Organisation: Hair

I want to have my female actresses hair quite simply, down and loosely waved/curled to emphasise again the natural look. Taylor Swift used to have her hair like this alot as it was her natural do and I like this look alot cause it's very pretty and casual. 

I will also leave my male actors hair natural as well as I feel the casual look would compliment the female actresses casual look too. Noel and Liam Gallagher used to leave their hair quite simple too in their videos with Oasis and so this simplicity will be quite effective.

 

Organisation: Makeup

For my female character, I plan to use as little makeup as possible to keep the look as natural as possible. I will still use makeup however, but I will stick to a look that is very simple, similar to that of Suzy Bishop in Moonrise Kingdom. Although the makeup around the eyes is rather heavy, I like the way the rest of the face is still quite natural and I feel it is a look that the actress for my video would be comfortable with as well. 

 

Research Into Similar Products: Music Video - Catfish And The Bottlemen - Relationships

Catfish and the Bottlemen released a video for their track Cocoon which features a couple who are separated. Although the characters in my video are not a couple, I have looked at the ways in which a separation and distance is portrayed in this video and this has given me a lot of inspiration. 
First of all, in the opening shots you see a physical distance between the two through the use of a straight cut. This immediately makes the audience aware that they have been separated by something but are not sure by what at this moment in the video. I aim to put shots together in a similar way to this when editing my own video to show the physical distance between the two characters. 

The low angle shot used below emphasises the importance of their happiness when they're together and the mise en scene of the characters facial expressions helps to show this. I had not considered using a low angle shot to show the characters happiness in my video but it is something I can now incorporate in my own video as I feel that it is very effective.

Facial expression plays a very important role in this video as a whole. The pain in the male characters face shows how deeply effected he is by whatever has taken them apart and I wish to show this sort of sadness and also guilt in my own video, so this could be good inspiration for the actors I get for my video. 

There are several simple activities that the couple do when it flashes back in the video and these are simple things that I could include in my own video too, as they are usual everyday activities that people do together.

The video ends in a very similar way as to how I would like mine to end. The final shot is there her hands rubbing his in a reassuring way, showing how they've finally become one again in their own way. However for my own video I plan to show the two hands almost touching, further showing the distance. 

Research Into Similar Products: Endings

By looking at different music videos and how they end, I can find inspiration for how to end my own music video as I can see how to do it effectively. 
Doll Parts by Hole  ends with a fade to black after Love shuts the door behind the child. I think that this is an effective way to end a video as it is quite emotive and leaves her to her sadness. I quite like the idea of using a fade to end the video so this is something I will consider doing whilst editing my video. 

The video for There Is A Light That Never Goes Out by The Smiths ends with the group of guys cycling away with a pan up to a shop sign and a fade to black. I like the idea of the pan away as it's like the audience is being taken away from whatever has happened in the video. 

The Nine Inch Nails video for We're In This Together Now ends with Trent Reznor completely on his own surrounded by empty clothes which I think is a very powerful ending as for the whole video, he was rushing to be together with everyone but ends up alone, so comes away from the initial theme of the track. 

Arabella by Arctic Monkeys ends with a man talking over Turners singing and the tapes are reversed and paused in strange ways and ends with a zoom in. I think that this is a good way to end this video as it focuses in on the craziness of the party and it also zooms in on a womans reflection making it seem like he's being watched, which could make the audience feel a bit uneasy. 

Research Into Similar Products: Anton Corbijn

Anton Corbijn is a Dutch music video director as well as film director and photographer. He has filmed many videos for bands such as Depeche Mode and U2 and is one of my favourite directors.
The video Strangelove by Depeche Mode that he directed, is filmed entirely in black and white, which fits with the dark-wave style music the band produce. He uses lighting to create a secretive feel to the video as the lighting reveals different things throughout the video. These kind of shots and lighting techniques make it seem as though something has happened between the people and the editing helps to show this too. 

 

A shot I quite enjoy from this video is the one below as I like the simplicity of it and is quite a curious shot. It again adds to the sense of secrecy, especially as only Dave Gahan turns around. This is a shot I could quite easily add to my own music video to show the secrecy between the two people involved in the video. 

Another video Corbijn has directed is Lips Like Sugar by Echo and the Bunnymen. I enjoy this video due to the editing techniques he uses. He switches between black and white and being in colour with a blue tone. This is something I plan to incorporate into my own video to reflect flashbacks, but the way Corbijn has used it here is quite simple but is aesthetically pleasing. 

Corbijn also uses coloured lights to help create a fun feeling to the video, which compliments the strange, fun costume the two women are wearing in the video. 

Heart Shaped Box by Nirvana is another video that he has directed. This video is much brighter than the other videos I have looked at by him; for a start it's not in black and white. Instead he uses loud, bright colours which mimic the loud aggression of the music itself. The band also wear bright clothes to add to this sort of effect. These bright colours plus the obscene props used make the video quite eerie for the viewer. 

More recently, Corbijn directed a video called Talk by Coldplay. This video is quite interesting in it's use of colour as Corbijn uses a 3D effect on some shots which I think adds a child-like feeling to the video, especially with the robot and spaceship and the fact that the band are wearing 3D glasses themselves. 

Also the way in which the video ends with the robot whistling after eating the spaceship makes the robot itself seem very human, which is a nice use of additional sound. It also adds to the childish nature of the video and provides a little humour to it. 

Although some of the artists Anton Corbijn directs videos for are outside of my music genre, the way in which he edits his videos is something that inspires me alot and I can incorporate into my own music video too. 

Target Audience: Music Video Pitch

I pitched my idea for my music video to a focus group today and received feedback on my ideas. 

The first piece of feedback I received said that it was good I was taking inspiration from Submarine and that it was a nice link and that the relationship is very well focused in my storyboard. 
The second said that the way in which the song is acoustic is raw and has a natural style and so can link to the nature of my location and the actors actions.
The third said that it is good how I have clearly involved the audiences interpretation in my planning and how I have considered how the shots present emotion.
The fourth said that I have a clear, good idea with a good story behind it. 
The fifth said that my ideas for camera work are well structured.
The sixth said that they like how my idea is very simple but is also very effective. 

From this feedback, I feel that I am on the right tracks to reaching my target audience and that all my research has been very useful and effective; especially because of my links to Submarine. 

Drafting and Planning: Second Draft Storyboard

Although the changes are fairly minimal, I feel they will make a great difference to the feel of my video overall. I have changed the type of footage I will want for the first chorus of the song so that I can make a better use of my location e.g. the bridge, and I think that sad shots like the new ones are much better than the happier shots that would have been out of place. Instead I plan to keep the happy shots for the end of the video. 

Research Into Similar Products: Music Video - Alt J - Sense Of Mystery

Alt - J released a video for their track Breezeblocks which has become one of my favourite music videos. The video is in reverse and slow motion the whole time and so is quite mysterious to the viewer as it is difficult to tell who is in the wrong in the situation that has happened. I also plan to create a sense of mystery in my own video, but not in such a dramatic way as shown here, but from this, I have observed that the editing, particularly in this video, plays a very significant role in creating this mystery and so I should pay close attention when editing my own. This is quite relevant too as I plan to include some slow motion shots in my video, similar to those used in this video. 

The way in which the lighting is used in this video is quite significant too in terms of creating mystery. The lighting is very low key and has a blue tone to it and so adds a sense of gloom and makes the viewer realise that something terrible has happened. So the lighting used for this is parallel to the scenario. However for my own video, I plan to go against this idea and use natural lighting as the problems that occur pre-video to the couple are natural problems where as the problems projected in Breezeblocks are not something you see everyday, and therefore requires the dark tone to the video. 

The shots used are also important as there are many close ups on the characters faces and each time, shows some sort of distress or anger and so this is important as it makes the audience wonder what has happened to make these people so mad. I plan to adopt a similar approach to my own video, showing lots of shots of the actors faces to show the guilt and sadness in their faces to make the audience wonder what has happened between them. 

 

Organisation: Music Video Storyline

The story line for my music video is quite a simple one but I intend for it to convey powerful emotion. My video will follow two people, a boy and a girl, who could be seen as a couple or just friends depending on the viewers interpretation. These two people have experienced some sort of guilt or sadness because of each other but the reason will be unknown to the viewer, so a distance between the two people will be quite clear. Throughout the video, there will be various flashbacks to when the two were happy and friendly with each other; before anything went bad for them and I plan to shoot these in black and white to create a nostalgic feel to it and to also make it clear that these are flashbacks rather than present day. 

Research Into Similar Products: Narratives

Music videos have a wide variety of content and these tend to include either a narrative, a live performance or both. Sometimes when a video contains a narrative, it can be linked to the song based on theme, or song content or just simply based on an interpretation of the song. Elvis Costello uses a narrative for his video Watching The Detectives which follows a detective and some criminal and mysterious activities that occur, so links closely to the lyrics and title of the song quite nicely. Costello does not appear in this video and so keeps it's focus solely on the narrative. I plan to use this type of narrative for my own video as it will help reflect the emotion of the song and won't draw too much attention away from the song and story so will have the desired effect I would like. 




Performance can also be linked into the narrative of a music video, just as Nik Kershaw does in his video for The Riddle. The video follows Kershaw being involved in a physical riddle and trying to find his way out whilst singing the song. This method unifies the narrative and the song and makes the link between the two very clear for the viewer, whilst showing the importance of the artist themself.



Another way in which performance and narrative can be linked is through the use of cuts to performance in between the narrative. This is the case in the Smashing Pumpkins video for Bullet With Butterfly Wings as, from my own interpretation, it follows a group of workers who have been treated unfairly and throughout cuts to shots of the band performing, mostly of Corgan singing. The rage shown by the 'workers' in the video matches the powerful emotion shown through the song and so the video helps to emphasise the emotion. 




Many videos simply feature a performance which reflects the bands passion for their own track. This was done by Oasis for their video Whatever as it shows them enjoying themselves whilst performing their track and therefore shows the link between the song and the band as it shows how they are freely enjoying what they do. 

Drafting And Planning: Practice With Movie Plus

I have filmed some footage so that I can practice using the movie making software that is available to use. I have played with different effects, such as the greyscale half and half, to create a dramatic effect that would fit with the music I chose. I did this task to get to grip with some of the shot types I plan to use in my final video too, so I can see if they are achievable. Thankfully, the ones I tested are achievable and I can now use them for my video. The effect used in this video is one I had never seen before but I quite like, and so it is possible that I might use this for the flashbacks in my music video or simply throughout. 

Research Into Similar Products:Sound In Music Videos

The convention of sound is often irrelevant when it comes to music videos. However various music videos use additional sound to add emphasis to their video and make it a bit more dramatic. However videos can still be effective without the use of additional sound as shown by Everything Everything for their video No Reptiles. The editing and effects on their own creates a very dramatic and serious feel to the video.
 

On the other hand, Lana Del Rey's video for Ride features a monologue at the beginning to add some context to the songs lyrics and make it seem more like a story. It adds a special importance to the song and what it represents and so the additional sound is really important for this reason. 



Furthermore, Ash use fighting noises at the start of their video for Kung Fu to compliment the theme of the song. Sound like this can be interesting for videos like this as the sound is relevant and adds a fun feeling to the song and video. 



Beastie Boys use sci-fi themed music at the start of their video for Intergalactic to create a movie-like effect and fits with the tone of the song itself, especially with the actual song title too. 



For my own music video, I don't think that I will include additional sound as I don't think that it would be appropriate for the emotion I want to achieve. However, it is something I can consider using as it could help me achieve a specific effect or feeling. 

Organisation: Permission

By looking on the Bombay Bicycle Club website, I have found the contact information of the management for the band and have emailed them asking for permission to use the track I would like. 

 

Excitingly, I got a response from the bands manager and this has made me want to make this video as good as it possibly can be and make it as close to something the band would produce. 

Research Into Similar Products: Record Company Information

By looking at other magazine adverts, I have realised that most of these include record companies logos on them. To make mine as realistic as possible I have looked up Bombay Bicycle Clubs record company. Their company is Island Records and have artists such as Catfish and the Bottlemen and Disclosure on their label too. I have also found their website incase I decide to include it on my own advertisement or on my digipak. 

http://www.islandrecords.co.uk/

Organisation: Location

I have found a location that I think is very fitting for my video. This location is quite open and so would allow for some playful shots to be taken. The bridge would also be seen as quite romantic too so would allow for some romantic spots. The pathways covered by trees also will give be the desired effect I want of having low key lighting in my video. 

Research Into Similar Products: Advert Conventions

From looking through various different adverts, I have picked up upon various features that constantly recur. The first is a website linked to the artist. This offers a way in which a consumer can actually buy the album and find out more about the album, as well as the second feature which is the record company. The advert for the Stone Roses album below also features some reviews of the album and I quite like this feature as it is a way to persuade someone to buy an album. 

 

Research Into Similar Products / Drafting and Planning: Album Title

I need to think of an album name for my digipak. To get inspiration, I have looked at the album titles Bombay Bicycle Club has used for their albums in the past as these are: 

• I Had The Blues But I Shook Them Loose
• Flaws
• A Different Kind Of Fix
• So Long, See You Tomorrow

These album names, minus the second one, are rather long and therefore, to fit the trend, I should also use a longer album title for my album.
For further insight into album names, I have looked at the similar artists page on Last FM to see what bands similar to Bombay Bicycle Club have named their albums.The first two artists to appear on this list were Lucy Rose and The Maccabees. The artist Lucy Rose was an artist that features on this list and her album names aren't as long as Bombay Bicycle Club's, but are still a decent length. These names are:

• Like I Used To
• Work It Out

The Maccabees have album titles of similar lengths: 

• Colour It In
• Wall Of Arms
• Given To The Wild
• Marks To Prove It

From this research I have realised that to fit into the Bombay Bicycle Club Ethos, I should have an album title that is around 3/4 words long. The name I have chosen is

The Truth About Nature 

as it is something that is quite ambiguous and I like the idea of using an album name that starts with 'the' as it makes it sound official. 

Research Into Similar Products / Organisation: Costume

By looking at other videos I have been able to decide what I would like my actor/actress to wear in my video. For the male character, I quite like the idea of him wearing something simple like a jumper or cardigan as it's something everyday and normal. This would reflect how people have problems and troubles in everyday life - It's just normal. By looking at Radiohead's High and Dry video, I have seen the way in which all the band members are wearing simple clothes, like cardigans and jumpers, which fit nicely with the black and white effect to reflect the simplicity of it. Vampire Weekend's video for A-Punk also features the band wearing jumpers to create a quirky feel to the video so this serves a different purpose to that in the Radiohead video but are equally effective.



I would like my female character to wear a white lacy dress as it is again simple and plain. The dress would also signify a sort of innocence which would fit nicely with the story of my video as it would contradict the guilty looks and feelings portrayed. Wolf Alice's video for Fluffy see's Ellie wearing a dress and as the song is about her cat, it adds to the innocence of the song. Courtney Love also wears a white dress in the video for Violet and so are the little girls involved too. This costume gives the impression of innocence, which contrasts with the aggression of the song itself. A dress is very common and this would give it an everyday value just like the jumper or cardigan would. 



I plan to include a flashback in my video and I would like to have the actors wear clothes that are quite casual. From looking at Lucy Rose's video for Lines, I have been inspired to use the costume of a flannel shirt, vest and jeans for my actress as it is simple and nice. However, from watching the video for Don't You Find by Jamie T, I quite like the idea of using a skirt a t shirt which is simple and would also be a practical costume for my actress as it would be easier to change from a dress to skirt. Don't You Find has also been inspiring for the actor too as the simplicity of Jamie T's denim jacket and jeans is what I am looking for this flashback scene, but rather than have a shirt, just have a simple t shirt. 

Drafting and Planning: First Draft Video Storyboard

Here is my first draft of my storyboard. The aim of my video is to present two people who were once close but now have a distance between them, making them feel alone and sad. 

Target Audience: Camera Angles

I have tweeted some images of camera angles I like and think are effective to see what people of my target audience of 17-20 think. By doing this exercise, I can see what would help me reach my target audience effectively. I used the images I found from my previous post as I think these are the best examples. 

The responses for this were: 

These responses are particularly helpful as it has helped me decide on what shot to use for my digipak. I think it's very interesting that everyone chose the Last Shadow Puppets cover as it is the most unique cover out of the 3 I chose.