Below is the link to a short analysis of the narrative, shots and ideas introduced or kept from the plan so far.
http://uk.pinterest.com/bpoo3859/first-edit-narrativeshot-analysis/
Friday, 12 December 2014
Tuesday, 9 December 2014
First Edit - CloZee - Eyes in Eyes
(I'd just like to mention that there are flashes where light passes through trees, or where the editing features fast white transitions, just incase the viewer suffers from epilepsy of sorts, though the flashing is fairly natural and not particularly startling or frequent).
I attempted to follow some of Goodwin's proposed music video conventions, where applicable, with my filming and editing. One of these being the idea that actions or movements are synchronised well with the music; I ensured that with each beat or pulse or rise and fall in the song was met with a response visually, so for example a shake of the entire video, a quick pulse (zoom in and out rapidly), a flash of black or white for the transition to a memory or blackout, such as in the bath scene where black is sued instead of white to represent a sense of dark memory, the character not thinking positively, the idea of fading to black rapidly representing ideas of loss of conciousness, despair, blinking and generally not experiencing anything 'angelic' or safe (3:20 roughly, is the bath scene for example, where the vision of the protagonist flashes black), unlike white transitions (the character experiences coloured transitions on occasion based on location or state essentially). In general, my editing is nearly always cutting away to new shots, jump shots, continuity edits etc. based on the music, so in fast paced areas the editing is fast paced, and in slow moments the video reflects this with the editing. Essentially, the pace of the editing and filming is controlled by the music itself. Many of the edits used were not complicated, and were conveyed with emotion, the character almost being controlled by the music in places, such as when he falls over (1:50) and the camera shakes and glitches (due to the Genre being Glitch-Hop as well as Indie, matching the beat and effects of the song at these points). This idea (the idea of the character having an almost perfect attunement and synchronisation with the song), as well as the fact that it is shot in the first-person entirely, creates a heightened sense of emotion, empathy and generally an ability to associate with the protagonist and feel, see, touch, experience and read the narrative in the same way that he does. This idea (Goodwin) is conveyed, I believe, in the idea of lyrics relating to song, as well as with the visuals.
I have also decided from feedback that I will re-film or reconsider the shot nearer to the end involving going to bed, as well as the falling scene, as it seems very lengthened and awkward with no narrative purpose halfway through the shot, a well as the shot afterwards whereby he staggers for far too long with the camera shaking inappropriately.
Using Joan Lynch's idea of the three types of music video, I concluded that mine is essentially a Narrative Music video, though it does have elements of Conceptuality within it's structure, though it definitely ignores the intentions of a Performance music video, which would be, as described by Jon Gow, as an anti-performance piece. In terms of Jon Gow, I think that this is all it can be defined as, because it does not feature many special effects, nor does it have dancing, nor does it show the production process; the video is literally realism in the first person showing a semi-simple narrative with editing and transitions being the only true effects, though this does not overshadow the video itself enough (or at all) to be considered a special-effects extravaganza.
I attempted to follow some of Goodwin's proposed music video conventions, where applicable, with my filming and editing. One of these being the idea that actions or movements are synchronised well with the music; I ensured that with each beat or pulse or rise and fall in the song was met with a response visually, so for example a shake of the entire video, a quick pulse (zoom in and out rapidly), a flash of black or white for the transition to a memory or blackout, such as in the bath scene where black is sued instead of white to represent a sense of dark memory, the character not thinking positively, the idea of fading to black rapidly representing ideas of loss of conciousness, despair, blinking and generally not experiencing anything 'angelic' or safe (3:20 roughly, is the bath scene for example, where the vision of the protagonist flashes black), unlike white transitions (the character experiences coloured transitions on occasion based on location or state essentially). In general, my editing is nearly always cutting away to new shots, jump shots, continuity edits etc. based on the music, so in fast paced areas the editing is fast paced, and in slow moments the video reflects this with the editing. Essentially, the pace of the editing and filming is controlled by the music itself. Many of the edits used were not complicated, and were conveyed with emotion, the character almost being controlled by the music in places, such as when he falls over (1:50) and the camera shakes and glitches (due to the Genre being Glitch-Hop as well as Indie, matching the beat and effects of the song at these points). This idea (the idea of the character having an almost perfect attunement and synchronisation with the song), as well as the fact that it is shot in the first-person entirely, creates a heightened sense of emotion, empathy and generally an ability to associate with the protagonist and feel, see, touch, experience and read the narrative in the same way that he does. This idea (Goodwin) is conveyed, I believe, in the idea of lyrics relating to song, as well as with the visuals.
I have also decided from feedback that I will re-film or reconsider the shot nearer to the end involving going to bed, as well as the falling scene, as it seems very lengthened and awkward with no narrative purpose halfway through the shot, a well as the shot afterwards whereby he staggers for far too long with the camera shaking inappropriately.
Using Joan Lynch's idea of the three types of music video, I concluded that mine is essentially a Narrative Music video, though it does have elements of Conceptuality within it's structure, though it definitely ignores the intentions of a Performance music video, which would be, as described by Jon Gow, as an anti-performance piece. In terms of Jon Gow, I think that this is all it can be defined as, because it does not feature many special effects, nor does it have dancing, nor does it show the production process; the video is literally realism in the first person showing a semi-simple narrative with editing and transitions being the only true effects, though this does not overshadow the video itself enough (or at all) to be considered a special-effects extravaganza.
Friday, 5 December 2014
Sunday, 9 November 2014
Thursday, 6 November 2014
Rain and water edit
This is just a short edit from a collection of 1/8x speed recorded clips in the rain. The use of slow motion can be used to show the general calmness of a scene, as well as an immense intensity, as if time itself slows due to the situation or to create a sense of fast paced action needing to be slowed down for clarity, like an adrenaline rush.
Adobe Premier Pro Colour/Speed Changing
I also played around with the speed of some clips via the pathway below. This allows for speeding up and slowing down clips or individual moments if the razor blade is used appropriately. Using this method allowed me to lengthen a short clip to fill a large space to match the music with the editing without throwing in a random clip and ruining the continuity.
Friday, 24 October 2014
Masking Phone Edit
This edit was completed in Adobe After Effects, though was imported into Premier Pro upon finishing via Adobe Bridge. This is due to quality and playback issues, as well as frame rate drop at different times, the image being heavily pixellated also.
The phone, being in the foreground in relation to the text, I made to hide some of the text to further show some depth to the editing. I also applied a drop shadow and a motion blur, as the text was slightly hard to see, and lacked realism with it's movement. The motion blur allowed for some smoother editing for the quick moving change of position as well, and made it look generally more professional. I had some issues where framerate went from smooth to jumpy and inconsistent, so by adding more keyframes at a regular and consistent pace the finished video played back a lot more smoothly, this was perhaps by a setting concerning the frames played between keyframes. By exporting the video through Premier Pro, I was able to retain and copy the desired quality from the previous edits within Premier Pro for consistency in my filming.
(The edit above is the worse edit, where framerate and quality is poorer. It also processed the whole clip beyond the actual visuals needed, and so I learned to make sure that the timeline finishes where I need it to).
Tuesday, 21 October 2014
Developments and Ideas
Shots
So far, my edits have proven to be quite long for the song's time and the footage I intend to include, the bike scenes taking far too long, the general movement of the protagonist being quite slow and inclusive of hands and legs, as well as lighting sometimes being bad. I will try to move more swiftly and realistically, not trying excessively hard to include movements, objects of interest and my limbs, as well as trying to get the majority of daytime filming completed around about the same time each day, roughly between 9am and 3pm for the HD colour clarity I need. The shots will also be shortened more frequently in short succession, as with my second edit I found that it is easy to accidentally film too much and need to shorten it, so by moving quickly as well as cutting out static sections of footage with short jump cuts I can speed the clips along and convey that section of the story as swiftly as possible so that there is room for the other, more important scenes.
Lighting
As mentioned above, lighting has proven to be a major concern. Not only with the lighting mentioned, but with the darker scenes such as in the most recent edit with the night time shots and transition. The torch I had was too focused on one point, and so proved to be quite awkward at establishing the scene, as well as highlighting large spaces. It is also impractical at actually helping navigate due to the short radius of it's beam, and so I will need to think about investing in a larger covering torch, though it did reach the other end of the woods with ease.
So far, my edits have proven to be quite long for the song's time and the footage I intend to include, the bike scenes taking far too long, the general movement of the protagonist being quite slow and inclusive of hands and legs, as well as lighting sometimes being bad. I will try to move more swiftly and realistically, not trying excessively hard to include movements, objects of interest and my limbs, as well as trying to get the majority of daytime filming completed around about the same time each day, roughly between 9am and 3pm for the HD colour clarity I need. The shots will also be shortened more frequently in short succession, as with my second edit I found that it is easy to accidentally film too much and need to shorten it, so by moving quickly as well as cutting out static sections of footage with short jump cuts I can speed the clips along and convey that section of the story as swiftly as possible so that there is room for the other, more important scenes.
Lighting
As mentioned above, lighting has proven to be a major concern. Not only with the lighting mentioned, but with the darker scenes such as in the most recent edit with the night time shots and transition. The torch I had was too focused on one point, and so proved to be quite awkward at establishing the scene, as well as highlighting large spaces. It is also impractical at actually helping navigate due to the short radius of it's beam, and so I will need to think about investing in a larger covering torch, though it did reach the other end of the woods with ease.
Night shots and transition
This is my first transition edit. Part of the plot involves the character losing time and waking in different places, and so the transition from the dog running into the character with a dark coloured face synergizes well with the next clip's dark setting, where he awakes in a forest. This short sequence of jump cuts and slightly distorted movement and direction allows for a clearly confused scene.
Shortly after waking he notices his bike, and so goes home, a transition within Premier Pro being used which fades out one shot as another fades in to create a lucid, tired transition, as well as to show time passing. The edit will later possibly have several other shots strung together with a similar effect for further emphasis on that time passing element, as well as the impression of something being wrong with the character.
Shortly after waking he notices his bike, and so goes home, a transition within Premier Pro being used which fades out one shot as another fades in to create a lucid, tired transition, as well as to show time passing. The edit will later possibly have several other shots strung together with a similar effect for further emphasis on that time passing element, as well as the impression of something being wrong with the character.
Tuesday, 14 October 2014
Friday, 10 October 2014
Test Edit
This test is a much better edit, featuring small cuts in order to speed up time, as well as a basic transition by pulling a shirt over the camera. The lighting is a lot better with the sun rising, rather than setting, and so has shown me that most of my filming, inside and out, should probably be shot about 7am-3pm for optimum lighting.
Casting
I have chosen to use my friend Fraser Tuttle, as he is reliable, local, and looks the part for the video. He is also on good terms with me (evidently) and does make for an excellent person to work alongside.
He also has a motorcycle, which will be his main scene/appearance, which works well with the intentions of the music video. I also know that I can trust riding with him, which makes the health and safety elements of these scenes less troublesome.
Knowing her well and for a long time ensures no disagreements or anger which could disrupt filming or have a negative effect on the finished product.
I have not finished the casting, as more people may come to my attention and prove to be useful/interesting towards my video, as well as the possibility of being let down in some aspect, due to illness, accident or disagreement, though this is unlikely.
Thursday, 9 October 2014
Call Sheet Example
This is an example of a Call Sheet. This one has been filled out for the filming of the woodland space of Jerry March Funeral Directors. Some fields are missing or referring to the production schedule, as it will always be on hand and ready to present if necessary. The actors have their own modes of transport to this location and have been briefed on it's address and route, and will make their individual ways there via motorcycle, walking, or lift by car.
242392098 Call Sheet Example
Wednesday, 8 October 2014
Reccee Checklist (Woodland)
This is the first Recee checklist for the Woodland location of jerry March Funeral Director's woodland space.
Production Schedule
This production schedule outlines the elements that need to be completed by certain dates, as well as the locations that will be filmed and when, colour coded on the right for a breakdown of the tasks to be covered each day. This a guide, and may obviously have slight changes due to new developments, ideas, opportunities and drawbacks.
Tuesday, 7 October 2014
Green Screen experimentation
We attempted to use the studio's green screen, using a green phone case to show how objects that are green with simply reveal the background chosen. This can be used on a T-shirt, skateboard or waterpistol etc. for a strange effect, the skater riding on nothing supposedly, the water being released from invisible space, or the t-shirt to make a torso invisible. We also experimented with manipulation, making two of us incredibly large, which the others were miniature on the hill, changing perspective even though editing on a 2D image, essentially.
I may use green screening for a scene of my video that require visual distortion with water, though I am unsure due to the confusing process and need for water on the set, which may be hazardous and dangerous, as well as threatening for the equipment.
Test shots, first continuity edit
This video is compiled of a series of clips I took in one continuous attempt, and then cut them up and arranged them neatly for continuity. From this quick edit, I have found that I need to make sure that the camera is mounted properly before filming so as to not capture my face, as well as paying attention to lighting. These shots were bad, though I expected this, as they are just test shots to give me an idea of what to watch out for during filming.
Another thing I noticed is that I had some shots that did not have anything to transition from, and interrupted the continuity, so I will make sure to (obviously I will be spending more time on my next shots) gather more clips and takes of sequences and scenes so that I always have usable footage, as shown by the lack of footage between the last two shots for continuity due to poor lighting inbetween.
My footage will feature a lot nicer lighting, smoother handling of the camera, as well as a good mount on the finished result, and will consist of entirely object/person perspectives; each time the protagonist interacts with an object the camera may pass to it, or another person, and be shot mainly outside at a set time for similar natural lighting, though some footage will be shot indoors, such as the beginning and end of the video.
The intention of this clip was to show what may happen should I rush my footage without planning or carefulness.
The intention of this clip was to show what may happen should I rush my footage without planning or carefulness.
Wednesday, 1 October 2014
Indie Moodboard
Below, is my 'indie' moodboard. It features a variety of ideas, photos and concepts from the indie genre, branching off into the sub genres also, as well as the associations of the genre, such as Hippy and Hipster. These genres do cascade and intertwine often, but the idea behind 'Indie' is definable as Retro, Classic, Unique, Handmaid, Tranquil and Natural.
Tuesday, 30 September 2014
1st person camera test 1
Below is a small test of the Qumox SJ4000 action Camera. I think that it is a little too far to the left, and captures my helmet, so I will be looking into a different way in which to mount the camera, possibly with a bicycle helmet. I will also test again in 1080p opposed to 720p shown here, as well as some road footage.
Monday, 29 September 2014
Shot Concepts and tests
Below is my Pinterest board explaining a few of the shot ideas and concepts for the music video
Friday, 26 September 2014
Equipment and Locations
The following equipment and locations may be used:
- Jerry March Funeral Directors' woodland space,
- (My Home) Horsford,
- Many roads through Buxton and Horsford, possibly the city,
- Possibly Splash Swimming pools (must seek permission and booking),
- QUMOX SJ4000 Camera (can provide),
- Hot tub (can provide),
- Tripod, helmet camera attachment, accessories for the SJ4000 (can provide),
- Hard drive (can provide),
- Ukulele/ guitar (can provide),
- Motorbikes (can provide),
Thursday, 25 September 2014
Artist's Permission of song use
My artist confirms that I would not need to pay for the song, nor it's use or upload to YouTube, well as any other songs that she owns, provided that it is obviously non-profitable, which it is.
Tuesday, 23 September 2014
Music Video Practical Production Treatment
This plan is very brief, and outlines the plot should I wish to use a First Person style of filming, excluding camera shots, angles (obviously, due to it being 1st person), as well as in depth editing techniques that will be covered at a later date.
I have decided to carry out this idea opposed to the previous idea presented with the prezi storyboard due to more possibilities with editing techniques and advanced continuity transitions and edits, as well as a personal touch to the narrative to experience it through the protagonist's eyes.
The editing, to be carried out after filming, will include green screening in scenes where a setting transition is to occur but the character's hands must stay in the same place for the move on scenery, as well as maybe with water transitions. The editing will mainly just be continuity edits using objects and actions coming close to the camera to allow for a colour to dominate the screentime for a quick change to a shot of similar colour, e.g towel covering face, changing to another room where he is ready and clothed in bike gear, towel comes away, viewer sees new shot and doesn't become disorientated by the continuity edit.
Music Video Analyses
I had a hard time deciding the actual genre of my chosen song, as it is a mix of acoustics, vocals, and electronic effects and sounds, though it was defined by my artist as glitchop and electronic. Therefore I decided that it was a mix of the indie and general electronic genres.
Lisa Mitchell's 'Neopolitan Dreams', as well as her style in general, is very similar to CloZee's Eyes in Eyes; it is very simple in it's structure, bears 'Green World' (otherworldy place, such as a dream or strange location opposed to the normal location based from the narratives internal logic) elements, and a dreamy, relaxed, casual tone/theme.
This video is an anti-performance piece (Gow, 1992), relying on a narrative theme, as well as themes of a conceptual piece. The reason I have chosen to analyse this music video is due to the style, not the music itself; I want to do a first person perspective video, as seen here in a more action orientated example. The lighting is basically the same the whole way through, obviously being brighter outdoors, and changing on the boat due to a location change. This consistency, as well as seemingly untampered light helps to maintain the intended natural filming theme of a First-person video, as well as the shakiness of the camera as he runs. It is also interesting to note that the song didn't start instantly, and that there was an initial introduction to the narrative to unfold and give some context to the story. I may replicate this idea with my video, possibly using the first 30 seconds or so for some context or tone-setting, as my song is quite long as it is, meaning that it takes more footage to complete the song, so some basic, calm shots to start with, or general shooting with credits, titles or names will take some of the song time for good use.
The location is very ordinary and has a lot of verisimilitude, everyone acting in a formal manner, digetic phone calls and rings, talking, and people wearing uniform. This sets the scene almost instantly, and we recognise it's normality due to the micro elements conveyed. The use of the sunset when he falls into the water also demonstrates the location, as it was daytime at the office and sunset here, subtly showing us where and why things are occurring.
Because of all of the running around, the cuts used (continuity) are subtle and unobvious, and there is no narrative pause or gap as he carries on the same action throughout these cuts, so we know what happens between them and that it is just a small skip in time, I may use this in my video.
Lisa Mitchell's 'Neopolitan Dreams', as well as her style in general, is very similar to CloZee's Eyes in Eyes; it is very simple in it's structure, bears 'Green World' (otherworldy place, such as a dream or strange location opposed to the normal location based from the narratives internal logic) elements, and a dreamy, relaxed, casual tone/theme.
The video, in this case, is one continuous shot, completely focal on the artists, the frame having a blurred effect around the edge throughout, though very subtle. This effect already places us in a place to view this as somewhat strange or dreamy, and sets the tone for what is to shortly come. The video starts off with an opening shot of the sky, rotating slightly and then looking towards the artist in a slow pan, only changing it's head on view of her to highlight objects she reaches for or dismisses, such as the bird and shoe, to which is slowly moves back. The camera captures her journey using close-ups, though is primarily shot using a mid-shot.
The props are all very basic and somewhat 'unprofessional', from the butterflies on obvious strings (at 0:29) to the man's wig (at 2:11). These props convey a very playful, fun, non-serious and childlike theme. They are also brightly coloured and evidently out of place in the woodland setting, again enforcing that dreamy state, though her dress is a soft brown colour which is easy to look at amongst the natural woodland colour palette. The props, though oddly coloured, are also soft and easy to look at, an idea that is also present with the song itself; the sounds at the beginning and throughout (presumably xylophone) being quite high pitched and soft, along with her voice. "I can dream the rest away", mixed with the photograph at the end and her tale of some kind of pain illustrates the prominent theme of a narrative music video, though elements of a performance video is apparent as she picks up the guitar and lipsynchs. Furthermore, the props used, as well as the location, illustrate the idea that professionalism and perfection don't particularly matter, and the general scene and atmosphere is very welcoming, again revealing the ideas of dreaminess and comfort.
The lighting does not change, and is shown to be natural light by the shot at the beginning, though something about the lighting is unnatural, so another visual effect besides the blurred edges must have been placed onto the video during the editing phase. The camera flash at the beginning may have been generated using software, or at least augmented for a clean, non-glaring appearance, but there are no other apparent effects besides the ones mentioned, though a video of this genre and theme does not particularly need advanced or obvious editing, as one of it's key themes is in fact simplicity, though there is a blur effect towards the end of the video as the camera focuses on the photograph and the shot slowly fades out to black.
The lighting does not change, and is shown to be natural light by the shot at the beginning, though something about the lighting is unnatural, so another visual effect besides the blurred edges must have been placed onto the video during the editing phase. The camera flash at the beginning may have been generated using software, or at least augmented for a clean, non-glaring appearance, but there are no other apparent effects besides the ones mentioned, though a video of this genre and theme does not particularly need advanced or obvious editing, as one of it's key themes is in fact simplicity, though there is a blur effect towards the end of the video as the camera focuses on the photograph and the shot slowly fades out to black.
The location is very ordinary and has a lot of verisimilitude, everyone acting in a formal manner, digetic phone calls and rings, talking, and people wearing uniform. This sets the scene almost instantly, and we recognise it's normality due to the micro elements conveyed. The use of the sunset when he falls into the water also demonstrates the location, as it was daytime at the office and sunset here, subtly showing us where and why things are occurring.
Because of all of the running around, the cuts used (continuity) are subtle and unobvious, and there is no narrative pause or gap as he carries on the same action throughout these cuts, so we know what happens between them and that it is just a small skip in time, I may use this in my video.
Monday, 22 September 2014
"Doors" Video analysis
To create this video, we used a variety of new and old techniques within Adobe Premier Pro. To begin, the introduction, of which consisted of standard white text contained within a black box by inserting a blank clip into the timeline. We didn't use many effects, though we did speed up, as well as flip several clips so as to retain continuity. Our editing was entirely continuity, featuring many different shot angles, such as the button pressing to break up the clip and avoid the dull waiting time, whereby we lowered one leg of the tripod to give a high angle shot, to show the camera following the actions with me and give more realism.
I have learned a lot of techniques for movement, as well as continuity, namely the foot-scene and the doors closing. Not only did we flip the walking scene to ensure everything was moving in the same direction, but we slowed it down to adjust it with the general speed of the movement and progression;the feet moved to fast for the shot beforehand. The doors closing infront of the camera also retained continuity and set the next shot up, whereby we were shown the floors changing for the knowledge that there was movement occuring, setting up the very similar opening of a set of slide doors, imporantly shot from behind to show no reveal of the origin of my path, giving the required 'doors' illusion. Trimming the shots was also important, as in some places I had to wait for a long time to change locations which was dull and unnecessary, so we used the trimming and razor tool to adjust the clip durations, as well as split them up for other clips to be inserted for continuity. This was present between the first shot from behind up until the waiting for the elevator, which was 3 clips inserted for interest and continuity.
Music Video Proposal
(My music video proposal may obviously change as filming goes on, as new ideas, as well as drawbacks, will very likely occur).
(Also, to add to the list of resources, Refer to my equipment list. The only props that will be used are those of which are found around the house in a normal day, such as cups, plates, phones, brushes etc.)
Friday, 12 September 2014
StoryBoard
This is the storyboard and summary of what the main idea for my plot is so far.
(Due to a new idea featuring a different perspective and camera, I have decided that this rough plan shall be my backup plan).
(Due to a new idea featuring a different perspective and camera, I have decided that this rough plan shall be my backup plan).
Wednesday, 10 September 2014
Possible song research
After a lot of different track ideas and sample from www.jamendo.com, I decided on a track with vocals and electronic elements. The vocals allow for relevance to the music with better ease for narrative purposes, and the instrumental electronic parts allow for interesting editing and further engagement with the music and video as a whole, as well as also providing more variety in storyline. Eyes in eyes (feat.LF) by CloZee seemed to be a perfect choice due to it's structure. slowing, looping and jumping edits can be used due to some of the effects, as well as changes in location due to the music shifting dramatically at times.
Another idea was Hazardous, (by hazardous) as it contained strong beats and sounds with lots of potential for a 'silent narrative', though the lack of vocals makes it slightly harder to use. Shine bright, by 'the way I am' is also another choice, as it is completely free to use, and has a strong narrative inbued within the lyrics and music, of which plays along the storyline.
(Update) CloZee confirmed that i can use her songs for my music magazine, and so her song may be a more likely choice once again, as it contained the most viable and reliable elements for a music video.
I have also made advances and concepts on the type of editing I will include, as shown several times above. This is a basic animation of loops and simple movement, therefore the finished product will be a lot smoother, more detailed, and have a better, as well as more relevant image in the background.
(The lady in the picture was taken from Google images, and will only be used for research and planning purposes).
Another idea was Hazardous, (by hazardous) as it contained strong beats and sounds with lots of potential for a 'silent narrative', though the lack of vocals makes it slightly harder to use. Shine bright, by 'the way I am' is also another choice, as it is completely free to use, and has a strong narrative inbued within the lyrics and music, of which plays along the storyline.
Clozee's song seems like something that I may need a license for, therefore I may steer away from it unless I get a response soon for my request of it's use. Sometime, by Renato Cabrera is also a nice song for the purposes of my video, having none if the issues that CloZee's songs may have, however it is approximately 6 minutes long and has a lot of repetition and a basic structure which lacks engagement and is not the kind of song to have a video that fits it well due to the looping of certain segments. Furthermore, some parts are quite obviously looped, which does ruin some of the professionalism of it and makes it less of a realistic option.
(Update) CloZee confirmed that i can use her songs for my music magazine, and so her song may be a more likely choice once again, as it contained the most viable and reliable elements for a music video.
I have also made advances and concepts on the type of editing I will include, as shown several times above. This is a basic animation of loops and simple movement, therefore the finished product will be a lot smoother, more detailed, and have a better, as well as more relevant image in the background. (The lady in the picture was taken from Google images, and will only be used for research and planning purposes).
Tuesday, 9 September 2014
Music Video Definition
A music video is essentially the pairing of visuals alongside a soundtrack or song. The lyrics and music itself often combine for an aesthetically pleasing, as well as equally engaging tone, as well as sometimes to inspire emotion, such as with a sad narrative alongside a sad themed track, or where actions in the video act with the beat, drop or climax with a song to make the viewer experience a greater love for the song, giving them "goosebumps" if the narrative and song synchronise or inspire new context.
Music videos are divisible into three different main sections: Narrative, whereby the video tells a story; Performance, where the band is captured performing the song and lipsinking, conventionally with focus on the vocalist; And finally Conceptual, where the lyrics and song have little impact on the visuals, sometimes not at all, with the effects and images just being there as something to watch.
Music videos are to initially promote a song, which is why most extremely popular songs will have a video; to have a very popular song without a video leaves it at a disadvantage, as it would be harder to advertise itself, as well as allow playing on different media forms, such as music channels like 'Scuzz'.
Music videos are to initially promote a song, which is why most extremely popular songs will have a video; to have a very popular song without a video leaves it at a disadvantage, as it would be harder to advertise itself, as well as allow playing on different media forms, such as music channels like 'Scuzz'.
Friday, 5 September 2014
Artwork Research
In my artwork, I maintain a similar style to Jonathan Desbiens, in a sense, and so I may be able to incorporate my style into the music video I produce if incorporating my earlier idea of visual effects in places of enhanced activity within the music.
The vivid, simplistic, colourful themes present can be used in the same way, and so will provide as a good anchor when considering what theme or style I could incorporate into the editing. This image below, drawn by me, details the general feel for the effects I want to capture, mainly the upper left side of the image. Though not identical to Zedd's video, the style is similar in it's simplicity, and could be used in the same way if I were to incorporate Adobe Flash and after effects, possibly using masking within flash as a separate animation to the video and then dropping it in the timeline at the right points.With research, I may be able to construct a very similar style to the Director's, or at least grasp an idea of what works with the genre, and design a background suitable.
Music Videos Research, Jonathan Desbiens
Initially I though of an emotional song, maybe featuring a narrative based video with emotive lyrics and associated instruments, such as violin or Piano. While this is still an option, much more upbeat songs appear to open more opportunities for editing, such as effects, quick camera shots and possibly more interest.
Jonathan Desbiens, or Jodeb, is a Canadian director from Shawinigan-Sud, Quebec, who directs music videos primarily of the electronic genre (and related/sub genres, such as dubstep), and focuses on CGI elements and techniques, such as polygon models falling apart in Rusko's "Roll it, Light it", frequently using 2D and 3D editing. It is also apparent that he enjoys mixing all three types of music video at times (Narrative, Performance and Conceptual).
This video, for example, has a lot of vivid colours and animations, as well as time slowing down within the narrative for more intense beats or sounds, all combining to a very powerful effect on the viewer. I believe that this style of relatively simple animation can be managed, if not simplified with slowed-down-quickly editing towards a freeze frame for the split second of animation upon an important beat of the song kicks in, such as a drop or iconic section/sound.
The Director, Jonathan Desbiens, has worked with this artist in another video, "Clarity". In this video there was a much more conceptual feel, opposed to the although conceptual, more of a narrative/ performance video of "Find you". The effects and animation for Clarity is much more random and vivid, occasionally showing characters in a story involving some kind of crash, but mainly focusing on splashing effects, coloured splatters, light bulbs smashing, and generally colourful, powerful and expressive images to follow the music.
I like the videos due to the emotion and power captured through strong synchronized beats paired with intense visuals such as the explosions of what appears to be snow and varying colours, as well as time slowing with the beats. My music video will potentially feature similar effects and editing, though I may leave out the concept of a performance music video.
The videos featuring Zedd include a lot of colourful and vibrant effects and images due to the songs intense, vivid nature. the artists themselves are wearing clothing depending ont he situation; Zedd himself is usually wearing everyday clothes he wears as he is just placed in to give reference to him as a performance element to the song, whereas the vocalist is often seen wearing an outfit, as they are more prominent and so relevant to the song and it's narrative, such as with the desert and cave where she is seen wearing a radiant white, the lyrics focused on "clarity" and the two protagonists on a quest for eachother. But this video being focally conceptual, the artists are not particularly focused upon and so their clothing and composition is not very applicable here. 'Find you', however, has a larger focus on narrative opposed to concept, and so can be discussed more in it's mise en scene and composition. The general tone is quite fast paced, and so the music and effects synchronise with the story as well as eachother, but the background and atmosphere reflect a snowy, natural theme, and so the effects and lighting are prominently blue and green, the first location being quite white, sleek and reflective.
This is another link to another video Jonathan directed.
http://www.jodeb.ca/#/cypress/
It is quite evident that Jonathan's work and mind alike revolve focally around CGI, as well as performance (which is quite common due to publicity and selling the song as best as possible while promoting the artist), often jumping to shots and scene where there is no actual relevance to the song as such, and is mainly just conceptual for visual enjoyment. But to achieve these powerful images he only seems to dedicate himself to the electronic genre, as this music synchronises with his editing well and fits the style.
This link shows the process which was carried out to get the cgi into the video, however due to not having the same resources I will have to think of a more simplified and laboured version.
http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/code/5930328/zedd-matthew-koma-and-miriam-bryant-rock-out-with-cgi-in-find-you
(These videos and link were used for the purpose of reference and analysis and will not be used for anything other than this).
(Stone Sour's "Through Glass" Music Video is also extremely unique, showing a story, as well as performance of how people, namely stars, are fake and lie, being shown quite literally when the camera turns around people at a party, and as this is done, they become cardboard cutouts followed by a man to carry them off set (this video was directed by Tony Petrossian). This style of editing is more 'interactive' than Jonathan Desbiens' work, and seems too much of a challenge for what I am aiming for; Desbiens' work revolves around layered animations and effects, as well as solo-shot 3D images, and can be created without too much tampering with the composition of a shot the was "Through Glass" was made; There were direct physical influences and pauses to create the effects generated, whereas "Clarity" could have been created with simpler 2D layered drawing and green screens directly on top of a finished video clip).
Jonathan Desbiens, or Jodeb, is a Canadian director from Shawinigan-Sud, Quebec, who directs music videos primarily of the electronic genre (and related/sub genres, such as dubstep), and focuses on CGI elements and techniques, such as polygon models falling apart in Rusko's "Roll it, Light it", frequently using 2D and 3D editing. It is also apparent that he enjoys mixing all three types of music video at times (Narrative, Performance and Conceptual).
This video, for example, has a lot of vivid colours and animations, as well as time slowing down within the narrative for more intense beats or sounds, all combining to a very powerful effect on the viewer. I believe that this style of relatively simple animation can be managed, if not simplified with slowed-down-quickly editing towards a freeze frame for the split second of animation upon an important beat of the song kicks in, such as a drop or iconic section/sound.
The Director, Jonathan Desbiens, has worked with this artist in another video, "Clarity". In this video there was a much more conceptual feel, opposed to the although conceptual, more of a narrative/ performance video of "Find you". The effects and animation for Clarity is much more random and vivid, occasionally showing characters in a story involving some kind of crash, but mainly focusing on splashing effects, coloured splatters, light bulbs smashing, and generally colourful, powerful and expressive images to follow the music.
I like the videos due to the emotion and power captured through strong synchronized beats paired with intense visuals such as the explosions of what appears to be snow and varying colours, as well as time slowing with the beats. My music video will potentially feature similar effects and editing, though I may leave out the concept of a performance music video.
The videos featuring Zedd include a lot of colourful and vibrant effects and images due to the songs intense, vivid nature. the artists themselves are wearing clothing depending ont he situation; Zedd himself is usually wearing everyday clothes he wears as he is just placed in to give reference to him as a performance element to the song, whereas the vocalist is often seen wearing an outfit, as they are more prominent and so relevant to the song and it's narrative, such as with the desert and cave where she is seen wearing a radiant white, the lyrics focused on "clarity" and the two protagonists on a quest for eachother. But this video being focally conceptual, the artists are not particularly focused upon and so their clothing and composition is not very applicable here. 'Find you', however, has a larger focus on narrative opposed to concept, and so can be discussed more in it's mise en scene and composition. The general tone is quite fast paced, and so the music and effects synchronise with the story as well as eachother, but the background and atmosphere reflect a snowy, natural theme, and so the effects and lighting are prominently blue and green, the first location being quite white, sleek and reflective.
This is another link to another video Jonathan directed.
http://www.jodeb.ca/#/cypress/
It is quite evident that Jonathan's work and mind alike revolve focally around CGI, as well as performance (which is quite common due to publicity and selling the song as best as possible while promoting the artist), often jumping to shots and scene where there is no actual relevance to the song as such, and is mainly just conceptual for visual enjoyment. But to achieve these powerful images he only seems to dedicate himself to the electronic genre, as this music synchronises with his editing well and fits the style.
This link shows the process which was carried out to get the cgi into the video, however due to not having the same resources I will have to think of a more simplified and laboured version.
(These videos and link were used for the purpose of reference and analysis and will not be used for anything other than this).
(Stone Sour's "Through Glass" Music Video is also extremely unique, showing a story, as well as performance of how people, namely stars, are fake and lie, being shown quite literally when the camera turns around people at a party, and as this is done, they become cardboard cutouts followed by a man to carry them off set (this video was directed by Tony Petrossian). This style of editing is more 'interactive' than Jonathan Desbiens' work, and seems too much of a challenge for what I am aiming for; Desbiens' work revolves around layered animations and effects, as well as solo-shot 3D images, and can be created without too much tampering with the composition of a shot the was "Through Glass" was made; There were direct physical influences and pauses to create the effects generated, whereas "Clarity" could have been created with simpler 2D layered drawing and green screens directly on top of a finished video clip).
Transition Music Video
With this video, we learned that planning, preparation and excess footage of a variety of shots is essential to the development of a good music video; to have little footage can bring trouble in the likely event that some footage cannot be used due to ill lighting, camera movements and shakiness, as well as just poor composition or capture.
It is also apparent from our video that not only planning the sequence of events, but having a lot of time to film them is key, as we were short on time on the day of filming. We should have also taken into account the surroundings, as it was hard to lip-sink with bystanders and spectators, as well as hear the music without causing a lot of noise, though the lighting was good for the editing; we didn't need to colour correct any scenes.
For the editing, we decided to follow the existing Ed Sheeran's "Sing" music video conventions, with basic switching between faces and activity, as well as a mixture of close ups, mid shots and long shots for the applicable actions at each point in the song to the best fit.
The editing could have been much better if we had more reliable and usable footage; we had to reuse some as well as place some clips in that were worse or just completely unlike what we wanted due to lack of footage to fill the song.
The editing could have been much better if we had more reliable and usable footage; we had to reuse some as well as place some clips in that were worse or just completely unlike what we wanted due to lack of footage to fill the song.
Monday, 1 September 2014
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