Using the strobe machine.

As I am going to be using a strobe machine in my video I wanted to test the effects of it before I actually began to film it for real. I found that using the strobe on one of the lower settings at a high angle it created a more subtle effect that look better than if the strobe was directly in front of the girls face.

Practicing time lapse.

Today i put my research into practice with time lapse. I found practicing this helped a great deal as i learnt how to more properly, i had to more very slowly in order to create the juddering and jolty effect. I also had to move very slow against a crowd of people in order to gain the effect that i wanted. This has helped me as i have learnt from my own mistakes of moving to fast, i now know this so when i get my actor so do this i can tell her not to make certain mistakes. I filmed this process to upload for viewing, unfortunately i am unable to do this due to a fault with the tape.

Evaluation of filming the opening scene.

Filming the opening scene was overall a success as the footage has turned out to be how I wanted it to look. I used a strobe light i some of the shots to create a distorted and edgy effect, Chris Cunningham uses effects like this in his videos to create the same effects. I found after a few takes that I had to get the girl to move her head faster and with more of a jolty movement to create the crazy looking effect that I wanted.

I like the night shot mode here as it creates the distorted/surreal image that i want to create. I think this works well and I am going to use this effect through out the opening scene. I also like the surreal effect the night shot mode create on the girls eyes as her pupils are dilated, they stand out when in night mode therefore creating a scary effect that i want.

Practicing stop motion.

After planning how to create the time lapse effect I thought it would be a good idea to physically try and film it by using stop motion.

Schedule for planning.

As I am working on my own I am going to be in a better position to film as I have no partner therefore no other times to work around other than myself. I am going to be filming every Monday, Friday and Saturday. I will need to film the footage of the girl walking through the town on a Saturday in order to get the busy streets to create an effective time lapse effect. 

Final Location ideas.

I am still going to be filming in Exeter for the majority of the footage, this for the same reasons as before, for the setting reasons as I want the mise en scene to be perfect. I will need to film this footage on a day when the town is busy so that i can create the time lapse effect. I am going to be shooting some footage on a bridge over a motor-way to capture the lighting effects from the passing cars lights. I will then being going to a beach to film, this to create an interesting effect with the tide coming in and out. I want to get some point of view shots of people and objects to create a dazed and confused emotion from the girls perspective. 

Final Prop ideas and actors.

I don't specifically need any props in my video, the main focus for me will be the location and the mise en scene as they will be important in creating the correct representation for my video. As for the main character I have found someone who is willing to play the part, she lives ear the same area as I do and she does not have strict schedules therefore we are on a set path to film.

Final Clothing ideas.

In the opening scene i want to girl to be wearing normal/indie clothing to represent the fact that she is in a "real" world and to link in with Jet Pack Mans indie genre. Then when she goes into the "surreal" world i want her to be wearing a dress or some sort. 

Storyboards.

Final Treatment.

I plan to create a music video for a band called Jet Pack Man. Using their song titled Prisoned pulse in deceased fortresses I chose them because I thought that they are current and their music has a strong rhythm to work with. Jet Pack Man are a four piece indie band from Torquay, Hugh - Vocals, Tom - Drums, Alex - Bass and Warwick - guitar. After researching into their backgrounds and influences I found that they take influence from bands such as The Cure, The Maccabees and The Kooks. Jet Pack Man play regular gigs in alternative music venues like Rude Bar and Plan B. Venues such as these aim towards alternative music that steers away from the mainstream therefore a perfect venue for Jet Pack Man to play. An audience for Jet Pack Man are both male and female as they have no aspects about them that would make them appeal to a specific genre. Age range from teenagers to young adults (16-21), this due to their young vibrant image and the current style of music. There are differences within the audience when compared to the mainstream audience as they may attend regular gigs and be involved in the arts. Whereas the mainstream audience may tend to be involved in more commercial activities like going clubbing. Jet Pack Man appeal to their audience by playing in alternative venues where their audience would feel comfortable in that type of atmosphere. Their appearance is important as they are part of a subculture therefore certain dress code may apply. In this case they are from the indie genre so a dress code that abdicates them from the norm would be typical. Jet Pack Man use Web 2 to promote themselves distribute their music. I researched into their myspace page and found that fans are able to find various tracks, photographs and videos from gigs, information about gigs, information about the band, contact details and a space for friends and fans to comment.

My idea for a video is disjunctive as it does not have a relation to the lyrics. The character roles do not follow Propp’s character theory of Princess, Villain, Hero) as there is one character and she is subjected through a surreal world. The narrative to the video begin with a indie girl sat in a dark room, she is looking at a game option menu, she picks the Jet Pack Man experience and enters into another surreal world. Everything and everyone in this world moves at a great speed and she struggles to find a way out, she is stuck in the game. To create this speed effect I am going to use time lapse. She wonders around this world trying to find a a way out, searching among the streets, ally ways and road sides. I want the setting and mise en scene to represent the indie genre, therefore I am going to film in urban settings as indie kids tend to hang around more urban areas like cities. I am going to film in exeter as I think it has an urban, young and trendy vibe about it therefore fitting the image of Jet Pack Man. The girl never find a way out of the game, but finds another person like herself at the end of the video. Todorov’s theory of narrative cannot be applied to my video as there is no form of new equilibrium at the end of the video as she is trapped in the surreal world. I want to base my video highly on the rules of photography, rule of thirds and composition as I feel that I can bring my knowledge of photography to my work this way. One of the directors that I researched called Anton Corbijn based his work highly on the rules on photography and I was inspired by his work. I want to use a lot of jump cuts, hand held tracking shots to create an uncertain atmosphere, long shots to establish the setting and finally I am going to base a lot of my shots on framing and composition. I am going to use night mode on the camera to represent the difference from when she in not in the surreal world. I want the mise en scene to represent the indie genre well, traditionally I wanted the girl to wear a gothic laced dress to represent the change into the surreal world. However I rethought this idea and came to the conclusion that the audience may not understand why I had put her in this costume. This could be navigating too far away from the indie genre therefore I decided to keep her in the same clothes to avoid any confusion. I want the lighting to be natural as I plan to change the contrast slightly when I edit the footage to create a vivid and bold visual look. I want to edit a lot of the shots synchronous to the beat within the song. I am also going to speed up the footage to create the time lapse effect. In the opening scene I am going to have ambient sounds to create an uncertain and uneasy atmosphere for the audience.

I think there are three main genres that are presented through my music video. First there are elements of gothic as she is trapped in a world that she cannot get out of. Second there is a sense of surrealism as it is a game like world where every one moves at a great speed compared to her. Finally the video represents the indie genre as the song itself sounds traditionally indie. When researching indie bands music videos I found that a lot of the time the lead singer was filmed for the majority of the video as the main character. As I have chosen not to have any relation with my character to the band I am subverting the typical conventions of the genre. However I think this will still appeal to the audience as it is an alternative idea that is interesting and still has links to the audiences interests like the setting and clothing.

If my music video were to shown on a music channel on television I think it would be on NME as it diverts away from mainstream music, the focus is on alternative bands and artists. Another music channel they may appear on would be Q as again they play bands and artists that abdicate form the norm of the mainstream. Music magazines that Jet Pack Man may feature in would be again MNE and Q for the same reasons as above.

In conclusion I plan to create a music video that is around 4 minutes long. This video will illustrate how a girl becomes trapped in a surreal game like world that moves around her at a great speed. I plan to use a wide variety of shot types in order to gain the ability to edit synchronously to the song. I plan to use speed up the footage to create the time lapse effect to create an idea of surrealism and isolation for the character in the video.

Planning how to create time lapse.

Today i have worked out how to create a time-lapse effect for my music video. If i film 60 seconds of footage and then speed it up in i movie it will take it down to 12. I have learnt that i have to get my subject to move really slowly in order to get the jolty effect that i want to create, i now have a better idea of how to film when in exeter therefore saving me time. I also have thought of some ideas on what clothing i want my subject to wear, i would like the subject to wear fairy tale, almost slightly gothic clothes. This is because i want to create the idea that she is trapped in another world that is almost nightmarish to her.

Change of plan.

As I researched further looking at different music videos from different genres I decided that my ideas were lacking something, so I reformed my ideas into something more interesting. I am now going to be filming my music video by using time lapse. 

I am going to deconstruct a music video that i am influenced by for my own music video - Slipknot - Vermillion. Slipknot are a heavy metal band therefore not in the same genre as Jet Pack Man, however time lapse is not something that is set to certain genres therefore i think it will work well in my music video. They use time lapse through out this video, this is something i am going to try in my music video as i think visually it is amazing. 

The mise en scene is important for this video as the band themselves are in the heavy metal genre therefore the girl in this video is wearing a gothic style dress, i think this works well as she will appeal to the specific audience. The lighting has a blue tint to it, this again is similar to other bands videos that i have looked at within this genre of music.

In this clip we can see the band with the girl, they all have masks on, this represents the gothic, heavy metal genre that they are in. It is also important for the band to wear these masks as it is their trade mark and they wear them in all of their videos. Jet Pack Man do not have any trade mark qualities like this yet.

New ideas.

I have been inspired for my music video some music videos:

Slipknot - vermillion - i like the way this video uses time laps. 

Corbijn - he uses thirds well to frame his shots and his style is gritty - i will use to use my knowledge of photography within my .

Cunningham - editing style is fast and synchronous to the beat - i want to edit like my video with fast cuts and synchronous editing. 

Actors.

I have thought about different people that could be in my music video, i need a variety of people as i want some of the actors to just appear in one or two shots. I will need one main character who i will be tracking throughout the video. I will also need around 6 people to do the short shots lip syncing into the camera.

Locations.

I have thought about various locations and come to some conclusions about what would suit my video and what would not.

I live in Newton Abbot therefore i would be easy for me to film around this area, I could also use Torquay as a setting. However the setting are not appropriate as Newton Abbot and Torquay are more retirement and family areas, therefore they would not suit the urban and city lifestyle that i require for my video.

So I researched further and decide that Exeter would suit my video better than other options that i researched. I came to this conclusion because Exeter is a bigger city therefore has the specific urban style that i require for my music video. There are lots of small alley ways, backstreet shops, music venues and art houses that i think i could incorporate within my music video. For example if incorporated an alternative music venue like the cavern club it would appeal the the fans as they could relate to going to venues similar to the cavern. I would like to film some of the opening at the Exeter central or St Davids train station.

Clothing ideas.

I have various ideas for clothing, i would like it to fit into the Indie genre as this would then fit the image of the band and it would also appeal to the fans. I want to try and use blacks and greys within the clothes as they are dark and mysterious colours therefore they will fit with the lyrics and themes of the video. 

I have now researched into various styles that are seen in the Indie scene. I found that skinny jeans were very popular within both the boys and girls. 

I think that converse would suit the style well as i found that they are typical of this subculture. I one of the actors was not ale to get any converse black pumps would also work well.

Something simple like this jumper would work well as it is black therefore representing a dark and mysterious character and atmosphere. 

Treatment. (Not complete)

The band that I have chosen to make a music video and promotional package for is ‘et Pack Man. They are a four-piece band from Torquay (Hugh, Alex, Warwick and Tom). They are stereotypically an Indie band therefore their audience would be from the Indie scene, the age range would be around 16-20, teens to young adults. In their spare time they may be into going to gigs and concerts or going to alternative music venues. Jet Pack Man would appeal to this subculture as they have a particular style that would appeal to Indie kids. This is because they wear skinny jeans, pumps etc. Jet Pack Man would also appeal to Indie kids as their music moves away from the mainstream therefore this would appeal to this subculture as they are interested in music that has niche audiences. This typical of many Indie bands today for example, the Maccabees and the Kooks, Jet Pack Man take a lot of influence from both of these bands both in the way they dress and the way they from themselves as a band. They feel that they have been greatly influenced by the Maccabees, other more traditional bands that they have been influenced by are Joy Division and the Cure. Jet Pack Man keep their fan base loyal by playing regular gigs at venues that would appeal to their audience. For example alternative bars and music venues like Rude Bar and Plan B in Torquay would appeal to their audience as they are typically alternative venues that hold regular jam nights where local bands and artists can play. Jet Pack Man use Web 2 to promote themselves, they have MySpace and Facebook sites. On these sites they have photographs, videos, songs and information about gigs and themselves.

My general idea for my music video is to have a character male or female walking along the pavement alone. I want the colours in the video to be blues and greys as the lyrics of the song are gloomy and dismal therefore I want the colours to match this. I want to capture this idea of isolation within the emotions of the character in the video. The types of shots that I am thinking of using are tracking shots and long shots to show the setting and close ups and medium shots to show the emotions of the character. I would like to base most of my shots on composition, framing and the rule of thirds, by doing this I am able to bring my knowledge of photography to my music video. An example of a director that does this is Anton Corjbin. I want to represent Jet Pack Man as a cool young Indie band by incorporating things that they like and things that their fans like. By using my knowledge of photography I can create an art based music video, I know this would appeal to some of the band members as thy are interested in photography and the arts.

Typical intuitions that would be interested in Jet Pack Man would be NME and Q as they are alternative and rock music magazines and music channels. Typical record companies that may sign Jet Pack Man would be Fierce Panda, Rough Trade as they do not have many bands that are in the mainstream, they tend to have bands that have more of a niche audience. Therefore Jet Pack Man would suit these types of record companies as they are not in the mainstream.

Research into Art House.

An art film, also called art cinema, art movie or art house film is typically a noncommercial and independently made film.

Art films are aimed at niche audiences, which means they can rarely get the financial backing which will permit large production budgets, expensive special effects, costly celebrity actors, or huge advertising campaigns, as are used in widely-released mainstream blockbuster films. Art film directors make up for these constraints by creating a different type of film, which typically uses lesser-known film actors and modest sets to make films which focus much more on developing ideas or exploring new narrative techniques or filmmaking conventions.

Mood boarding for the track.

Exeter

Wasting time

Images in the distance

Hide and Seek

Black Alleys

Small passageways 

Day to night

Time lapse on wasting time

master shot to relate to main riff

Confused emotions 

Depressed?

Similarities with Skins?

Fast cuts synchronous with the beat

Opening at train station? - Slow motion 

Opening with ambient sounds

Lights in and out of focus

Final track.

I have decided to make a music video for Jet Pack Man as I feel that i have more ideas and techniques that would be suited to them. I have chosen a track called 'Your primitive eye'. I think that i can work well this this song as it has a good drum beat and a good base line therefore there are lots of opportunities for me to work within editing to create synchronous effects and various techniques. 

Various videos that i am inspired by.

Foo fighters - My hero.

Tigers that talked - Black heart blue eyes

Slipknot - Vermillion 

Friendly fires - Skeleton 

Mood Board - David Grey - Sail Away.

Night life

Lyrics and music calm and relaxing mellow

Yet a busy atmosphere in the pub

Drunk

Gritty and raw

Realism of nightlife

Love through the lyrics

The rule of thirds and framing.

I am going to use the rule of thirds to frame the majority of my shots as i have researched into various directors and found that Anton Corbijn uses his knowledge of photography within his music videos, therefore i want to try and do the same within mine.

Definition of the rule of thirds.

The rule states that an image should be imagined as it were divided by two equally spaced horizontal lines and two equally shaped vertical lines, subjects and positions of importance should be placed along these lines or within them.