Music Video

Evaluation

1.     In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

My video challanges forms and conventions of other music videos as it shows exactly how it was made, and has an amateur effect to it. It has a similar feel to Tenacious D's video for 'Rize of the Fenix' in that aspect.

It also follows some of Goodwins analysis:

 'link between lyrics and visuals'-  This is when the chorus says "is your love big enough?" she is in large spaces such as the ocean and space.Additionally I did a play on words when she is singing "I scream" I had her holding an Ice Cream.

'Notion of looking' - This occurs as Alisa looks out of the guitair and when there is direct address to the camera.

'Music video demonstrates genre characteristics' - I got influences from music videos of similar genres such as Hollie Cooke, Laura Marling, Andreya Triana and Lucy Rose.

 

2.     How effective is the combination of your main product (music video) and ancillary texts (DVD cover & magazine advert)?

I went with the same theme with my DVD and Magazine advert as I did with my video; a home-made look. I did this through cut out magazine letter which I put into my photoshop image.

Additionally, The fact Alisa is making a heart with her hands shows a relationship to the lyrics and image, as the song is about love.

There is also a fun feel to everything (DVD, Advert and Video). The image on the back of my DVD shows this and all the other accompanying factors.

3.     What have you learned from your audience feedback?

Strengths
- Lip sycning was in time.
-Good use of cuts
- Good creative decsions such as adding the colour bars and countdown
-Intro sets up the theme of the video
- Good sense of humour
-Wide variety of shots
- difficult to achive randomness
- personality

Weaknesses
-Could of had more moving images on the green screen, as they are predominantly still images.
-Be stricter with my Actress, as there were parts where she is laughing or not sure what she is doing.
-Some of the chroma key could be touched up, and there are some shadows.
-Backgrounds could have changed more frequently.
 

4.     How did you use new media technologies in the construction and           research, planning and evaluation stages?

I used inspiration from other videos in order to create mine. such as..

Tenacious D's video for 'Rize Of The Finix'. Like mine they have made it obvious how they made the video. Both our videos also use green screen. Also the videos that I put in a previous post.

I also had to learn how to use green screen. More specifically keying, eg. Ultra Key. I learnt this through videos and help from lecturers and peers.

I also used my blog to record everything that I was doing throughout the research, construction and evaluation.

I used some archive footage for my screen, such as the underwater scene and the space scene. I made it stick to the sore of amateur look by adding text at the top of the backgrounds eg "Startrek reject background". This helped make it really obvious that the amateur look was deliberate.

I used a lot of technology throughout the project including :

• Social Networking - To promote my video and get feed back
• Blog- To keep record of all my research and planning
• Video Influences
• bubbl.us- When planning my DVD cover
• Photoshop- To create my DVD cover and magazine advert
• Premire Pro- To create my music video
• Prezi- Planning
• Skills Audit- Throughout the project we had various skills audits to complete. Our first one was on how to use a DSLR camera and our second one was on how to use premire pro.
• DSLR- We had lessons and a skills audit on how to us a DSLR
• Ipod/Phone - for playing the song, contacting people and taking pictures.

 

DVD Cover

I have gone for a home made feel for my DVD cover. I did this through making the background on the back look like a black paper bag. I also cut out magazine letters and imported them to photoshop to add to the quirky/home-made look.

Magazine Advert

I decided to use the same image for both my Magazine Advert and My DVD cover due to it being such a powerful image. I included a QR code which would re-direct to Lianne's website, where the video would be.

Green Screen Update

I have began to import some green screen footage, some work better than others. The wall background worked really well on some of the footage apart from the clip of her walking. I think this is more due to the way it is shot than the background so I may have to put a different clip in its place.

The white background was a tricky one to do, I had to adjust levels, exposure etc also adding a second ultra key helped, as i added it to the darker bit of footage so it could adjust to the different shades of green.

I uploaded some moving images behind Alisa as well as still images. The middle far right image has a sun orbiting in space. I also have a section where it is a close up of Alisa's face singing behind her as she is dancing infront.

I still have a few touch ups to do and sort some clips but I have almost completed the music video.

Photoshop- DVD cover update

First of all we had to find a DVD template on google images.
Then I copy and pasted it into Photoshop.
I then wrote up the blurb for the DVD in word and pasted that into Photoshop. I decided to have the words that sold my artist bigger so that they stood out more.
I then added the title to the spine.

Next I added a bar code which was copy and pasted from google images.
Then I added the record label, mine is Warner bro records.
Then I added the places in which you can find/hear the artist.

 

This is as far as I have got so far, I still need to play with fonts and sizes also so I get my desired effect.

Edit update.

I have been editing my music video for the last few weeks. I have edited it all together now so there is something for every part of the song and I am now working on the green screen. I had to learn how to do this with help from my lecturer and youtube videos. I still need to film some things to go on the green screen so I do not use all archive footage.

Rationale

Lianne describes herself as ‘alternative rock and soul’  therefore my video and advert will have a quirky feel to it. I have decided to go for a 'home made' theme, which will include cut out letters, home made stars and clouds and have a really quirky yet cute look to it.

As I use green screen in my video and have a variety of different backgrounds I have decided to use a split screen effectfor my Magazine advert.  Half the image is day, the other night. The day side, will include cut out cardboard clouds with smiley faces and have a slightly kitsch feel to it. The night side will be spacey, and have homemade tinfoil stars hanging down. I will superimpose cut out magazine letters say 'is your love big enough' ( the title of the song)

For my DVD cover I will be sticking to the homemade theme and will have cut out letters superimposed, but she will be holding one of the words, eg "love"  so "is your" will be above her and "big enough" underneath. I will either have the background will be day time, so will be using the smiley clouds again.

Here are some images that inspired me and helped me come up with my ideas.

Mind Map

Here is a mind map I made in order to help me think of what theme and feel I wanted for my advert and DVD cover.

Production Day.

The first scene I shot was the Ice Cream scene, as i needed to film this before the ice cream melted. We found that the more ice cream we put in the cone the easier it was to melt. It was a rather messy scene to film, but I think and hope it went well.

We followed this section with the "Got so hot in the city..." line as Alisa needed the same outfit for that scene so we thought it would be easier to do all the sections in that outfit to start. We also filmed the change over bits of Alisa going of camera and on camera in the outfit so I can cut it and she comes on in a new outfit when I edit it.

Next we did the first verse, about the "second hand guitar".  This section was a bit more difficult than anticipated, as although we wanted it to look 'homemade' we still wanted it to look like a guitar. I filmed quite a few different angles for this scene and when editing i will need to pick the most appropriate.

We next did all the different choruses, as there is a different outfit for each one. The acting in each one was slightly different due to what is going to be on the green screen. For example, Space, underwater, falling down etc.

We next did the 'part scene' as this is such a short section we had to make it as visually interesting as we could in the given time. I directed Alisa to dance, and decided that when editing I will speed it up and slow it down.

The final scene I filmed was the ending, where Alisa walks off and you see that it was all on green screen, so the framing is slightly obscure in order to create that amateur/homemade feel. I then just filmed about 20 seconds of the blank green screen that I can use for editing, and can fill in instrumental seconds as for each section I have her walking on and off so the blank screen can be put in between those sections.

Pictures from Production day

Location Pictures

Potential hazards.

Another potential hazard, or something to use as a platform to get higher shots.

The green screen is behind the curtain

Power sockets to plug in laptop or chargers.

Location Notes

Getting to my location should not be a problem if is on a week day as I am predominantly filming in the college studio and will already be there. The only things that could stop me being able to get to college would be serve weather conditions such as heavy snow.

The Studio itself is slightly harder to access due to the high demand of people wanting to use it. I will need to book it out in advance so I do not have clashes with other students wanting to use it.

Costume

My video is going to be quite vintage/retro based, therefore the costume will match. Obviously as I am using  green screen I will need to make sure none of the outfits contain green. Costume is going to be a relatively important aspect part of my video as there is so many costume changes through out. I need to talk to the actress for my video and discuss what clothing she has and what I have so between us we can sort out appropriate attire.

Lianne La Havas is the original artist to my song , 'is your love big enough?' Her fashion sense is similar to what I am hoping to achieve in my video.

I will also take fashion influences from Alexa Chung and Daisy Lowe (She looks like my actress also)

Location notes