In order to avoid any copyright issues, it is important to send a request to the artist asking if it is acceptable for us to use their song in our video. Below is the message I sent to the Arctic Monkeys on Instagram, asking for their permission:

Below is our group pitch for our music video using the song ‘Fluorescent Adolescent’ by the Arctic Monkeys. It was important for us to pose our ideas to our teacher to confirm that we are on track and that our proposal was sufficient. Doing this also helped us understand what our strengths were and what goals we need to set ourselves. In addition to this video, there is also a list of strengths and targets that we, as a group, have decided to set ourselves.

Strengths

• Detailed and well planned narrative
• Clear idea of what shots (cameos) are necessary to support the narrative
• The ideas we have chosen supports our amplified choice of narrative type
• The Mise en Scene that we have decided on reflects our 90s style and alternative genre
• Locations for the filming are arranged well and thought out thoroughly
•  We have created shared documents and social media group chats between our group – this is so that we all have a clear understanding of what’s happening and when – this enables us to be prepared and well organised

Targets

• We should have a more thorough understanding of the real meaning of the song and the lyrics
• Still unsure whether to have a band in the video to make the narrative:performance ratio 70:30 or just purely keep the video narrative based
• Ensure we have all props ready in time for the video shoot itself – eg. do we need to buy things?if so will they arrive on time?
• Try to acquire unique equipment eg. drone
• Ask our chosen performers if they are comfortable being in the video, doing skating, surfing etc. that will take place in the music video
• Confirm that the performers are available on the dates we decide to film on

In this Padlet, we collated all the different types of visual shots that we want to include in our final performance shoot. By looking through many music videos related to our alternative/indie genre, we now know what repertoire of elements are conventional in these types of videos. To achieve the cinematography that we require in order to make a successful alternative music video, we have to consider all of these techniques listed below, and ensure our editing is accurate – this will also help us to acquire the rebellious, energetic star image that our chosen song creates.

Below is the final pitch that Aimee, Mia and I put together after going through and developing all of our combined ideas for the final music video. Included is what narrative we would like to communicate along with various Mise en Scene and editing shots that we would like to experiment with and insert into our video. We have also looked deeper into what performance and narrative we would like to convey to our audience as well as how we would like our star image to be portrayed.

To ensure that we don’t have any issues throughout our production of our music video, we have put together a group agreement for the organization and commitment to our video. By looking at this form we can easily identify what each persons strength is, and we can also see how we can support other members of our group by looking into their weaknesses. To create a successful music video it is necessary that we work as a team and continually ensure everyone knows what role they play and collaboratively help each other if someone is struggling.

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Click to view PNG

I have chosen ‘Runaway’ as my favourite music video due to numerous reasons surrounding technical conventions, narrative and performance, the star image and the style of the video:

The technical conventions throughout this music video have been executed brilliantly. I noticed that the edit to the beat in particular was done very well, especially when flashing on the singers face. I think this enabled me to connect more with the star image and get a better understanding of her. In addition to this the lip syncing throughout was seamless, making the video look more professional and clean. The camera skills also had a massive impact on the video. There were varied techniques such as reaction shots, close ups, wide angles, high and low angles, and pans, just to name a few. However, one that stood out to me the most was the handheld shots near the end of the video. I think this worked particularly well as it communicated a frantic sense of losing control – for both the parents in the video losing the control over their daughter and for the daughter escaping the control she was under.

For the narrative and performance side of things, I believe the ratio of this is 50:50 and I think this worked well for the video that was made. The narrative of the video can be interpreted as a girl that is unhappily trapped in a circle of control and repetition, aching to be free from it. Furthermore, this is an illustrative music video as the song itself is about running away, and this is what the girl in the video eventually ends up doing.

The star singer herself has not been directly represented, however the performer in the video has been represented as someone who is unhappy with the way her life is being continuously influenced by her parents. There is a strong sense of entrapment that the girl feels, despite this, by the end of the video she is represented as confident and free – taking responsibility for her own choices. Although the singer is not a part of the narrative, she may be portrayed as someone who doesn’t agree with, and has strong feelings towards people being controlled by others. The narrative video can suggest that the star wants to emphasise that no matter how trapped you may feel, there is always a way out.

Below is my mini pitch for my music video idea, including a song that I have carefully chosen – one that I believe would be ideal to create a simple yet effective narrative. I decided to go with the song ‘Fluorescent Adolescent’ by the Arctic Monkeys as I love the young, rebellious, jumpy feel that the music communicates. It is also not a song that is widely known (unless you now the artist well), and is just 3.02 minutes long which is ideal to fulfil.

After listening to this track numerous times and using synaesthesia, I had a much wider sense of the subject matter. I had a vision of a linear music video that would be about a hallucinating man who falls in love with a girl that he imagines, and when she eventually vanishes he becomes angry and miserable.

I think this narrative performance will fit with the song perfectly and the video will at times be amplified – for example when the lyrics say “Flo where did you go”, that’s when the girl will disappear. I think this video will not reflect on the star image of the Arctic Monkeys themselves, but will instead enable the audience to engage and have a full understanding, and connection to, the main characters star image in the video.

By using a 70:30 narrative to performance ratio, there will be a small amount of lip syncing. However, due to all of the various Mise en Scene, locations and edits to the beat, it will be clear who are the band and who are the actors in the narrative part itself.

Here I have analysed Katy Perry’s music video ‘Chained To The Rhythm’. It is evident that throughout the music video there has been intricate detail focusing on the different social issues Katy Perry has been trying to communicate. By doing this close analysis, I can now take what I have learnt onto my video project – I now know how much impact the little illustrative things can have on the entirety of the video. Although this music video performance is disjunctive, to create a successful star image the forms of it had to be conventional – it has helped me to understand where I should be using a repertoire of elements and where/when I should be using the different forms of Mise en Scene, to convey an effective narrative.

Below is a table illustrating my close analysis of the above music video. I have amplified all of the various camera techniques and angles, picking out everything that conveys a part of the narrative, or communicates a deeper meaning.

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I watched three music videos that were carefully chosen because they illustrate many of the conventions typical of this media form. Each one cleverly portrayed the star image of the artist while communicating a clear storyline. I deconstructed these videos into the Mise en Scene, narrative and into how the star image was represented. I did this so that I could delve deeper into the narrative of the performance and understand the inner meaning of why that cinematography was chosen.

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