Storyboarding

We have spent this lesson working on our storyboarding. This is what it looks like so far. 

Ideas

Jhene Aiko - 3:16am 

We have used a different song from the artist of our current music video song to come up with more ideas. We are aiming to use the idea of the artist laying on the floor and being filmed from the top. Another element we've liked it's the double apparition of the artist in one shot, one being her and one looking almost like a spirit. We are going to attempt to use this in our video. 

Step by step plan

During today's lessons we have started writing out the step by step plan of the music video which will help us draw a storyboard.

Pitch

This is our pitch from friday. The feedback we've received was mostly positive. A couple of people were confused about the storyline and what are we actually going to include in the video so we've decided to print the lyrics out and annotate them with ideas of what it's going to happen lyric by lyric. This will also help us to make a final plan and create a storyboard for our music video.

This is how much we've managed to do throughout the lesson. We've written down the location and action based on the lyric.

Treatment

Lyrics of the song:

At 44 minutes to 4
An angel walked up to my door
Opened the windows to my soul

Told me he thinks that I should know
That there's no slowing down
As the globe spins 'round and 'round

You gotta keep going
Gotta keep going
Gotta keep going
You gotta keep going
Gotta keep going

You gotta keep going
You gotta keep going
You gotta keep going
You gotta keep going

If there's one thing that I learned
While in those county lines
It's that everything takes time
You have gotta lose your pride

You have gotta lose your mind
Just to find your peace of mind
You have got to trust the signs
Everything will turn out fine

So why aren't you smiling? 
Why aren't you smiling?
Life can get wild 
When you caught in the whirlwind
Lost in the whirlwind
You're chasing the wind

You gotta understand
There's really no end
There's really no beginning
There's really no real
There's really no pretending

There's really no fail
There's really no winning
Cause nothing really is 
And everything really isn't

At 44 minutes to 4
An angel walked up to my door
Opened the windows to my soul
Told me he thinks that I should know

That life only gets harder 
But you gotta get stronger
This is for my brother
I do this for my daughter
That's why I keep going

That's why I keep going
That's why I keep going
That's why I keep going
I gotta keep going

I gotta keep going
I gotta keep going
I gotta keep going
Gotta keep going
Gotta keep going

I gotta show them that I can keep going
I gotta keep going
I gotta keep going
I gotta keep going

Why aren't you smiling? 
Why aren't you smiling?
Life can get wild 
When you caught in the whirlwind
Lost in the whirlwind
You're chasing the wind
You gotta understand

There's really no end
There's really no beginning
There's really no real
There's really no pretending
There's really no fail

There's really no winning
Cause nothing really is 
And everything really isn't
That's why I keep going

Music video song options

During today's lesson we have been comparing music styles and favourite artists to come up with a song that the whole group agrees with.

First we thought about using 'Don't deserve you' by Plumb, yet after some more research we came across 'Sacrifice' by Zella Day which is a indie pop song, and we all loved it.Therefore,we decided that it would be the perfect song to use for our music video.

Our last and final song choice is W.A.Y.S by Jhene Aiko. The person that will have the main role in the video has chosen this song as it relates to her own life story which will make her lip syncing and performance look a lot more natural. We can also play around with many concepts 

Media studies A2 preparatory task – case study 3

Halsey - Ghost

Artist: Halsey

Title: Ghost
Producer:  Dylan Scott

Date: Released on 27 October 2014

Lyrics

I'm searching for something that I can't reach.

I don't like them innocent

I don't want no face fresh

Want them wearing leather

Begging, let me be your taste test.

I like the sad eyes, bad guys

Mouth full of white lies

Kiss me in the corridor,

but quick to tell me goodbye.

You say that you're no good for me

Cause I'm always tugging at your sleeve

And I swear I hate you when you leave

But I like it anyway.

My ghost

Where'd you go?

I can't find you in the body sleeping next to me

My ghost

Where'd you go?

What happened to the soul you used to be?

You're a Rolling Stone boy

Never sleep alone boy

Got a million numbers

And they're filling up your phone, boy.

I'm off the deep end, sleeping

All night through the weekend.

Saying that I love him but

I know I'm gonna leave him.

You say that you're no good for me

Cause I'm always tugging at your sleeve

And I swear I hate you when you leave

But I like it anyway.

My ghost

Where'd you go?

I can't find you in the body sleeping next to me

My ghost

Where'd you go?

What happened to the soul you used to be?

I'm searching for something that I can't reach.

My ghost

Where'd you go?

I can't find you in the body sleeping next to me

My ghost

Where'd you go?

What happened to the soul you used to be?

Insight of Halsey's career

Halsey began her career by posting cover songs on YouTube under her own name.  Her first break hit in 2012 when she recorded a parody video of Taylor Swift's "I Knew You Were Trouble" called "The Haylor Song." In 2014, Halsey recorded a song called "Ghost" and posted it on soundcloud. 

Analysis of lyrics 

The lyrics explore the concept of being in a relationship with a person whom is not emotionally available. Even though they're physically there, they do not show any emotions towards you. 

Synopsis of video

At the beginning of the music video, Halsey is making out with a man which seems to be her boyfriend. They then begin to argue and there are multiple shots of her appearing sad. 

Narrative, Conceptual or Performance?

The video seems to be narrated as her relationship is shown as a story and. First, making out and being happy and then arguing, him leaving and her being sad. 

Mise en scene and editing 

Throughout the video, Halsey is wearing a short blonde wig which appears as many colours due to the special lighting. The chosen location is dark and mysterious. 

Target audience

I believe that the target audience for this music video is young adults (mainly girls) as it contains some explicit images and it also portrayed a unsuccessful relationship which  many young women can relate to. 

Media studies A2 preparatory task – case study 2

The pretty reckless - Make me wanna die 

Artist: Taylor Momsen 

Producer: Patrick Dwyer

Title: Make me wanna die 

Date: Released on August 27, 2010

Lyrics
Take me I'm alive

Never was a girl with a wicked mind
But everything looks better when the sun goes down

I had everything
Opportunities for eternity
And I could belong to the night

Then your eyes
Your eyes
I can see in your eyes
Your eyes

You make me wanna die
I'll never be good enough
You make me wanna die
And everything you love will burn up in the light
And every time I look inside your eyes
You make me wanna die

Taste me drink my soul
Show me all the things that I shouldn't know
When there's a blue moon on the rise

I had everything
Opportunities for eternity
And I could belong to the night

Then your eyes
Your eyes
I can see in your eyes
Your eyes
Everything in your eyes
Your eyes

You make me wanna die
I'll never be good enough
You make me wanna die
And everything you love will burn up in the light
And every time I look inside your eyes
You make me wanna die

I would die for you my love
My love
I would lie for you my love
My love (You make me wanna die)
I would steal for you my love
My love (You make me wanna die)
And I would die for you my love, my love
We'll burn up in the light
And every time I look inside your eyes
I'm burning in the light, look inside your eyes
I'm burning in the light, look inside your eyes
You make me wanna die

Insight of Taylor's career

For two years singer, rhythm guitarist and Gossip Girl actress Taylor Momsen worked with several producers before meeting Kato Khandwala. She then formed a band with three unnamed musician called 'the pretty reckless.' 

Analysis of lyrics and theme
From looking at the lyrics it is clear that the theme is darkness and depression as it talks mainly about death. The song talks about not being able to live in this world anymore and a person constantly putting her down. 

Synopsis of video, mise en scene and editing 
The video is filmed in a very dark place.Taylor is mostly lip syncing to the camera. Special effects are used such as glittery background and special lighting which makes the place look almost magical. Throughout the video, the main source of light is placed on the singer. Taylor is wearing black leather clothes which matches the theme of the lyrics and video. She is also wearing really heavy make-up showing her rebelliousness. 

Narrative,Conceptual or Performance?
During the video, the band is performing as you can see the boys playing the instruments in the background and the lead singer lip singing. There are also some narrative moments when Taylor is walking around on the dark, empty street. 

Target audience
The target audience for this music video are teenage girls or young adults as these are the people that are most likely to listen and relate to the music as it talks about never being good enough. 

Camera angles
At the beginning of the video, there are some medium angle shots followed by close ups of her facial expression. The camera may appear to be hand held as some point when Taylor begins to walk and the camera seems to follow. 

Music Video Practice Final Version

This is our finished practice music video.

Music video practice - Location

These are the locations we have chosen for our music video practice. We've decided to use the stair case for the first part of the song as we needed a white background to replace the snow. For the second part of the video we had to choose an isolated area to represent the lyrics.

Music video practice - Lyrics and annotations of 'Let it go'

Music video practice activity planning

Here is a picture of the planning we have done in class today regarding our music video practice activity. This will allow us to get an insight of what goes into producing a music video.

Time Toast