Shooting on Tuesday 22nd November

Shooting - 22nd November

On Tuesday the 22nd of November I did some more filming. After Jim Cole's visit it was agreed that my music video would be mainly performance based focusing on the lead singer. Therefore I had to get a larger variety of shots of only Rowan. We met in Camden outside the Roundhouse at seven thirty. We then spent two and a half hours shooting.We shot at  Camden market, near the Roundhouse , Chalk Farm and Belsize Park.

Styling :
 Rowan turned up to the shoot wearing a Lou Reed T-shirt , baggy jeans , blue hoody and Nike trainers. This look is very contemporary and a classic urban style which didn't need much interference. Lou Reed suggested that he was a fan of rock music which is of a similar style to my music video. The hoody created a teenage angst representation. Rowan's hair was swept back and slightly messy as if he had just left a house party or rock concert , which fitted the video's image perfectly. Rowans hoop earring and silver ring  showed his individuality. Typically  in Indie music videos the band members are often quite androgynous,  wearing skinny jeans with long hair and tight fitting shirts  and sometimes eyeliner.  This especially true of the eighties scene which was one of my influences. However Rowan does not conform to any of these  stereotypes but brings his own contemporary style to the set.

Technical - Camera , Shots and Lighting :
The technical equiment I used was a Sanyo Xacti film camera  and a tripod. During my last shoot in Camden , I had filmed most of the shots hand held. Therefore a lot of the shots turned out shaky, so the majority of my time on final cut pro was spent stabilizing shots. So this time round I filmed everything using a tripod. We began filming at around seven thirty in the evening, the only lighting we were able to use was from the street lights and shop lights.  This created a gloomy and gritty effect that looked great on camera.  I filmed a lot of long shots of Rowan on wide streets , this made Rowan stand out and isolated him. I also filmed a lot of close ups to show  Rowan's moody nature and attitude.

Jim Cole

Jim Cole 21st November

On the 21st of November I was paid a visit by the well known music director Jim Cole.  Cole has worked with artists such as U2 and more recently he was the  assistant director on the John Lewis Christmas advert.

At the start of our discussion, I introduced the concept of my music video , and spoke about the shooting process and the image I wanted to create. I also said that I did not want a narrative , however this shortly changed when I began to edit. Jim explained to me that it was not always necessary to have a narrative and instead I could create a performance based video that only focused on the lead singer.  After agreeing with this choice we began to go through my rushes and mark in and out points. It was decided during the course of looking at the rushes that the out of focus or "accidental" footage was the most interesting and in some cases the most usable. We decided to drag certain rushes into the timeline and play around with effects.

Previously when editing, I had not applied any effects , or experimented with saturation or colour wheels. The most used effect that we applied to certain clips was 'coldsteel', this was a dark blue wash. The 'coldsteel' transported my shots of boring London buses into grungy, dark and alluring sights. As we continued to look through the rushes, we decided what close ups and long shots would be best to use. It was also decided that it would be a good idea to re shoot the lead singer during the evening at Camden. By deciding to re shoot, it meant I was able to get more footage of Rowan in order to make the video more of a performance base for him as the lead singer. Cole also told me to experiment with angles when filming buildings to make them appear more interesting . He explained to me that I would have to cut out a lot of footage I was already using, so we decided to cut the drummer out of the video. This was because we personally felt that she did not appear to have the right attitude like the other band members , and her presence broke the mood of the video, as she was always smiling in areas which didn't suit the song.  Along with cutting the drummer we decided to cut the day time shots of the band and extras running. This was because the night time shots created a darker and moodier atmosphere. Cole told me to crop certain shots where certain members looked good , or crop shots of the band performing so that the audience could focus on Rowan. Cole gave me advice such as find strong visual  and static shots.

Jim Cole's visit made me feel more confident and I  feel I can now create a strong and visually pleasing video.



Jim Cole's John Lewis Christmas Advert

Shooting on Friday the 5th

Shooting on Friday 5th of November 

On Friday, 5th of November I filmed the second part of my music video in Camden Town during the evening. The filming began at five in the afternoon. The first hour  was shot in the guest bedroom in my house. The guest bedroom  is very plain with white walls and little funiture. I shot Rowan lying on the bed whilst singing. This gave the audience the impression that Rowan was reflective and melancholy. After shooting this we headed to Camden at around six 'o' clock. During the trip to Camden on the bus I filmed the band sitting as a group looking outside of the window. When we arrived at Camden I took a variation of shots around the market. Some of the band stood by the canal, at cafe tables and by market stools. Camden Market is known for being edgy and alternative therefore it was the perfect location to film my band. The shoot finished at eight 'o' clock.

Camden Town

Breakdown of the Basement Party shoot :


Styling : I chose Camden as my location because it's grungy and world renowned as a place to shop for quirky and alternative fashion. Camden also possesses a lively nightlife with bars and venues for bands that play edgy and punky gigs. The cobbled stones, old statues and market stalls create an old and gothic vibe, especially at night. Camden is a well known hangout place for young crowds and teenagers, therefore the band blended in perfectly into the surroundings. When we began filming in Camden it was already dark therefore the dim lights of the market stalls, and fluorescent street lights created interesting and unusual lighting on film. This matched the unusual and quirky image of the band. Before we headed to Camden I filmed in the spare bedroom. I chose this location because of its white walls and basic layout. Its basic layout and plain white walls made Rowan stand out. It was also a very melodramatic setting. I decided I wanted Rowan to be lying down on the bed as this is a common trait belonging to teenagers who are known for their oversleeping and lazy behaviour. It also suggested a kind of isolation and inertia.




Hair and Make up :
Before the band members showed up they did their hair and makeup themselves, based on the make up we did for the first shoot. Sarah the only female band member wore dark eyeliner and eye shadow whilst the boys wore a light coating of foundation to hide blemishes. The clothing the band wore was similar to the outfits they wore on the first shoot with checkered shirts and darkly coloured hoodies. The clothes fitted the bands unusual image and blended in perfectly with the alternative settings of Camden.


Technical :
The camera I used for the shoot was a Sanyo Xacti photo and film camera and a tripod. For the majority of the shoot I shot handheld and used the tripod for filming close up shots of the lead singer at bars and cafes. The handheld shots were slightly shaky. This created a slightly surreal and drunken effect. I used quick zooms when shooting Rowan in the bedroom , because Rowan was lying down on the bed when I shot him in the spare bedroom I wanted to use close ups so the audience could see his melancholic and moody expressions.

Thoughts and reflections:

Overall I was pleased with how the shoot turned out.  I believe I got some interesting and very useable shots. However If I could redo the shoot I would have used the tripod more as some shots were out of focus. Despite wanting something reflecting confusion the out of focus shots just appeared blurred.

Editing so far ( November 7th-11th)

Editing so far November 7th -November 11th


On the week of November the 7th I uploaded my film onto Final Cut Pro and began editing. I began by putting the best shot of my band performing in the studio onto Final Cut Pro. I then went through my shots and decided which shots I would use as cut aways from my band performing. At the start of the song the introduction features quick beats, which I thought was perfect for a montage of quick images of the band.
I used images of the band on the bus, running down the street and playing their instruments. I chose these images because they are fast paced and show the band interacting as a unique and lively group. Over the week I also tried to match the lead singer's lip syncing to the song which I uploaded onto Final Cut Pro. This proved to be very difficult and this is still a work in progress. I went through my shots and decided which ones were useable and which ones weren't. At the end of the week I sat with my teacher and discussed my work so far. When reviewing it, it was decided that the lip syncing needed to be matched more accurately and the opening shots needed to be shorter and replaced with more focus shots. Next week I plan to work on my opening more and also keep developing the lip syncing and create more of a narrative.

Screen shot of editing so far

Casting

Casting

 Rowan Edwards
Rowan Edwards attends The King Alfred school in Golders Green and is currently studying music in his first year of sixth form. Rowan was the perfect choice for my lead singer because he wrote and sang the song, so as well as being good at lip synching he would more importantly understand the emotions and feelings behind the song. Rowan is also a confident performer who sings regurlarly. Rowan's image fitted the song perfectly. He has a confident  attitude and his style suggests someone who is independent minded and individual . Rowan's pale skin and light hair were juxtaposed against the setting and location, making  him appear quirky and edgy on film. Fortunately as well as being a skilled songwriter he is also very sociable and worked well with the entire cast and crew.

John Joe
John Joe is currently studying at UCS Boys' School in Hampstead. John Joe has been a dedicated guitarist for a number of years. This made him stand out when choosing my lead guitarist.  Due to John Joe's musicial talents he was able to perform convincingly and realistically when playing the guitar. John Joe is a comfortable performer who has paricipated  in many of his school productions. His  music taste sits within the genre of Rowan's song  therefore he was to able to have a creative  input in the making and styling of the video. John Joe also has a look which makes him stand out in a crowd, his red hair melding well with the band's image.

Ruari Duval Smith

Ruari is currently studying at Christ College In London. Ruari is a student and model and he has also participated in school  productions. Ruari was perfect for the video because his striking looks gave him individuality. Ruari's fashion sense and music taste is similar to the image I gave the band therefore he fitted into the surroundings perfectly.

Sarah Brostromer Igwe
Sarah goes to Hornsey school for girls she has a lively and bubbly personality. Having a female presence in the band softened the look. She also acted as a heart throb for the male audience and a role model for the female viewers. Sarah always performs comfortably with confidence and attitude. 

Potential album covers for Basement Party

Practice shots for CD cover:

Proxemics:
This potential ablum photograph shows that my band are standing close together with my lead singer stood slightly forward then the rest of the band members. This arrangement is similar to the cover of Hole's ablum Celebrity Skin.This closeness suggests that the band are friendly with one another and it also portrays togetherness. I chose to place the lead singer slightly in front of the other band members because it suggests that he is the driving force of the band and also highlights his talent as a singer/songwriter. However on the cover of Hole's ablum Courtney Cox the lead singer is in equal stance with the rest of her band members , despite this  her skimpy clothing in comparsion to her other fully dressed band members make her more noticable then the others. The closeness in my bands photograph gives the impression that the artists are serious about their music and work as a group.

Body Language:

The body language  in my bands potential album cover suggests confidence and attitude. The lead singers crossed arms signifies that he is to be taken seriously and so is his music. This image is strong because they are all looking at the camera in a direct way. The composition of the band shows unity and consciousness  of their image. The two  guitarists wear black which frames the lead singer and adds strength to his position. The female presence in the photo softens the image adding interest.

Facial expression
The guitarists and lead singer have a very alpha male look which is both intimidating and attractive.  They make eye contact and whilst they are very serious they do not appear threatening. I wanted the band to appear intense and intelligent. This would give an impression of their music and hopefully attract fans. The moody facial expressions matches the teenage angst theme which runs throughout the


Lighting
The light I used for the music video and potential album photographs was a tripod mounted directional light. Apart from this light the rest of the basement was in darkness. When taking the album cover photographs I positioned the light slightly away from the band , this amount of light worked perfectly as it highlighted the band and also created slight shadows in the background. Before taking the photographs I experimented with positioning the light discovering that facing it directly onto the band over exposed the bands faces and did not create the moody atmosphere I was after. I used flash photography adding rawness and contrast to the photograph.


Costume
The clothing in the photograph is casual , modern and stylish. The checkers on the lead singer, guitarists shirt and drummers skirt give the outifts a punkish twist. The bass guitarist dressed in dark colours suggests moodieness. Overall the colours the band are wearing depressng. I chose to style my band this way as it shows how they do not conform to the high stylised bands such as The Wanted. The laid back clothing gives the audience the impression that they care more about their music then their image.

The Wanted a heavily stylised band.

What does this say overall about my bands representation:
Overall the lack of colour in the clothing , the dimly lit photograph and their serious facial expressions give the band a fierce and grungy look. The band look like individuals and deidicated to their music.

Music Video Concepts

Music video concepts

Tube station:
One of my concepts for my music video was filimg in tube stations around London. Tube stations are busy and crowded places creating an intense atmopshere which matches the vibe and mood of the song.Setting my music video in a station would be perfect for capturing different and interesting shots as tube stations have dark tunnels ,long platforms and are full of people from all over the world.Tube stations are slightly eerie and at sometimes surreal with the loud train noises pounding through the walls and the large amounts of bustling people going and coming. The surreal and eerieness of the tube station compliments the sounds of the singers quirky,deep voice and the synthesia used in the instrumentation of the song. If I decide to not feature a band in my music video and instead only focus on the lead singer being a solo artist a tube station would be a great location. Another concept I have thought of was to use intertextuality in my video ,making references to the well known films Twilight and Romeo and Juilet. Edward Cullen the main character in Twilight is a misunderstood and isolated character before he meets Bella Swan. I have chosen to focus on Edward in the openning scenes of Twilight , where is looking down upon for being different. My solo artist would be very much like Edward misrepresented and not understood. The tube station would be excellent for my concept of a solo artist , as tube stations can be daunting and intimadating at times . This signifying to the audience that the singer is very much alone and is vunerable. The song suggests the singer has lost a love or may be suffering from some emotional pain ,the isolated and slient train carriage emphasises the emotional feelings the singer has. Filiming on a tube carriage would be perfect ,making the artist /band stand out from the crowd which matchs the unusal song. Waiting on a tube station platform is a good way to start the music video as many ideas and stories can be based around this. For example the lead singer or band are waiting the arrival of someone , the singer misses his train or the waiting might symbolise the boredom and fustration the band /singer is currently enduring in their life. The lighting is perfect for filming the music video , the dim florescent lights create a chilled and mellow atmosphere which compliments the mood of the song.

The Eighties:
The song's drum loop and synthesizer featured in the instrumentation is similar to '80s music, however the song has a grungy modern twist. I thought the '80s era would be an interesting theme for the video ,  with the unusual elaborate makeup, fashion sense and quirky images. When researching the '80s I looked at videos by artists such as The Breeders, Pearl Jam, hole, Nirvana and The Human League. I was inspired by all of the videos however I particularly liked The Human League video "Don't you want me baby?". I liked the mise en scene of the video, the bright and colourful makeup and long brown coat the female lead singer wore. I also liked the camrea work , especially the close up shot of the male lead singer at the start and the longshot of the female lead walking through the streets with the nightime behind her.

My song sounds very relaxed and mellow ,therefore filming in a dimly lit studio,by street lamps or candles would complement the vibe of the song. The dimly lit school gymnasium in Nirvana's "Smells like Teen Spirit" has also very much inspired my idea for choice of setting , I love the smoky washed out yellow lighting. Many eighties videos feature school proms, dance halls and gymnasisms , I would very much like to recreate one of these retro and old school settings. I very much like the style of eighties clothing , lots of bracelts ,eyeliner , long coats ,leather jackets and  long necklaces. However I would like to modernise this with some pieces of clothing from my generation , I think a mixture of eighties clothes and the clothes we wear today would be an interesting choice of wardrobe to explore and experiment with. The floresuent lights in "Gary Numan's" video " Cars" might be a potentail lighting concept , I also liked some of the camrea tecniques for example during the middle of the video the camrea zooms into Numans face ,which might be a good idea to feature in my video to show the singer's emotions or feelings during the song.

Romeo and Juilet/Twilight

One of my other ideas for a music video is using intertexuality ( making references to well know films or Tv series ). My idea for intertextual references are 'Romeo and Juliet', a film produced in 1996 directed by Baz Luhrmann, and 'Twilight' directed by Catherine Hardwicke and made in 2008. Both films represent two very misunderstood and otherwordly young males which is how I would essentially like my lead male singer to be.  I would like to represent him therefore as someone who is alone, isolated and perhaps does not conform to society's expectations. Through styling,  the connotations of appearance, mise en scene and locations I believe will give my music video a dark, atmospheric feel and also create a sense of mystery for the audience.  My target teenage audience (14-18) would be able to identify easily with the lead singer as they are able to connect with this archetypal, quietly rebellious misfit.