Category Archives: COMPONENT 3

Narrative Sequence

Storyboarding and shooting a narrative sequence

 

In a group of three, we planned, storyboarded and structured a narrative sequence of the making of a cup of tea with the task of using 15 or more shots to create a structured edit holding narrative sense. Our learning intention was to appreciate the importance of a storyboard in planning a shoot. We filmed to edit, meaning we filmed leaving a gap between actions to ensure no clips were clipped and cut once it came to editing.

As a group, we thought we had a powerful opening with the match on action of my classmate closing the cupboard. Including a variety of shots with alternating angles allowed for an increasingly snappy, rhythmic and pleasing to watch edit conveying a continuous narrative with a whimsical atmosphere. Cutting to close up adds an additional layer of sensory appeal. We cut to a close up of the milk pouring into the tea because the effect of the two liquids mixing is very satisfying. Although the shot would have been more effective to the narrative if shot in better focus.

Reflecting on our sequence “You spilt the tea”, I have come to notice that one of the actresses breaks the fourth wall. This was not our intention therefore it shouldn’t have happened. Going forward I will ensure fourth wall breaking is avoided unless crucial in the narrative.

 

Previous Students Work

Learning a conventional music video

I viewed the work of students before me and chose one video to decode and evaluate.

please click on image to see pdf

The music video, Wildfire was very well edited.  When deconstructing the video I found few areas that I didn’t like. The mise en scene worked until the boy came in with his school suit. I now know that it is best to keep the camera on the tripod at all times, that bad lip syncing constitutes for a bad video.  On further analysis, I noticed that the representation of the star was very exclusive and untouchable fitting in nicely with the pop genre of music.

A particular aspect of the video I thought was very good was the makeup. The makeup is a key part of mise-en-scene. The actresses expression is also very appealing and eye catching helping to fit with the feel of the song and for it to look like a believable lip sync.

Focusing forward, my recently gained knowledge of what makes a successful narrative will help me in future when evaluating the structure of my narrative plan and the standard of my mise-en-scene. The examples of those before me have taught me to avoid; arguments as the actors tend to laugh, using cars because as students we don’t have nice ones, and staying away from rap as it is hard to lip-sync.

 

Music Video Form and Conventions

Forming & Conventions

I took the liberty to research some music videos exploring how the lyrics and themes reflect on a given music video’s narrative and vice versa.

please click on image to see pdf

This decoding task taught me that music videos can be each illustrative, disjunctive and amplified. Illustrative is where the narrative in the video very closely echoes the lyrics & music. Disjunctive is where the narrative and  performance seems to hold very little relationship to the song and seems quite random. Amplified is where the narrative, whilst inspired by the song, adds a new element to complement the song.

Upon deconstructing various music videos made by previous students and real stars of the industry, I realised that the star image must be conventional to the genre to construct an understanding, pleasing and or thought-provoking narrative in any music video.  for example, If I dressed my star in all black for a pop video, that wouldn’t quite make sense. Looking forward I now know I need to give the star image some in depth thought for a stringy, cohesive narrative.