Third day of filming...

Runi and I filmed after I had finished work on a Saturday. Unfortunately, Lucy could not attend as she was very ill so Runi and I got on and filmed as much as we could. We started the day at Oakfield Park near my house. We filmed the sky for roughly 25 minutes, thinking that we could use the footage by speeding the shot up so it added to the atmosphere in the video. I then spotted a bench on the opposite side of the park which would be perfect, a bench located in a whole cut in large bush. Runi filmed me from a distance sitting on this bench alone, looking straight at the camera. This was a great shot but the lighting was not great as it was soon getting dark, so dark that we filmed the full moon to have just in case we needed a little extra footage.

We then went back to my garage and filmed more of the tear blood scene. At first, I was extremely worried of getting a red stained face from the food colouring again but I knew that I had to get on with it for media purposes! By this time, the garage was absolutely freezing but we used this to our advantage by filming the breath, which looked quite interesting! After scrubbing the food colouring from my face for quite a while, we went on to film me sitting on the floor, rocking back and forth. We also filmed me surrounded by candles. This was quite a long day but the footage we had was very good!

Second day of filming...

As we soon realised we were extremely short on time, the second day of filming was on the next day that we were all available, which ended up being at the beginning of the following week. As before, Runi put on Lucys make up whilst I put on mine and back-combed my hair to look exactly the same as the last filming session. As I require less time to get ready for my part, I was ready first, so we took full advantage of this fact and went straight upstairs to film the bed fidgeting scene. This time we took longer to frame the shots as we soon realised the true importance of this feature. I personally, found it quite uncomfortable and weird to be filmed moving around in my own bed and occasionally I just burst into laughter. To overcome this, I put my radio on so I could forget the fact that the camera was there as I had something to concentrate on.

We then went outside to the garage and Lucy and I acted the scene where Lucy was behind me followed a scene where Lucy was feeling and touching my side. This particular scene of Lucy touching me was in my opinion the hardest clip to film. This is because Lucy and I are both normally very happy people and acting serious and depressed whilst having someone stroking your arm and hair was very hard for us. After a few burst of laughter, we soon got down to business and managed to capture a really strong and suggestive scene.

The next day we uploaded the footage once again and placed them in the parts we wanted in the song and edited the clips.At this point, we believed we had enough footage so we carried on creating the rough cut. However, when watching our rough cut we came to an agreement as a group and class that it was very, very repetitive. This clearly showed that we did not have enough footage!

Shots & Angles

Here are some pictures of the various shots and angles we experimented with whilst filming. These imags were captured whilst filming, taking the images as we went along, then viewing the images to ensure as a group that they are the angles that we want.

Taking these images helped us alot in achieving the look that we wanted as a group. It ensured that we captured the filming that we needed efficiently, reducing the need to refilm the any footage.

Location Shots

Here are some pictures we took of the various locations in the music video.

Graveyard:

This is a domiant location of the music video, with quite a lot of shots being located here. This location creates a eerie and eccentric feel to the video. It also helps to create a link between the vampire and the haunting action seen in the video.

The Garage:

This scene also appears quite alot in the music video, including the shots of cutting wrists, blood tears and rocking in the corner. With very little natural sunlight, from only one small window in the door, and flickering artifical lights, the garage helped us to create a lonely and dark feel for the video. I think, as a group, we used the setting and lighting well and to our advantage.

Park/Swings:

We used the swings only a few times in the music video, but the shots effectively create the sense and look that we wanted. We wished to not only create a sense of lonliness but also make the audience question why she was swinging on a swing. The vampire then appears behind her which explains that her behaviour is being effected by the creature.

First day of filming...

Due to the fact that, as a group, we took so long to creatively decide upon a song and theme to match, the first day of filming was postponed.

Our first day of filming involved us travelling between three locations, the first being my bedroom and garage and the second being the graveyard linked to the park just down the road from my house. Choosing locations that were close to eachother and close to school decreased the travelling time and allowed us to film for longer when on a time limit.

I found that this first day was quite productive. We experimented with different angles and lighting, trying to capture the wanted shot and atmosphere that we had initially planned. We were at first stunned by the length that each shot had to be in order for us to have sufficient footage for filming. Looking back, I feel that if we had an exact list of shots that we wanted to get, we would of managed to get more done in the short amount of time. I was happy with how we took advantage of the lighting in the locations, flickering lights in the garage and a cloudy day in the park created a dreary and eerie atmosphere in the shots, which is what we wanted! This day was especially useful for Runi as it acted as a practice session for her with the camera, allowing herself to familiarise herself with the camera.

The only problem we had on this day was that in between shots, we placed the glass of blood on the floor on the path, to be used in later shots that needed to be filmed. However, when fully involved in the filming process, Lucy forgot that it was placed here and knocked it over, leaving all the 'blood' on the graveyard floor which didnt look too good! This left us with a lack of blood for the shots we needed to film.

Watching the footage back, it gave the group a burst of new ideas that would improve and develop develop the video. I think that the first day of filming was a productive and fun/interesting day for the group. I found we worked well as a group, bouncing ideas off of one another.

Character Make up & Costumes

In the music video, I will be playing the girl who is being haunted and followed by the vampire like creature.

For the make up for my character, we have kept it simple as i am ment to be representing a young, normal girl. I think this will increase the atmosphere in the video as it is a normal person being haunted, creating the feeling that it could happen to anyone.

For the outfit, I found this white shirt in my mums wardrobe from about 10/15 years ago with the retro thrill and shoulder pads till in top condition. We thought that this looked like a item of bed clothing aswell a everyday shirt, perfect for my character. We chose to use plain black leggings with black lace up worker boots, adding a strange and uncommon feel to the video, increasing the curiousity of the audience.

Lucy Simonds is playing the vampire that will appear in the music video...

For the make up for the vampire, we made the eyes dark and mysterious, reflecting the role of the character. Fahmina acted as make up artist for Lucy as she perfected the look every time. This choice of make up is also the total opposite to my make up, acting as another way to differentiate between the two of us.

For the costume, we wanted her outfit to show her dark and evil side, therefore we chose all dark colors in the outfit. Even though the costume is all black, the top shows some skin, suggesting a normal human being but in the video, her dark and evil side is brought out.

Main inspiration for characters

When doing some research, I came across a few images that inspired me and that will probably act as a guideline for what I want the characters to look like.

Vampire:

In these images, the girls appear quite normal but are obviously possessed, especially in the top image. I like the dark hair, blue eyes and dark make up look and I think that this will work well in our music video for the vampire character.

Girl:
These images are from the film 'The Exorcism Of Emily Rose' released in 2005. I like the eerie simplicity of the white shirt. This simple outfit does not take the viewers attention away from the characters face and expressions which is helpful. Also, having simple hair and make up makes the character appear more normal but due to her facial expressions, we can clearly see that she is bothered by something. I am going to have to find a white shirt similar to this!

Textual analysis of a music video

In order for me to identify the conventions of a music video, I studied the music video for 'Empire state of Mind' By Jay-z and Alicia Keys, which appears on Jay-z's latest album, titled 'The Blueprint 3'. I felt that this was a good place to start and would give me a clear idea of what is expected. This understanding will help me create a realistic video. I have split this analysis in to seven sections so that I ensure that I analyse each section fully.


Genre characteristics:

This music video is set in the urban and built up area of New York City. This setting and the atmosphere created by this reflects and compliments the style and genre of the music. The large and famous buildings in New York City are dominantly shown throughout the video using a low angle shot, making them appear powerful and supreme in the video.





Relationship between lyrics and visuals:

Throughout the song, Jay-Z is singing about various places in the city, the people and places that have changed his life. Throughout the video, the audience is shown the places and people he is mentioning in the lyrics. This creates a strong relationship between the lyrics and the visuals.


Relationship between the music and the editng:

Throughout the video, images appear of different places in New york, viewed as still images. These images appear on a drum beat, showing that the pace of the music is driving the pace of the editing. Below is a image that I particually liked from the beginning of the video. As three beats are heard in the song, three images appear on the screen. However, instead of the previous image disappearing, the images are overlayed on top of each other. I think that this is an effective way of presenting the content to the audience.





Close ups:

This music video is dominated by close ups of both artists as they sing the lyrics of the song. The close ups encourage audience involvement and make the video and narrative appear more personal. With videos like this where the words are being sung, a high level of close ups are helpful.


Notion of Looking:

There is not really a clear notion of looking in this video as it is mainly perfomance based. However, it can be suggested that we are looking in to the singers life as he shows and tells us about the places he is fond of in New York.


Intertextual refrences:

In this song and video, Jay-Z tells the audience a story of his past life, the people that he met, the people that helped him and the places that inspired this. The audience is shown this through numerious still shots. Eventhough there is no movement in these shots they soon build a story. The still images are represented as memories in the form of photos.


Performance, narrative or concept based?:

This music video is definately performance based as throughout the video Jay-Z is singing/performaning the song and Alicia Keys is shown playing the piano. Towards the end of the video, both artist join to perform the song on a set of red stairs (shown below).

Props

In any media production, the use of props are very important as they help to tell and develop the narrative. In our video, we plan to use:

• Champagne glass with a twist- This glass will be filled with blood, developing the narrative by showing how truely possessed the young woman is.
• Bread Knife- This prop will be used to show a threat to the girl by the vampire. It will also be used to film the cutting wrist scenes.
• Candles- These will be used when the girl is sitting in the corner rocking, surrounding by light. Also, will build a link between the lyrics and visuals by being used when the lyrics say "we saw the lights turn on". The candles can also be used as a unique and interesting form of lighting.

All of the props planned will help develop and show the narrative within in the music video.

Location possibilities

Here are some shots of the possible locations that we can use during the filming process.

My garage:-

With the correct lighting and camera angles, shots in the garage would look very creepy and capture the atmosphere that we hope to create within the music video.

Woods:-

I think filming in the woods would help us to create a creepy and unconfortable atmosphere in the music video. Eventhough the actor may be alone in these shots, the frame will still appear full due to the busy surroundings. However, it will still create a lonely and haunting feeling for the audience with the right lighting and movement.

Park:

I think filming in the local park on the swings will create a eerie and strange atmosphere in the video, which will add to the nightmare theme that we plan to create. in the editing process, we would be able to change the video to black and white, making the scene darker, creating the atmosphere that we want.

Mood Board

We have put together some images as a mood board.

Shots I Like..

Here are a few shots that I found from the Evanescence video for Everybody's Fool...


This music video shows the suffering of a young woman who is seen as a famous role model but in real life, her true situation is completely different to what is seen in the limelight. These shots show her desperation and suffering. I like the over the shoulder shot of her reflection in the mirror, soon after which, she smashes the mirror, conveying her anger. The shot of her laying on the bed emphasises the loneliness and emptiness in her life.

Effects I Like..

After analysing Rihannas video to dsiturbia, I came across a number of effects that appealed to me which can be seen below...

All of these effect create the disorientating feel that I wish to create with my music video. The editing process has allowed the creator to layer the images, creating a feeling that reflects the meaning of the song. I would like to use similar shots in my music video as this will improve the quality of the video. I also think that using this editing will reflect the way the woman feels in a different light, the jumpy and busy screen will encourage the audience to interact and understand the womans situation.

Rihanna- Disturbia

The establishing shot of this music video is a shot of fingers brushing across the keys of a old piano with the keys creating a creepy and eerie sound. This shot immediately conveys the genre and feel of the music video to the audience. The artist Rihanna first appears in a all black body suit with large shoulder pads, giving her dominance and power in the room. She also seems mysterious to the audience as she has black make up on, different to what she normally looks like in her other music videos. The strange mise-en-scene in the music video clearly conveys to the audience the individual genre of the song and music video.

The editing in the video adds to the menacing and eerie feel of the piece. At the beginning of the video, there is a medium shot a man and with the use of editing, the shot quickly becomes blurry and then goes back to normal. I think the large amount of editing in this video could convey how the woman is feeling as the images appear disorientating and blurry. The pace of the editing continuously changes, making the images fit the music more. For example, some of the clips have been sped up so they look individual and fit the theme of the music. Also in the editing process, some of the clips have been layered on top of eachother, making the screen feel more busy and confusing in a way. This again reflects the overall feel and theme of the video. The layered images are both of the artist Rihanna but one with brown hair singing the song and the other is with blonde hair in the cage feature that appears in the music video. This layout suggests that the brown haired Rihanna is telling the story of the blonde haired woman.

Also in the music video, there are numerous shots of Rihanna dancing with a dance group. All the actions are done sharply and strongly, some have been sped up to further approve this look. This ensures that all of the moves go directly with the dominating beat of the music.

I like a lot of the shots and effects used in this music video and I would like the look at them more closely as I think they would work well in our project.

Target Audience!

After listening to the music conducting some research on the band itself, I have decided that the target audience for our products is the 'Alternative crowd'. The slide show below shows more research done into this target audience.

The 'Alternative' Crowd

View more presentations from Louise Barwell.

Trying to gain permission..

Here is a copy of the letter that we sent to City Rockers, who are the current record label and copyright holders for the song by The Ghost Frequency.

We hope to hear back from them soon.

Animatics

Using FinalCutExpress on the Apple Mac computers and story board sheets, we created our animatics. This is a rough idea of the shots we want to get and how they will fit in with the music and help to create a narrative.

Animatics from fahminaali on Vimeo.

Pitch

Looking at the lyrics, we know that the video must portray someones struggle and fit appropriately with the genre of the song.

We want this music video to follow a woman being stalked and followed by the vampire in her nightmares. It will show her anxiety and fear. The first half will show how the vampire chases her, then the force of the vampire covers her, becoming possessed by the demon.

This idea will allow the group to creatively capture the struggle with a wide range of shots and some interesting editing which will add to the video. We plan to use shots of her in front of bright lights, showing her disorientation and shots of her running down small dark skinny streets, attempting to run away from her stalker.We wish to include sped up shots of her shaking her head, trying to shake off her feeling. I also think the speeding up of this scene will add to the music video and make it more effective.

Possible meanings from the lyrics

As a group, we looked a the lyrics of our chosen song and soon realised the amount of possible meanings behind the lyrics. Below are a few sections of the song that we found other hidden meanings for.


Well it covered your body it was pulling you in, so I kicked and I screamed and I sank my teeth in.
You cried get off me, get off me, get off me please, but I drowned you out I was trapped inside the.

The nightmare, nightmare, oh the nightmare, nightmare.
This part of the song can either be represented as the obvious meaning of being over taken by something, create a sense of struggling. However, the use of the word 'it' opens our mind to what it could be, it could be a feeling, a monster, or a ghost. 'Trapped inside' also conveys the struggle being represented by this song as it is explained that there is no escape.


We felt the blood stop, we felt the lights turn on.
This line itself is a rather strange part of the song. It creates many questions like where is the blood coming from? Why is it stopping? I personally believe that this means death- the blood has stopped pumping around the body and the lights turn on as you head 'towards the light at the end of the tunnel' but once again, it has many meanings.

As a group, we need to decide which path we wish to go down when we attempt to make a believeable visual for these lyrics.

Lyrics

Below are the lyrics to the song we plan to use for our music video...

'Nightmare'

Well it's six o'clock and v-v-v-vampire in the middle of the night.

Sweeping through blackness like a cape held under a sign(?)

Well it covered your body it was pulling you in, so I kicked and I screamed and I sank my teeth in.

You cried get off me, get off me, get off me please, but I drowned you out I was trapped inside the.

The nightmare, nightmare, oh the nightmare, nightmare.

We felt the blood stop, we saw the lights turn on, you felt my heartbeat and help me til the nightmares gone. We felt the blood stop, we saw the lights turn on

We felt the blood stop x3

We felt the, we felt the...

We felt the blood stop x3

We felt the, we felt the...

With my head on your lap you sat crying as I tried to explain, the tears from your eyes whisper sorrows my face looked ashamed, ashamed, ashamed, ashamed.

Oh it covered your body it was pulling you in, so I kicked and I screamed and I sank my teeth in.

I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry for this oh please forgive me...

We felt the blood stop, we saw the lights turn on, you felt my heartbeat and help me til the nightmares gone. We felt the blood stop, we saw the lights turn on

We felt the blood stop x3

We felt the, we felt the...

We felt the blood stop x3

We felt the, we felt the...

We felt the blood stop, we felt the blood stop...

We, nailed, the shirts to the wall we kiss goodbye we're chemical...

We nailed the shelves to the wall we kiss goodnight and...

We felt the blood stop, we saw the lights turn on, you felt my heartbeat and help me til the nightmares gone. We felt the blood stop, we saw the lights turn on

We felt the blood stop x3

We felt the, we felt the...

We felt the blood stop x3

We felt the, we felt the...

We felt the blood stop x3

We felt the, we felt the...