs in order to create our music video to the best of our ability, splitting different jobs between us was a very good idea, since it means that the jobs are able to get done at a faster pace. However, I was mainly responsible for the filming of the music video and Lola was more dominant over the editing of the footage. Therefore, since we are now thinking about the poster and digipack, we have decided that Lola's role is to design and organise the album cover, and my job is to create the poster / advertisement for our video. I felt that this role is best suited for me since I am a creative person, and enjoy deciding / creating things that will stand out to an audience of our target demographic. 

Overall, Lola and I work very well as a team since we both think along the same lines as each other, and always agree with what each other has to say. This is a good thing since we are able to make decisions quickly and there is no conflict between us. 

Planning - Digipack

Ideas for Digipack

Many of the shots within my digipack will be in the locations of where my music video is set. I will therefore need to take pictures of my actress (Lauren) in these locations in order to make my digipack look effective. I aim to have one close up shot of Lauren, a long shot of her dancing, a medium close up shot of her with a single spot light on her. I also want to add in a shot of the recording studio. On my digipack, I also think that it is important to create star image. This is so that the audience get an idea on what the artist is like.

On the back of the digipack I will be including other track names that come with the album that I am making. Here is the example tracks that I have come up with;

1. Crazy In Love 
2. The Lights  
3. Gentlemen Prefer Blondes  
4. Watch This Space 
5. Reflection 
6. Running Too Fast 
7. Smudges 
8. Watch this Space 
9. Putting on a front 

Lola and I both thought that it would be best to create an album with songs that have the same 'Love' meaning / background. This is because it fits in well with the genre, and creates the right tone and feel that we want to create. Our actress is called Lauren Simpson, however, I personally didn't think that her name had the right 'Star feel to it'. Therefore, myself and Lola have come up with the name; 'Scarlett Simpson'. The alliteration of the S portrays how it is catchy and will stand out to our target audience. The picture above highlights a very light sketch of what we want to include in our digi pack. The picture on the front of the digi pack is going to be very creative. This is because we want to have the front picture showing our actress in a stage mirror with lights around it, and the actress is getting ready for her performance. This complies with the footage that we are taking and including in our video. 

Planning - Model consent form

Below, are three different consent forms in which the three different actors in my music video have to fill out. This needs to be done for consent reasons, to make sure that each person is ok with being filmed and the video being put on this blog. 

Digipack Ideas

A digipack normally has between 8 - 6 sides and can hold up to 2 CD's.

I have decided to create a digipack that has 6 sides, since they are the most popular option, and are easier to pack away once they have been opened. This image below, also has the dimensions in the corner so i know how big/small to make it when doing a mock version of my final digipack. This is so that my digipack is as realistic as possible, and is to a very high standard. The final thing will be produced on a computer so that the dimensions are precise and so that my digipack is of a good quality. Photoshop and other programmes will also be used in the creation of this. 
The two diagrams below also give an idea as to what I need to put where in order for the digipack to make sense. 

The front and back covers on the Katy Perry 'Teenage Dream' album emphasises the sort of design that I would like to try and possibly do for my digipack. The front cover, like most front album covers that I have researched into on this blog, show the artist in the middle to represent star image and their name is either at the top or at the bottom of the cover. In this case, Katy is positioned in the middle of the cover, since she is not fully clothed, and is lying on a bed of candy floss. This done in relation to 'The Male Gaze' and also 'Voyeurism'. Even though Katy Perry's target audience is most likely to be teenage girls, with this album cover, she is also sexualising herself to appeal to men and teenage boys with having minimal clothing on herself. 

Research - Poster Advertisement research

Audience Research 

Artist Poster research: 

• Female pop artist's posters and adverts 

As you can see from the female artist posters above, they are all more or less in the centre of the frame, so that they are recognised as soon as you look at the poster. All of the posters shown above, are either raising awareness for an album or song that the artist has brought out or, a tour / gig that they are doing. All of the adverts include colour schemes where they are very bright and bold which makes it more interesting. The fonts used are very minimalistic and they are all is block capitals. This is done to emphasise who the artist is. As you can see in the poster with Ellie Goulding, it shows in the bottom right hand corner a picture of one of her CD's that is related to the poster shown. This is done to show the audience what to look for, especially when trying to find the CD. Therefore, this will increase the sales / demand of that particular CD since it is shown through different means of advertising. 

All advertisements  shown feature an image of the artist however, framing is more looked upon in the CD album covers since they are more central in those. For example, I really like the way in which the medium shot is used in the poster with Madonna in it. This is because as the audience looking at it, you can tell who it is instantly since there is just a single spot light highlighting her facial features. The key information that needs to be included within an Artist poster advertisement is: 

1. The artist's name
2. album release date 
3. name of album 
4. social media sites 
5. tour dates 
6. supporting act 

When creating my poster advertisement, I am going to make sure that I follow this key structure as well as using a plain background, since I have noticed that's what the majority of the posters show, since it makes the artist stand out more. 

Final Storyboard

Research - Copyright

Copyright Laws 

Below is what the OCR website says on copyrighting a song:

"Q. What does OCR state in the specification in regard to these briefs?

All material for all tasks to be produced by the candidates with the exception of nonoriginal sound or image material used in a LIMITED way in video/radio work… For music video, permission should be sought from the artist for the use of the audio track.

Q. What does this mean for centres? Brief 1 Music Video Promotion Package

OCR respects the rights of artists and labels and requires centres to ensure materials submitted for assessment are not infringing copyright law (the onus being on centres to interpret current copyright law). If centres use found audio material OCR moderators are not in a position to police such actions: it is the responsibility of centres and candidates to ensure appropriate permissions are sought. As copyright permission plays no part in the assessment criteria, candidate marks will not be automatically penalised. However, centres should be aware that they may potentially be breaching copyright law and this is at their own risk (full links to current copyright law can be found in the appendix of this document). For example, if a candidate places found audio material (accompanying their video) for download on a website homepage they create for a band as part of this brief then this would be at the centre’s and candidate’s own risk if copyright law is infringed.

Copyright free options available for Music Video in G324: • Approach local bands and get permission to use their material • Approach unsigned bands on ‘My Space’ etc and get permission to use their material. • Collaborate with music department/students in your centre on the project • Create your own music or sound track."
http://www.ocr.org.uk/Images/68934-unit-g324-advanced-production-guidance-document.pdf

Taking these rules into consideration, our song does not violate any rules due to copyright reasons since it is a cover of an original song and the pace of it has been changed so the only thing that is the same is the lyrics. Although, the song or cover is still not our own and so we cannot take any credit for it, we are simply just making a video to put to it with different conventions with our own interpretations.

Research - Digipak examples

Female Pop Artist Album Covers

Below are a few examples of Female pop artists album artwork. All of them feature a single Image of the star to portray that it is them that is representing the ‘star image’ convention throughout the music video. The images are always often close up, extreme close up or medium close up shots. This done so that the artist is recognisable from the eye of their target audience. The back cover of the album is slightly different to the front cover. This is to show complexity. All back covers include the track list. 

The font and sizing of the titles on the CD covers that I have picked are shown in block capitals. This is done to emphasise the artist. I like this idea because it is very effective and eye catching and they are all easy on the eye. I personally think that the font and cover that would suit my music video best would be Ariana Grande’s album cover. 

Risk Assessment

Pitch - 9/10/15

Below is the footage that we filmed when presenting our music video idea to the class. We have added in a few sequence shots that have inspired our final idea / decisions. Also, there are a few things that weren't mention in the presentation that need to be. The techniques that Lola and I are going to be using in our music video are; slow motion and pulled focus. 
The feedback from our pitch was positive, and not many questions were asked at the end. The only question that we were asked was 'Have you managed to finalise all of the locations that you are wanting to use for your footage'. 

Research - Questionnaire Analysis

The first question that was asked within the questionnaire was 'Are you male or female?' By asking this question, it enables me to understand who my target demographic group are and what gender is most likely to watch my music video and enjoy it. From calculating the results on Survey Monkey, it states that 15% of respondents were male leaving the other 85% to be female. From this, I can most definitely tell that females are mainly attracted to music videos for the pop genre.
The second question was 'What age bracket do you fall under?'. I decided to include this question for my primary research questionnaire because by know what age my target market are will help me when filming and constructing my video. The results state that; one person who answered was from the age range of 0-10, 11 respondents were from the age range of 11-20 and one person was from the age range of 21-30 years old, therefore leaving no-one from the age of 31-50 and 51+.

The third question was 'What music genre do you listen to the most?' This question is of utmost importance when trying to find out primary research. This is because if I find out from the questionnaire that none of my target market like to listen to pop music, then my music video won't be very successful since it wouldn't get any views because it isn't enticing anyone. However, the questionnaire results emphasise that the same amount of people listen to Pop and R&B/Hip Hop. This is ok since it is an even split between the two genres.
The fourth question was 'Do you prefer a music video to have a story line or be a performance?' From getting an idea of what my target audience prefer to see in a music video is key. This is because if it doesn't include elements of what they expect to have in it / see, then they will get bored and move onto something else. The results show that 38% said that they preferred story line, 8% said that they prefer performance and 54% said that they prefer music videos to have elements of both in it. I am glad that the majority picked the 'both' option since that's what Lola and I have decided to include in our video. We are adding a little bit of narrative to help connote the 'love' background behind the song however, elements of performance is also going to be added to emphasise how the song can be addressed in different ways and has more of a lyrical feel to it. 

The fifth question was 'What is your social status?' I decided to ask this question because I want to be able to see a range of answers so I have a full idea of who my target market are and what they're like. Therefore, from what I was expecting, pretty much all of the respondents are middle class a part from two, who answered that they were lower class and upper class.
The sixth question was 'How often do you listen to music in a week?' By asking this question, it allows me to understand how often the market listen to music and whether or not they would actually watch this music video regularly. the results state that; 15% listen to music 0-5 hours per week, 8% 6-10 hours per week, 23% 11-15 hours per week, 54% 15+ hours per week and 0% = never. This portrays that 15+ hours per week was the most popular option choice and that my target market are really into listening to music, which is a very good sign.

The seventh question was 'What are your main hobbies? select multiple that apply to you' 
The options that I gave for this question were; Going to a concert / gig, Reading a book, Listening to music when travelling, Going to the cinema, Going to music festivals, Visit galleries, other (please specify). From this, the most popular response was 'Listening to music whilst travelling' I therefore think that most people selected this answer because people of our target market are most likely to do that whether they are travelling in the car, bus, or train. 
The eighth question was 'What is your favourite artist / band' From this question, there were a wide range of answers since different people have different opinions of artists / bands however, one respondent said 'Oasis' one person stated 'Wolf Alice' was their favourite band, one person said 'Beyonce', four respondents said 'The Weeknd' another respondent said 'Run the Jewels, My Nu Leng and Rebel Sound', two people said 'One Direction' and one person said 'Mariah Carey'. From this, the fact that only one person said that they liked Beyonce is a little bit discouraging, since Lola and I are doing a cover of Beyonce's song; Crazy in Love for our music video. 

The ninth question was 'What do you expect from a music video of a pop genre?' The most popular answer from this question was 'Cutting to the beat'. I think that this was the most popular answer with our target market because with a song within the pop genre, beating is always key. 
Finally, the last question was 'What micro elements do you expect from a music video of a pop genre' By asking this question, I wanted to know what my target audience would be expecting to see within the micro elements of my music video. This is because shot types, set design, lighting, rhythmic editing and the sequence of shots are all important elements to add. However, the most popular answer from the questionnaire was; the Lighting that had a response rate of 92%. In my opinion, I also think that the lighting is a micro element in which Lola and I can really pull out of the bag when it comes down to our music video within the pop genre. This is because we have all of the performance material that we need to work with, so it is just a matter of making sure we construct the lighting aspect to its full potential. 

Planning - 5/10/2015

Planning my pitch to the class ...

In today's lesson myself and my partner Lola Gray started to put together the pitch that we are going to presented to our whole media class. This pitch contains information about our chosen track, the style of video we are going to be creating, our inspirations for choosing this song and genre, the different conventions that have guided us to where we are today, who are target audience are, whether our video includes star image, the different representations that our video will include and lastly whether it is mainly going to be narrative based.