Below is a message that I sent to Catfish and the Bottlemen
This was a necessary task to complete, because had I not sent this message and asked for permission I may get copyright claimed. This would mean that we would not be able to post/share our completed music video. It was also a respectful gesture towards the band.
Review
This was an important task to do because it meant that we now have permission to use the song Rango. I have also found out how important it is to ask for permission when making a music video.
We decided to take a small segment of our chosen song Rango, and make a 15 second video of it. This helped us practice lip syncing, transitions, and editing. In one of our lessons we went outside and practiced some potential shots that we may use when we come to produce our music video. After gaining the footage required, we decided to upload it to Premiere Pro. We then experimented with some of the edits/transitions, this again is going to be extremely beneficial when it comes to producing our music video. It also gave our performer a chance to gain some experience in lip syncing, which is going to be an important factor of our video.
Positives from the test shoot
Use of different editing techniques meant that it was an entertaining watch.
Our performer was in time with his lip syncs, which meant it matched the song when it was added in when editing.
Different camera shots, this helped keep the music video interesting and not too flat.
The fast edits matched the song nicely as it was a fast tempo segment of the song.
How to improve
Next time we need to use a tripod more, the hand were fairly stable however it could have been more sturdy.
Take mise-en-scene into consideration, this would mean that the performer can be represented as extraordinary.
Add more different angle, there was no use of a low angle shot at a time where one could have been used perfectly.
Conclusion
I think that this was an extremely important task to complete because it meant that our group gained some experience on shooting music videos. We also gained some knowledge on how we can make the video more interesting by adding unique transitions/edits. As well as finding out what shots worked, we also found out what shots did not work as well and we now know not to use them in our music video. We also discovered how the music video represents the star in an ordinary and extraordinary way, this was helpful to learn because we can take advantage of it when shooting our music video. By completing this task, I have learnt so many things that I can use in the future of the project.
After each member of the group presenting their pitch, we had to make the decision on what song we were going to make a music video on. We took into consideration each others opinions based on our pitches, this meant that we could come to a conclusion.
Here is our final pitch for the music video:
The next step was to present our pitch to our teacher. This discussion meant that we could explain our vision for the music video, meanwhile we were able to receive feedback on what would work and what would not. Below is a video of our discussion.
Positives to take from the meeting:
Full band performance – We have a vision for our band to perform the song in a bunker, this works well with representation of the band/song.
Location – We have put some thought into where we are going to film our video in some unique places, for example a bunker.
Narrative – We have come up with a good storyline for the music video to be surrounded around.
Performers – We already know who is going to be performing in our music video, this means that when it comes to shooting the video it is much easier.
Things we need to improve:
Mise-en-scene – We don’t have a clear vision for the costumes. As a group we have decided to replicate the sort of clothing that Catfish and the Bottlemen wear, however this is not going to stand out to an audience.
Relation with narrative and performance – This would make the music video flow much easier, and make it easier to interpret as a consumer.
Different shots and angles – We need to think how we can use different shots and angles to make our music video as entertaining as possible.
Reflection
This was an extremely important task to complete because it meant that we were able to plan out our vision for the music video. The group were able to come together and decide what we wanted to achieve. We then both looked at the positives and negatives of our plan, this was important because we were able to analyse how we can appeal to our target audience best. By completing this task we as a group are able to start planning our first shoot for the music video.
In this task we decided to look into the different shot distances/angles we could potentially use in our music video. This helped us all acknowledge what shots are best for each moment in the video. Below is a Padlet detailing each shot:
Conclusion
Overall I think it was important that we did this task, because it meant that we could prepare what shots we wanted to use in our music video. We also slightly looked into what is the conventional shots in our chosen genre. We were also able to develop an idea of what shots were going to use in our music video, this is helpful because when we shoot our video we are less likely to forget a crucial shot.
By completing this form we were able to understand each others strengths and also weaknesses. This allowed us to anticipate any potential issues that we may encounter, and we can overcome them.
This was worth spending time on because we were able to see how we can share responsibility across the group, meanwhile seeing where each other may need some support. Now each group know what they are responsible for there is much less room for miscommunication errors, through clashing roles/or nobody completing the work. This was an important stage of planning a music video.
When we were put into our groups, each member pitched their chosen song and ideas that they had for the music video. We then had a discussion of what we thought would be best for the project. Finally we decided to choose the song Rango – Catfish and the Bottlemen. Below is our chosen song.
Why we chose the song
I think that this song is perfect to make a music video for because of the different themes that it conveys, this means creates a great narrative. Different consumers may feel different emotions to others while listening to this song, meaning that it is open for interpretation. This helpful when making a music video because it gives us a bit more freedom when producing the music video. The song has a sombre feeling surrounding it, meanwhile feeling energetic and summery meaning that they’re are plenty of interesting ways we could link the narrative to the music. Some words that we decided summarised the song were:
Deep
Emotional
Energetic
Summery
Ambient and vibey
Narrative Capable
Open for interpretation
Conclusion
This was an important task to complete because we needed to decide on which song was best to use for our music video. Without completing this task, we would not be able to complete any more stages in creating a music video. It was also useful because it was the first time we discussed our ideas as a group.
For this task I had to choose a song that I wanted to create a music video for. To do this I had to find a song that somebody could easily lip sync. I also had to think about the lyrics of the song, this is because I have to create a narrative around it. I decided to make a google slides to pitch the idea that I had.
Below is the initial song that I have chosen:
This was a very important task to complete because it meant that all members of our group had a fair chance to pitch their desired song. We then had our first group discussion, regarding what song would be best used in a music video.
In this task, me and harry created a short montage.
Planning
This task required us to do some planning, therefore we decided to make a small storyboard of some of the potential shots that we could use throughout mood montage. We made to use a variety of shot distances to keep the montage as interesting as possible. Another thing we considered was the locations of the shots, this is important because we wanted to make sure that it wasn’t all shot in the same location.
Below is our video:
This was an important task to complete because it meant that we could understand what was needed to film a video. This music montage acted as a bit of practice to familiarise ourselves with Premier Pro (the software used). It also helped understand that narrative has such an important role in telling the story through a montage.
Once we had completed the video, me and Harry decided to discuss what we would need to do to improve and what went well:
What went well:
We used a variety of shots throughout the montage,
The narrative related to our chosen music/theme,
We used the storyboard that we planned our shots on, this caused less confusion,
We used a variety if locations throughout.
How to improve:
Next time we should use a variety of editing techniques,
Do a bit more in each short clip, to cause less confusion and a clearer narrative.
Reflection
This was an important task to complete because it meant that we gained experience in making music videos/montage. We also gained some knowledge on how to shoot a video on the DLSR camera, which is going to be crucial further along in the project. It also helped us improve our skills on Premiere Pro, which is the software that we will use to edit our final product. Overall I think that this was an extremely important task to complete because of the variety of skills learnt and achieved.
I decided to go through the former student’s music videos on the Guernsey media youtube channel, to find one I liked the most. Here is my favourite music video from a former student:
Why I liked this music video
Mise-en-scene
I like this video because of the amazing use of mise-en-scene. The mise-en-scene used told a story to the audience, it led to the music video having a fantastic narrative. All of the performers were wearing similar outfits (beaten up shorts, wooden bead necklaces, and no top). The make-up on the individuals in perfectly suited to the costumes that they are wearing to create the perfect look. Without the make-up and costume the music video would not be anywhere near as good as they have made it, as it tells a lot of the story. Before making the video, it was clear that the group had planned exactly where they wanted to film the music video and had thought about the time of day, this was also important when they were trying to show off their narrative. Throughout the music video, there were some fantastic props, for example there was a djembe, this worked perfectly relating the music to the narrative.
Use of camera
The music video uses a variety of camera shots, each having a slight different meaning. The group used long shots well to really show off the setting that they had a used, an example of this was the group dancing on top of the Dolmen. They also used some close ups when lip syncing, this was good for the performance side of the music video, meanwhile showing off the emotions of the performer. The group used fairly simple editing techniques which worked very well for the music video because of the narrative. If they had over-edited the video it would cause confusion for the audience.
Reflection
This was an important task to complete because it meant that I was able to see what I would have to complete myself. It also gave me some ideas of what I could potentially do myself when I create my own music video. It has made me think about what works/doesn’t work in a music video.
