Storyboard of Exsting Music Video- Lego House

I have screenshot each shot of the music video Lego House by Ed Sheeran in order to produce a story board of the video. This will help when it comes to creating my own story board as I will have a visual to refer to when I get stuck- for example knowing when I need to change the scene. It has also helped me understand the different types of shots I could use, as the style of music is similar, and why. Producing a story board of an existing video has also allowed me to see the different types of props used in relation to the video. Overall, it has developed my understanding of mise-en-scene, cinematography and editing techniques as using this as a visual aid will make my own ideas easier to think of.

Treatment Of Music Video

Only artist featured, lip syncing in the old town, queens gardens and along a river bank, cross-cutting between locations, fast editing. Artist always carrying or playing acoustic guitar. Costume will include flannel shirt, plain top, skinny jeans and Dr. Martens. The narrative will show artist walking the streets, busking.

Conventions of Chosen Genre - Folk/Rock

Existing Techniques I Can Incorporate Into My Own Video

Within this performance/abstract video only the artist, Gabrielle Aplin, appears in the video. Since she is not shown in any other locations, various shots are used within the one location, keeping the video interesting. In the first 22 seconds of the video, we see various shots which develop the location of the video.

The first is an establishing shot of  open gates and then a shot of what appears to be in the garden behind the gates. The audience are then taken into the building in which we find the artist. The use of different shots, within one location and the props, compared to the lyrics, will develop the meaning of the song and what the video is trying to portray. The empty space conveys loneliness and the use of white curtains displays purity and the 'cleaning of her soul' which is mentioned in the lyrics. 

After the intro, a slow zoom is used to enter the room Gabrielle is in, making the audience feel part of the video and reflecting the slow sound. This is a good technique as, while the video is quite slow, it will keep the audience engaged.

Close up shots of her hands and feet are used to show her playing the piano, a technique I can use to show the artist in my video playing the guitar.

I can use this type of editing in my music video to develop the narrative for the artist and show the nature of the song through the location I will be filming in and the props I will use. This will make my video abstract as I will be trying to create a visual mood and feeling.

However, this song is considerably slower than the song I am going to use, therefore I have looked at Lightning Bolt by Jake Bugg.

The editing in this video is a lot faster, reflecting the speed of the song. The speed is also shown through the use of a hand held camera and shots of vehicles, sped up.

To help me construct my own story board for my music video, I have gathered some screen shots of different types of shots with the video. I can use all these types of shots in my own video as it will feature only the artist and similar props (guitar+case).

This long shot clearly shows Jake Bugg with his guitar, reinforcing the acoustic style of the song. Using this type of shot in my own video will allow me to portray the artist's mise-en-scene well and I will be able to incorporate more props into the shot to develop the narrative. For example, in this photo, graffiti can be seen which reinforces the time and area the video is trying to portray. This is done by reflecting the lyrics that say 'no one blinks an eye' when a 'siren of an ambulance comes howling', showing he is in a place where nobody cares- the graffiti shows how nobody conforms to the norms and values.

A mid shot can reinforce the mise-en-scene of the artist and, again, be good to have props placed in the background. I can use a similar shot type in my video when the artist is lip-syncing.

In the video, a downwards tilt is used to show the artist lip-syncing and playing his guitar in the same shot. This woud be a good shot to use as it conventional in most music videos with the artist playing an instrument (as shown in Gabrielle Aplin's video above). 

This close up of the Country vinyls reinforces the genre of the song and style of the artist. It also reflects the era of this style of music which is reinforced by the black and white and coloured effect. I could incorporate something similar, for example if I were to make my video very modern I would show an artist of a similar genre playing on an IPod or IPhone.

Here we can see, again, the use of a long shot showing the guitar case as a prop.

Another mid-shot is used later in the video which connects it to the second screen shot I got.  This shows continuity which is crucial in developing a narrative to a music video or even to an abstract video.

All these shots are just within 50 seconds of the video (including various establishing shots) showing the speed of the editing. These are the main locations Jake Bugg is featured which we see again and again throughout the video but use different techniques and types of shots each time. Looking at the editing in this video will help me construct my initial story board as I will be able choose up to 5 locations and understand how to link each shot throughout the video and go back to previous shots using different shots and techniques. This will then help when editing my actual video together.

Audience Theories: Stuart Hall- Reception Theory

Audience Theories: The Hypodermic Needle Theory

Audience Theories: Blumler and Katz- The Uses and Gratifications Theory

Representation Theories: Tessa Perkins- Stereotypes

Representation Theories: Richard Dyer - Star Theory

Representation Theories: Laura Mulvey - 'The Male Gaze'

I found this video which explains what influence the media has on teenage girls, supporting Mulvey's theory (source):

It's not just in the music industry in which females are sexually portrayed; below are statistics I found of gender inequality in the film industry (source) :

The History of Music Videos

Click here to view timeline.

Textual Analysis - Video 2

I have chosen to analyse this music video because it features only one person-the artist, Gabrielle Aplin. Analysing this will help me to understand the form of a music video which shows performance (lip-syncing) but is also slightly abstract and features one person, allowing me to incorporate some of the techniques into my own video.

The video starts straight away with the instrumental introduction of the song. The shots show Gabrielle sat in her garden, with a (stereotypical) cup of tea, on her phone. The slow sound of the guitar and slow movement of the camera reinforces the relaxed feeling, along with the sepia effect which reflects old style holiday photographs. This reflects the style of the genre as it shows the simplistic, happy, free minded nature of the ideology within the genre. Gabrielle is then seen to be getting ready, applying little makeup and leaving her hair in a natural state. Inside the house, many props are shown representing the genre and ideology. A lot of the furniture is wood which expresses the ideology to be surrounded by nature rather than being materialistic. It can also be seen as 'old fashioned' as a lot of furniture now is man made materials and have a more modern look. This old style of the genre is supported by the fact she is using an old camera which uses film negatives. In these first few shots, there are various cinematography techniques used. Close ups are used, showing her getting ready and picking up her back pack and camera. After a mid shot of her face, looking down at her camera, a high angle is used to allow the audience to see what she is seeing but from a different angle. This is important to do in an abstract music video because it engages the audience and helps to convey mood and feelings if we are put into a similar position as the the person in the video. Pulling focus is used at the beginning of every shot, and throughout the rest of the video, adding to the slow motion and feel of the video. In other parts of the video, such as when she is on the bridge taking photos, the pulling focus technique shows that the video is focusing on parts of the plot and has skipped other parts of the story (the inferred events). The use of a hand held camera makes the video seem a lot more personal and informal but also makes the audience feel like they are part of the video/her story, following her through the day.

After the beginning shots, it then cuts to her walking through what appears to be a park or some sort of open space environment. This, again, links to the ideology as she is surrounded by nature, in an open, green setting. Here she is seen to be lip-syncing. While the lyrics have no relation to the video, the fact she is on her own reinforces she is alone after the relationship she talks about in the lyrics.

Mid shots are mostly used at this point which portray the idea that the viewers are with Gabrielle on her day out, making them feel apart of her day. Cinematography helps this as A POV shot is used when Gabrielle is on the bridge, again, allowing the audience to put themselves in Gabrielle's shoes, creating a mood or feeling. In this case it will be a relaxed, leisurely mood, admiring the same thing as what she is seeing. The main prop featured, the Pentax K1000 DSLR camera, with a vintage/retro like style, portrays the genre well as the style of this camera reflects the old style of the folk genre. Product placement is used as with the institution of the camera featured in the video, it is advertising the product as well as the company. As well as this, she is carrying a brown leather backpack and is wearing what seems to be a blouse and vest. The representation of the audience is shown through this as they usually dress less modern and don't wear designer clothes. However, she has an IPhone which, although doesn't typically follow conventions, represents the audience as the majority of her fans will be teenagers/those in their mid 20s who will own an IPhone and have the latest technology.

Slow motion is used to reflect the slow song and creates a more relaxed feeling. This is also reflected by the slow editing. A sepia effect is used, again, to reflect the genre. It also reflects the props used as it adds to the old, vintage-like style.

Textual Analysis - Video 1

Old Pine is featured on an EP (Extended Play) by British singer/songwriter Ben Howard who's music genre falls under Indie Folk. I have chosen to analyse this video as it is of a similar genre to the song I have chosen to produce a music video for.
This music video heavily portrays this genre in the following ways:

Cinematography:
The beginning shot shows a close up shot of a wheat/barley field which creates a relaxing backdrop for Ben Howard, who is later shown walking through a field and along a countryside road. This is done because the song is slow and has a very simple riff as the intro.

Sun reflections on the lens of the camera are conventional. It also shows the time of the day (early morning) which reinforces the quietness of the location as
The shot portrays the Indie Folk genre as it is out of way of the busy streets, much like how the genre is out of the way of mainstream culture.
Conventional camera movements and shots are used in the video, such as the backing track which is used when Ben Howard is walking down the road to finally show a long shot of him, revealing his clothing.

There are also many establishing shots to show the audience where he is. These shots also link with the lyrics as they include lines about the ocean, developing the narrative.Screen shot 3 shows a darker scene, showing continuity as the video follows Ben Howard through the day. This is also reflected in the editing.

Editing:
In the beginning shots of the wheat/barley field, the cuts to the next shot changes at the same time of chord changes. This is done to exaggerate the rhythm of the music as you can see the change as well as hear it. It also shows a convention of fast paced editing as each shot last no more than 3 seconds. A sepia tone effect is used to emphasize the relaxed feel, reinforcing the relaxed genre and reflecting the slow music.

 These three screen shots show the fast paced editing as all three appear within 3 seconds-each been one second long.
A sepia tone effect is used, mainly in the shots of Ben Howard, to create warmth and reflect the summer time feel of the video. It also allows the audience to feel part of his narrative and connect with him. This effect is also very common in music videos within this genre because it gives a raw look to the video. Unlike the use of black and white, which conveys more of a dark past, sepia is a lot warmer and conveys happier memories. The fact it used only in the shots of Ben Howard, suggests the idea that he is in his own world when thinking of memories which are happy. It also shows that he is thinking of the past as the sepia tone in photographs was largely used on photographs in the 1880's.
Slow motion of water is used to, again, create a
calm effect for the audience, reflecting the sepia effect and genre. This makes the audience then feel relaxed and makes the song easier to listen to and the video easier to watch. Since the audience feel a part of the video, the feeling of nostalgia can be created as the feel of the video make the viewer reminisce like Ben Howard is.

Sound:
While a fast-paced finger-picking rhythm is used, it gives a lot calmer and quieter effect than strumming chords, reflecting the location Ben Howard is in and reinforcing the calm style of music in the genre. The music is played in a minor key, stereo-typically meaning 'sad' which reflects in the lyrics as they are talking about memories. However, this doesn't necessarily mean that the memories themselves are sad, as shown by the use of the sepia tone. The lyrics also support the narrative, for example, when the shot, of people jumping from cliff to cliff, is shown, 'free as the birds that fly' is sang. This also shows the genre because of the ideology of been free and happy with life, been able to go wherever you want to go with no attachments. 'I've come to know that memories are the best things you've ever had' also conveys the ideology of not been materialistic, you only need what you have. 'So happy hearted. And the warmth rang true inside these bones', again portrays the content and peaceful nature of the community of people within the genre. The process of the audience understanding the lyrics of the song, and the narrative, are helped by the interlocking shots of Ben Howard. He is shown to be jumping which corresponds with the narrative shots when he is jumping over a wall. These show his thought process of thinking about the past which are then the reflection of the lyrics. This. once again, places the audience within the narrative as they are  Lyrics that talk about the ocean, such as 'So far from home where the ocean stood', show the idea of escapism and freedom- something that many people in the genre 'dream' about. This reinforces the story of the narrative because Howard is almost trying to say that he wants to go back to that state when he was free.

Mise-en-scene:
The costume (shown primarily via the use of a mid shot) portrays the main ideology of the genre as Ben Howard is not dressed up; he is wearing casual clothing (trainers, hoodie, baggy trousers) which reinforces the relaxed, chilled feeling, like genre and shows he is dressing and acting himself- another ideological convention of been yourself and not caring what others think. Lighting, in the video, primarily shows the reflection of the sun, adding to the summer-warmth feel which is also reinforced by the sepia effect. It is also reflecting the happy-summer feeling of reminiscing of good memories. In the beginning shots the lighting also reflects the chords been played as when a lower chord is played, the lighting is darker. The location of where the video is filmed supports the lyrics as he is walking through where memories may have taken place, developing the narrative and helping the audience understand the lyrics. It also represents the genre as the video is located in the country side, showing that it is not flashy or busy but a simple environment.

What makes a good music video?

In the following videos, I will be looking at what techniques and conventions are used which make it a good product.

• Editing matches the pace of the song- each shot is no longer than 3 seconds.
• Lighting reflects the editing.
• Various camera angles/shots/movement- low/high/tilt, close ups/long shots, tracking
•  Jumping from performance to narrative-keeps it interesting- performance is conventional for a band.
• Mise-en-scene (props) reflects genre- electric guitars, drum kit (location)- emtpy space-similar to garage, where most bands stereotypically start out (lighting)-dark (costume)- jeans, graphic tees, beanie hat.

• Performance but no narrative.
• Seems rebellious/fun- reflecting genre.
• Use of zooms, close ups, long shots, slow motion.
• Edits in time with music- fast paced but slower editing at slower parts of the song.
• Use of different props and costume reinforces the type of song it is and reflects the fast paced music and editing-makes a lot go on in the video, keeping the viewer interested.

Lyric Timings

[Guitar Intro]: 0:03-0:11

Hold on, to me as we go: 0:12-0:16

[Guitar]: 0:17-0:19

As we roll down this unfamiliar road: 0:19-0:25

[Guitar]: 0:25-0:27

And although this wave is stringing us along: 0:27-0:33

[Guitar]: 0:33-0:35

Just know you're not alone: 0:36-0:38

[Guitar]: 0:39-0:40

Cause I'm going to make this place your home: 0:40-0:45

[Guitar]: 0:45-0:48

Settle down, it'll all be clear: 0:48-0:53

[Guitar]: 0:53-0:56

Don't pay no mind to the demons: 0:56-0:58
They fill you with fear: 0:59-1:01

[Guitar]: 1:01-1:03

The trouble it might drag you down: 1:03-1:07
If you get lost, you can always be found: 1:07-1:11

Just know you're not alone: 1:12-1:14

[Guitar]: 1:14-1:16

Cause I'm going to make this place your home: 1:16-1:20

[Guitar]: 1:20-1:23

Ooo-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo: 1:23-1:27

Oo-oo-oo-oo: 1:28-1:30

Ooo-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo oh: 1:31-1:35

[Guitar]: 1:35-1:39

Settle down, it'll all be clear: 1:40-1:44

[Guitar]: 1:45-1:47

Don't pay no mind to the demons: 1:47-1:50
They fill you with fear: 1:50-1:52

[Guitar]: 1:52-1:55

The trouble it might drag you down: 1:55-1:58
If you get lost, you can always be found: 1:59-2:03

Just know you're not alone: 2:03-2:06

[Guitar]: 2:06-2:07

Cause I'm going to make this place your home: 2:08-2:13

[Guitar]: 2:13-2:14

Aaa-aa-aa-oh-oh-oh-oh: 2:15-2:18

Aa-aa-oh-ohhhh: 2:19-2:22
Aaa-aa-aa-oh-oh-oh-oh: 2:23-2:27

[Guitar]: 2:27-2:30

Ooo-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo: 2:31-2:35

Oo-oo-oo-oo: 2:36-2:38

Oo-oo-oo-oo: 2:39-2:46


I have matched the lyrics to the timings of the song, for sound reference, to help me when it comes to editing the song and video together. It will help me alongside my story board which I will produce and use as visual reference.

Song Questionnaire 2

The outcome of this questionnaire is much better than the previous one, therefore showing I should definitely use the re-recorded song as the final song for my music video. It also shows that what Jess and I discussed has worked and improved the recording of the song.

Re-recorded Track

After looking at the results of the audience feedback, for the previous recording of the song, Jess and I looked at the ways in which it could be improved. She then managed to re-record the song, and with a new a guitar, which she has recently bought. I will be conducting the same questionnaire for this recording and ask the people answering to compare the two recordings and decide which is the best and most professional sounding.

Arrangments of Re-Recording the Track

Theses are screen shots I have taken of mine and Jess' conversation about when the track could be recorded again. As shown, I have asked her to make a few changes and I should have the recording by the end of next week.

Initial Narrative Ideas

Narrative 1:

The idea of the video is to show the life/story/day of somebody who is homeless, busking and trying to earn money to live. They are alone, having no one to talk to and wandering the streets on their own. The person therefore uses music to ‘escape’ and feel like they’re home.

Narrative 2:

The idea of the video is to show the hardship of someone who is lonely and wants to find somebody, anybody to be with. They are jealous of other people’s relationships and feel invisible to everyone. However hard they search, they don’t find anyone and just accept they’re not meant to be with anyone.

(Alternative ending: they finally find someone, dream comes true- cinderalla narrative type).

Narrative 3:
The idea of the video is to show the relationship between two people and how they get through downfalls in the relationship and start fresh relationship with each other, making one another feel at home.

Song Questionnaire

I conducted this small questionnaire for the first recording of the track I want to use for my music video. I asked four people, which although is only a very small sample, about what they liked, disliked about the song and how can be improved. From these results, Jess and I will discuss how she can make these small changes to make it slightly better.

Lyrics Analysis

This is my initial analysis of the lyrics to 'Home' by Phillip Phillips. As the comments show, they follow the typical narrative of a love story which supports Kate Domaille's narrative theory that every story ever told can fit into one of eight narrative types. In this case it is the Rome and Juliet, the love story, a romance between two people. 

In relation to my narrative idea, I looked at the lyrics again and analysed them according to the story in which I want my music video to tell.

Track for my Music Video

This is the song I am going to use for my music video. As Jess cannot lip-sync to the original, sang by Phillip Phillips, she has recorded it herself in a studio.

Song Choice

I have chosen to produce a music video for 'Home' by Phillip Phillips. I chose this song because this genre of music is folk rock which will allow me to research into more than one genre and portray them both within my music video. While there is an existing music video to this song, it will help me understand the form of the video and conventions better. However, the person who will appear in my music video, as the artist, is a girl but a musician herself. Therefore she is going to record her own cover of the track in a studio and I will use that as the song.

Skills Development Essay

Over the course of my AS year, studying media, I can see that my skills and approaches have significantly changed and improved.
For my AS Foundation Portfolio I had a preliminary task of creating a college magazine cover and the main task of producing a music magazine (cover, contents page and double page spread). This required me to use digital technology including computers and the use of Photoshop on the Macs. Before I began studying Media, I had very little Photoshop skills and a lack of knowledge regarding the skills needed to use it and produce a high quality piece of work. Doing the preliminary task allowed me to practice techniques within Photoshop to edit the main photo. For example, I enhanced the lighting by using the 'Vibrance' tool to make the photo brighter. However, I didn't use a various amount tools to complete the cover for the task. Therefore more experimentation were done in my main task. As I progressed through the main task, I became more comfortable and confident with using Photoshop and learned how to use the Spot Healing Brush to make the complexion of the model more clearer, which the followed conventions of real magazines. In addition, I learned how to change the opacity of objects via the use of the opacity tool. Another form of digital technology I used, in both tasks, was photography in which I used my Pentax K-500 DSLR camera. In my preliminary task I had little knowledge how the different uses of camera angles and shots could be related to my target audience. Therefore when more planning and researching was done in my main task I was able to apply my knowledge and understanding of mise-en-scene and cinematography to the genre of my music magazine. Since my usual theme of photos is based around nature, I had to learn how to use the soft lights to make the photographs for the magazine conventional (for example making sure the model can be clearly seen with the equal amount of light on either side of her). In doing this, my photography skills have improved as I have been able to gain a broader knowledge of taking photos in different settings and circumstances, for example using the Green Room as a photo shoot location.
Throughout the process of the media course my creativity skills have greatly improved and advanced. I have learned to put together magazines with different target audiences, requiring me to present them in different ways. This meant I had to research each audience, looking at how the mise-en-scene (costume, props, and location) and cinematography (camera shots and angles) represent the audience. From the preliminary task to the main task, I looked at much more varied styles of magazines analysing the layouts and linking areas such as costume, colours and cover lines much more thoroughly. I had little experience of doing this before starting the course, therefore the preliminary task acted as a guide and practice in analysing media texts. Towards the end of the first year on the course I had gained wider knowledge on analysing products and being able to do this comfortably. An example of how I used this knowledge, to produce my music magazine, is the overall layout of the front cover as I followed many more conventions such as using a barcode, plug, matching the colour of the header to the colour of the model's hair/costume and incorporating more photos. I was also able to take many more photos and experiment with different types of shots, such as close ups, mid shots and high and low angles. With this I had to experiment with the lighting as the photo shoot took place in the Green Room rather than outside in natural lighting. Much more planning was also needed to get the costume correct in order for my model to represent my chosen genre. For the college magazine, not a lot of planning had to be done as the target audience of college students was much broader and simpler to convey. Through producing my music magazine, I learned how to plan such things by creating mood boards and producing questionnaires to ask my target audience. I also had to plan each page within the music magazine which I did by hand and could then use as guides when producing my actual product. This then helped me present my research and planning on my blog in an improved manner by using different ways of presenting it.
The post production of the both tasks involved taking original photographs and improving original drafts I had made. Before I could produce and post my final magazine I had to create another questionnaire asking about what improvements could made, this was part of my audience feedback. My post production skills had improved by the end of the year because I took into account the fact I needed audience feedback in order to make changes my target audience thought would help represent them better.
In conclusion, the skills I have developed have ranged from using digital technology in various ways to gaining knowledge of existing products, helping me efficiently produce a similar product in which I could represent my chosen genre. This was also helped through my improved skills of using research (questionnaires and analyses) to understand codes, conventions and what I should incorporate into my product.

A2 Brief Specification

A promotion package for the release of an album, to include a music promo video, together with:

• A cover for it's release as part of a digipak (CD/DVD package)
• A magazine advertisement for the digipak (CD/DVD package)