BRAINSTORM

I have been brainstorming ideas for my music video, creating a story board visually which can later be expanded and improved; obviously this story board is not finished. 

Film & editing task- Doors

We worked in pairs to create/construct a short clip of someone walking through doors, this was to broaden our understanding and skills of the equipment, filming and editing process on premier pro, that can later be applied to our own music videos. 

In order to create the effect of time passing and clearly show a journey, we set up our tripod and 1100D camera in different location around college, and created juxtapositions in the edit. We had to capture multiple shots so that our video flow smoothly to create continuity editing like a journey, beginning with me pressing the button to open the door, walking through the door, then a shot of me opening the handle of a different door and exiting out of it. One thing I have learnt is that it is important to get a large number of shots to make continuity editing work well, which is something we didn't do in this video, however I can make sure I do this in the construction on my music video. 

We played around with different types of camera angles and shots, such as close ups and medium shots, to make our video ascetically interesting rather then only shooting the same shot through out, which would essentially bore our viewers. Close ups were used to focus on objects, for example the door handle, to make the audience feel like they are part of our journey, creating a relationship between the audience and actor/actress. This relationship was'nt carried throughout because there are a number of shots were the actress's face isnt in shot, hiding her identity; an example of this is when Amelia is in the lift as the shot only includes the lower half of her body. 

I think the most difficult part of this process was actually trying to fit the music in with the shots when editing.We had to alter the shots slightly using tools on premier pro to make the track and shots fit together, as after all the most important thing is that they combined well together. we also adjusted the speed of some shots, for instance when Amelia is the lift because the shot itself was very long as it took a while for the lift doors to close; we increased the speed to keep the audience interested.

Music Video Production Treatment

Music Video Proposal

Music Video Analysis

Paula & Karol- The Way We Were

I came across this music video when browsing indie videos, I'm not familiar with the band but from what I researched on them they aren't that well known and belong in the folk genre. The video obviously doesn't relate to my genre because mine is indie, however the reason I chose to look at it was that the shots and story line is very similar to my idea, I also believe that the video itself is indie. 

The video is shot in many different locations from a forest to a beach; all of which follow the stereotype of an indie music video. These shots are connected together with the continuous use of jump cuts; which from my research is a very common aspects to be seen in a video for this genre. I noticed that the female in this video is wearing converse while the male is wearing a checked shirt, both fit into the indie fashion style, however i wouldn't say that they completely follow this style as when I first watched this video they didn't strike me as 'indie'. Nevertheless the lantern which was used in the last shot ties in with indie feel as it belongs on the same line as the fireworks which were used in Alt J's music video that I previously analysed. 

Music Video Analysis

Alt-J Left Hand Free 

Alt-j are an indie rock band fitting in with the genre of music I have chosen for my music video. The main reason i decided to look at this video is because it features a group of teenagers messing around and just generally having fun; tying in well with my idea.

Left hand free is prime example of the typical indie style music video because it follows all the conventions you would usually see in indie music videos. Most of the video was filmed at Guadalupe river in Austin, Texas a common location for this particular genre along with beaches and any other location which appears to be worn down, which you will also see in different parts of the video. According to Andrew Goodwin particular music genres have their own style, you will find that most music videos that are categorised as indie will be conceptual and slightly narrative with similar conventions. 

Jump cuts are shown throughout the video reflecting the fast pace of the song and possibly the teenagers, because we can be seen as lively and energetic. The whole purpose of the jump cuts in this video is to show the journey/road-trip that the teenagers are taking, its to sum up their day in a short amount of time. The close ups of their faces are used to express feeling, it appears that they are enjoying themselves as the mouth(smile) is the main focus in the shot; this is a shot that I would like to incorporate in my music video. When the girl appears to be coming up from under the water while being filmed, a slow motion effect has been edited in; this was quite hard to spot but when I looked at it closely it appears that the waves around her have decreased in speed. This shot has also been edited in time with the track because the sound is a much higher level when she comes up. 

It is conventional in an indie music video to add an effect of some sort in, whether this is black and white or simply just adjusting the colour gradient. In Left Hand Free the colour gradient is a connotation of summer giving it a rustic and retro look. 

Storyboard/Inspiration

Follow Ellyse's board Music Video Inspiration on Pinterest.

Copyright Confirmation

I emailed a few bands to ask for permission to use one of their songs for my music video, and I got a reply from a band called Coasts, allowing me to use their song' Tonight'. I chose this song because when I listened to it I could already imagine my music video in my head and I think this song will also let me be free with my idea. 

What is a music video?

A music video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced mainly for promotional purposes. They are designed and used as a marketing device, interacting the audience with the artist/band. Its purpose is to entertain and persuade the viewers to purchase/ download the item. 

Samuel Kristofski- Director

I researched the director of a favorite music video of mine to get inspiration and ideas for my music video; his name is Samuel Kristofski.


Samuel Kristofski produces underground music videos that are fun and exciting. His videos are very different to what you usually see in mainstream music videos, as they don't really have a theme, it is just a bundle of energy. I noticed when researching the other videos he has directed that he tends to travel, creating on the go shots, possibly using a track as the artists (subjects) are followed throughout the video. The track captures both backwards and forward shots, producing smooth movements, adding to the relaxed and mellow feel.
I don't think Samuel specialises in a particular genre because Jinga safari, one of the bands he worked with are indie but then another band his directed for called Kids of 88, with their song 'The Drug' are electro disco, this makes me believe that he is a very versatile and skillful director as he can direct a video for any genre. When I watch his videos I feel like I'm there witnessing everything and being part of the action, this is due to the use of continuity editing; creating a sense of reality. Occasionally you see cutaways showing brief shots of another action that is happening. On thing you will notice in this video that there are other diegectic sounds incorporated in, overlapping the song itselfs: in this case he has used sound effects that could be associated with the jungle. Samuel includes a large amount of animation to add to the element of fun and exciting energy that reflects the band and puts his stamp on the videos.There may seem like a lot is going on but thats what i like about it, you definitely don't get bored watching and that's what makes a good music video.

Skater Boy- Transition Music Video

The main purpose of this music video was to teach us a new skill, lip syning and how to edit it in our video. The process was difficult because to begin with you have to make sure you use a simple song as a song that invloves, for instance rapping would be much harder to lip syn and then edit. Towards the end of our muisc video there was a problem with the lighting which we noticed when editing, it caused the face of the performer to be very light and slighlty white. I think this was due to the black background where she was positioned in this particular shot as the lighting in the rest of the shots were fine. The key technique I learnt from the editing process was lining up the song with video, I would say that this was definitely the most frustrating part of creating the music video as we were finding it difficult to get the right timings and it also takes alot of patience which me and my fellow directors/editiors didnt have. Overall I found this task very helpful and I'm going to use some of the skills I learnt in my music video for my promotion package.