picture editing...

I have edited some of the pictures here, I have done this mainly so that I can get in some practice for when I create my actual digipak.

Here are a selection of pictures that I have taken of Harriet as practice for my digipak pictures. For the actual thing I will use stills taken from filming, or a specifically set up photo shoot with harriet looking appropriately dresses and in an appropriate location.

I know that these pictures are not very creative and they are not in a great location so the mise en scene is poor, but these are just a rough example to show angles and ideas.

Story board

This is my story board, so far these are all of the ideas that I have come up with, and this is how I think it will flow. I have more than 2 strands going through the storyboard, and a number of ideas. I will see how it goes.

Digipak research

 Digipaks typically consist of a gatefold (book-style) paperboard or card stock outer binding, with one or more plastic trays capable of holding a CD or DVD attached to the inside.

As you can see a digipak consists of the CD itself, usually some form of picture of the artist, the name of the single/album and other information to do with the CD.

As you can see here, this is one of Adeles digipaks and she, as well as many other artists use a large picture of themselves to advertise the CD. I think that I too will use a large picture of the artist, that is alluring for the audience.

Laura Mulvey came up with the idea of the Male Gaze Theory. She claims that the media makes women seem sexual and more appeling to men by dressing them down and doing their make-up up. She says that people will be more likely to be interested in something if there is a picture that gets them excited.
I may use this idea for my digipak because I think that it will come across more appealing to my audience.

Crew List

Me- Laura- My role will be to plan, film and stage the entire video. I will video the whole thing myself and have decided on where to do the filming.

Harriet- the singer. Harriet will be the main person in the video, she is the person who is singing so most of the video will contain her.

***- The ex-boyfriend. This person will be the ex boyfriend and he will appear in a small part of the video, mainly in the flash backs and the flashes to see him and his new girlfriend.

***- The new girlfriend- This person will only be in the video for a tiny part, where I film her with harriets ex-boyfriend.

Prop List

To film my video I will require the following things:

Video Camera
Digital camera (stills)
Artist
Outside location
Suitable clothing

Indoors scene
Kitchen location
Dining room table (dinner set-up)
Piano

Filming

I need to start filming soon however the weather has meant that I have had to postpone it, due to the snow I decided to wait until it has gone, mainly because if the footage is not good enough then I would have to film more, and it will look really bad if there is snow in some parts but not in others.

My artist...

Adele.. XL Recordings Ltd

http://www.xlrecordings.com/adele
This is a link to Adeles recording company's website. She appears to be very popular within the company and they have a large amount of information about her on their website.
Someone like you falls into the genre of Pop music and was released into the UK on the 24th January 2011.
Adele wrote this song with Dan Wilson for her second studio album 21. She claims that the inspiration for the song came from a broken relationship and heart-ache she went through.

Permission letter for Adele- Someone like you

Dear Copyright Holder,

I am an A-level media student and I am writing to you to request your permission to use the track 'Someone like you' by Adele.

With your permission the track would be used in my current A-level Media studies project in which I have to create my own music video as well as creating a digi-pack and poster for the artist.

If I received your permission the track would only be used for educational purposes and would only be viewed by my media class, teacher and the exam board moderator.

The artist and your company would of course be fully recognized throughout production and the final video itself. If you wish for there to be a copyright notice to be included in the video I would need any information sent to me so that it could be included in the project. If this is wanted please inform me with further details.

Many thanks.

Laura Wood- Media A2 student

Audience questionnaire

Age?
Gender?
Location?
...
What do you prefer:
Funny videos, Love videos, unusual videos, simple videos? Why?
Male or female artists?
What do you think of music videos with more than one story line?
Favourite ever music video? Why?

Outdoor or indoor videos? Why?
Bright colours, black and white, sepia, other? Why?
Being able to see the artists singing the whole time or a story line of other people? Why?

Answers
Polly Jopling-
‎17
Female
Cornwall

Unusual videos, things which are inventive and original.
No preference as to gender.
I think its a good idea, very unique and if done well, it'll be really interesting.
"Settle Down" by Kimbra has a really original video which I love.

Outdoor, indoor lighting can look false and outdoor has a nice atmosphere and is suited to almost any song
Depends on the genre of the music, however an entire video in black and white/sepia might be less interesting than one in colour
I think that a story line going on at the same time is something for the viewer to follow and enjoy; gives you something to actually watch.

Dan Furse-
‎18
Male
Devon
Funny Videos
both
Urm, they are okay, they can work well with some types of songs but on others they ruin it!
The Lazy song, because its funny!
Outdoors, indoors is boring.
Bright Colours
Story line, just watching them sing is boring, much like the x factor

Louise Wood- ‎
40
Female
Cyprus
Like most types but helps if I like the song
Prefer a story as watching someone just signing is boring
Loved aha take on me from 80s this helped to change the way videos were done plus I loved the lead singer, and wanted to be the girl in the video

Focus group questionnaire

What is your favourite genre of music and why?
Is there anything that you hate to see in music videos and why?
Where do you think would be a good location to film such a music video?
Do you prefer solo artist or band's music videos?

Answers
Polly Jopling-
Favourite genre is Acoustic as it's chilled out and easy to listen to
Nothing really.
Perhaps a beach or forest location, and for the singer perhaps on a stage
I prefer solo artist's videos.

Louise Wood-
 Soft rock and pop, grew up listening to it, music changed alot while I was growing up
Hate Blood and violence Cant watch it on films either, there is no need to show it on videos
Depending on the song and how it is being portrayed, love a video tat tells a story
Both am an all rounder

New Focus Group

Today I created a new focus group. I have got this group together by selecting a range of people from aged 16-40, male and female. I would like to use my focus group to get their opinions on what they think about my ideas, and whether or not they like them.
My first questions to them was:
What are your initial thought on this video?
What do you think its about?
Do you have any preferences for my own video?

Location 1

This is one location that I am going to use to do some filming, I will probably try to do it at dusk. I like this location because there is alot of places within it that I can film different parts, it looks gentle and calm, like the feeling I want to portray in my video.

Location 2

As you can see, there is a bridge in this shot surrounded by some lakes. I am going to do some filiming here because I think that if I pick a right day with quite dull weather I will be able to portray the right sort of feeling of the artist in part of the video. I may hope for some rain, because I think that rain will make it feel more miserable which is the sort of mood she portrays in the song.

Story board so far..

Lyrics for Adele Someone Like You

I heard that you're settled down
That you found a girl and you're married now
I heard that your dreams came true
Guess she gave you things I didn't give to you
Old friend, why are you so shy?
Ain't like you to hold back or hide from the light
I hate to turn up out of the blue, uninvited
But I couldn't stay away, I couldn't fight it
I had hoped you'd see my face and that you'd be reminded
That for me, it isn't over
Never mind, I'll find someone like you
I wish nothing but the best for you, too
Don't forget me, I begged, I remember you said
Sometimes it lasts in love, but sometimes it hurts instead
Sometimes it lasts in love, but sometimes it hurts instead
You know how the time flies
Only yesterday was the time of our lives
We were born and raised in a summer haze
Bound by the surprise of our glory days
I hate to turn up out of the blue, uninvited
But I couldn't stay away, I couldn't fight it
I had hoped you'd see my face and that you'd be reminded
That for me, it isn't over yet
Never mind, I'll find someone like you
I wish nothing but the best for you, tooD
on't forget me, I begged, I remember you said
Sometimes it lasts in love, but sometimes it hurts instead, yeah
Nothing compares, no worries or cares
Regrets and mistakes, they're memories made
Who would have known how bittersweet this would taste?
Never mind, I'll find someone like you
I wish nothing but the best for you
Don't forget me, I begged,
I remember you said
Sometimes it lasts in love, but sometimes it hurts instead
Never mind, I'll find someone like you
I wish nothing but the best for you, too
Don't forget me, I begged, I remember you said
Sometimes it lasts in love, but sometimes it hurts instead
Sometimes it lasts in love, but sometimes it hurts instead

Changed my song... AGAIN!!

Adele- Someone Like You

I have changed my song because I was finding it very hard to create a narrative story to go with the video, and I did not want to make things any harder. Therefore I changed my song, initially I considered doing Under the bridge-red hot chilli peppers, but I finally decided on Someone Like you by Adele. It is a good song to create a narrative story to, as soon as I listened to it, ideas started flooding in and so I have started storyboarding for it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=il-NdjTtUAI

Storyboarding

Storyboards are graphic organizers in the form of illustrations or images displayed in sequence for the purpose of pre-visualizing a motion picture, animation, motiongraphic or interactive media sequence.

A storyboard for a Taco Bell television campaign.

The storyboarding process, in the form it is known today, was developed at the Walt Disney Studio during the early 1930s, after several years of similar processes being in use at Walt Disney and other animation  studios.

Meet Florence...

This is a friend of mine from school, she has agreed to play the part of Florence for my music video. I will begin work with her as soon as possible and will spend alot of time filming her in different locations and times to get as much footage as possible.

Permission letter

Dear Copyright Holder,

I am an A-level media student and I am writing to you to request your permission to use the track 'Dog Days' by Florence and the Machine.

With your permission the track would be used in my current A-level Media studies project in which I have to create my own music video as well as creating a digi-pack and poster for the artist.

If I received your permission the track would only be used for educational purposes and would only be viewed by my media class, teacher and the exam board moderator.

The artist and your company would of course be fully recognized throughout production and the final video itself. If you wish for there to be a copyright notice to be included in the video I would need any information sent to me so that it could be included in the project. If this is wanted please inform me with further details.

 

 

Analysing the lyrics

Happiness hit her like a train on a track
Coming towards her stuck still no turning back
She hid around corners and she hid under beds
She killed it with kisses and from it she fled
With every bubble she sank with her drink
And washed it away down the kitchen sink
As the lyrics state, happiness literally hit her unexpectedly, just like when you see a train go back, it appears to hit something really quickly.
She is clearly scared of something, as she wants to hide anywhere possible.

The dog days are over
The dog days are done
The horses are coming
So you better run
The dog days are like a metaphor for the unhappy and disappointing days in her life, she is saying that those days have gone, and now instead the horses are coming, a metaphor for freedom, so she is running with them.
Run fast for your mother, run fast for your father
Run for your children, for your sisters and brothers
Leave all your love and your longing behind
You can't carry it with you if you want to survive
Her family are almost a burden for her, and if she wants to move on with her life, she cant carry them with her, so she has to run away from it. Not necessarily because they are bad, but just because she needs to move on and let go.
The dog days are over
The dog days are done
Can you hear the horses?
'Cause here they come
Repeating about the bad days, and how they are gone,  also more repitition about the horses, and how they are almost there.
And I never wanted anything from you
Except everything you had and what was left after that too, oh
Happiness hit her like a bullet in the back
Struck from a great height by someone who should know better than that

The dog days are over
The dog days are done
Can you hear the horses?
'Cause here they come

Run fast for your mother, run fast for your father
Run for your children, for your sisters and brothers
Leave all your love and your longing behind
You can't carry it with you if you want to survive

The dog days are over
The dog days are done
Can you hear the horses?
'Cause here they come

The dog days are over
The dog days are done
The horses are coming
So you better run

MY SONG

Despite all the time I spent looking for a song, I have finally chosen to use Florence and the Machine- Dog days are over, the same song I used for the preliminary task. i loved this song then, and I still love it now. I will now be able to use the preliminary task to compare against.

To me I think that the lyrics are about a contrast in emotions, and the dramatic change. One minute the person is sad and feels like nothing can help, the next 'it hits her like a train', implying that happiness has hit. The song is about getting to this stage. I now need to study the lyrics closely and work out what I am going to do, and story board it,

Monday 28th November

In today's lesson I have spent my time trying to find a song, because i am very eager to start filming, but before I can do so, I need to start my storyboard. Whilst looking for a song, I realised that I was looking through all of the XFactor songs for inspiration. I thought about how I was actually being influenced by the media without even realising it. Having remembered that I heard a song on saturday night that I thought would be a good song, it stuck and I am now still looking thtough. This applies to the hyperdermic syringe theory, because once I was theoretically injected with the XFactor, I am not hooked and want to keep looking through their songs.

Stop crying your heart out
Under the bridge

LOVE this video

I LOVE the video they have made to go with this song, I really like the way there are so many different parts of the video, in different places, as well as the continuous close up of the eye and the cigarette. I would love to use this song as my own but I think I would be in danger of wanting to copy it. However I think I will definately look more closely at it and try use some of the same effects and ideas that they have used.

Still havn't picked a song...

I am eager to start filming, however that is proving difficult when I can't choose a song, and without a song, I can't story board. So here is a list of songs that I am thinking about and why...

This is a new song by Ed Sheeran in the charts at the moment, and I have listened closely to the words and think that I will be able to work well with it and create a good video. My video would be completely different to this one, as this one is quite bizzar, this is a very good thing for me.

I really like this song because of the story behind it, the story is about Professor Green's hatred and negative feelings towards his father, and his passing. I have a lot of feelings for this song, and I also think that I would enjoy making a music video for it. However, I may have problems trying not too copy this too much.

Equipment list

Here is a list of the relevant items that i may need in order to create my music video.

Digital Video Cameras
In order to create my music video I require a digital video camera. I will use this to film my entire video, unless I use stills, in which case I will use an ordinary digital camera.
 Tripod
I will be using a tripod throughout my filming to get a more stable shot rather than using a hand held approach. With a tripod I will be able to leave one camera standing still getting a constant angle and shot of what is happening. And then if I need to, I can use another camera to get close ups and other bits of footage.
Microphones
The microphone will be used more as a prop, rather than used to record/listen to the music. I will shoot some of my video with a microphone simply to make the video look more realistic.
Lighting 
At the moment I am unsure about what sort of lighting I will use and to what effect I will use it too, as I am still unsure aboutmy song. However I know that I will use some form of lighting, and possibly black and white, as I like the effect it gives.
Green Screen
I am also a bit unsure whether or not I will need to use the green screen, but if I do it will be my main singer/singers with a different background imported in. I can do this using adobe premiere elements, the software we use to put our video clips together.
Stands/stage
Again, depending on how I choose to have my singer, I may use a a staging, especially if I choose to continue with my orginal idea for the video.
CD Player/ Other audio player
I will be using a CD player in the production of my video, so that the singer can hear the music and sing it in time, which will help me to lip sync later.
Computer
I will be using a computer throughout the entire production of my video, to upload footage, as well as editing videos and putting them together.
Still cameras
I will use both still and hand held cameras to get a different view and effect on the videos,

Audience Questionnaire

Age?
Gender?
Location?

Questions on what music vidoes they like and why? (1-3)
Do you prefer male or female artists? Why?
What do you think of videos with more than one story line?
Your favourite music video ever, and why?


Questions on what they may like to see/enjoy seeing in a music video and why?
Bright colours or colour effects such as back and white/sepia?
Outdoors videos or indoors videos?
The artist singing or story lines of other people (actors)?


(When i have chosen a song I will complete this)
Multpile choice/ open question

create charts of results

Focus Groups and analysis of results

For my focus group I have created 5 questions each of which I will ask to different people and using their responses I will take this on board and use i towards making my music video as good as it can be, consulting my focus group all the way through.

Here are my 5 Questions:

1. The basic plan for my music video is for it to have 2 strands, one of which will be of my artist singing, and the other will be the story of the video portrayed by actors. What do you think about it? 
2. What is your favourite genre of music and why?
3. Is there anything that you hate to see in music videos and why?
4. Where do you think would be a good location to film such a music video?
5.  Do you prefer solo artist or band's music videos?

And here are their responses:

Matt Prowse

1. I think it would work well, it will help the video be explained. 
2. Club/Drum and bass because it is more my generation and it is the sort of music we like to dance too, I find that the lyrics are easy to relate to and that makes it more enjoyable.
3. I hate to see sadness and violence in videos, I don't see the point in putting violence in a video, unless ofcorse it is to raise awareness. I think it makes the videos depressing as well as giving off bad vibes and can easily be seen as influencing young children to be violent too.
4. If you choose Adele, which I know you are unsure about then I think that a rainy location would go well, it would give the right atmosphere for the lyrics.
5. I prefer solo artists, as it is one person that you can relate to and form a closer relationship with over time.

James Reader

1. I like the idea of it, just concerned it might become a bit boring. 
2. Alternative music is my favourite genre as I quite simply think it sounds good, I like the sounds they produce and find that I can listen to the same songs and not get annoyed with them over time.
3. I don't like to see pink girly things, but that's just personally because I'm a guy, there is nothing wrong with it otherwise. I also don't like to see American punk rock type videos, as I find them fake and feel that they are trying to be something else, its stupid.
4. Outdoors somewhere.
5. I prefer bands as I enjoy the variety of instruments used and the sounds they produce, I also like to hear the contrast in the voices when they sing.

Dan Buckland

1. Thats my favourite type of music video- done right i think it could be very good. 
2. Classical/ orchestral, because it calms me and makes me feel relaxed and think about things, I enjoy other music too, but I find that classical is a way to unwind and relax.
3. I dont like to see racist things, with a large amount of one ethnic group, I think it is disrespectful.
4. On a stage, performance area.
5. I like bands more than solo artists because they seem to have a bond that I dont feel with solo artists.

Elizabeth Trask

1. Personally i prefer seeing one artist/band on stage and just watching them in a music video, but it think for the song, it could work well.
2. I love rock music because it has a great beat to dance to and you can relax and lose yourself in it.
3. (Michael Jackson- Earth song) This is the only video that has ever really affected me, it shows animal cruelty and I think it is horrible.
4. Outside in a large field with lots of space, and maybe vary it.
5. I like bands the most as I enjoy seeing their wide range of talents expressed through their songs.

Conventions of a music video

Camera shots
There are a number of different shots used in media, each create a different effect on what is happening or to give a range of perspectives. For example,
Extreme Wide Shot (EWS)-The view is so far from the subject that he isn't even visible. Often used as an establishing shot.

Very Wide Shot (VWS)- The subject is visible, but the emphasis is still on placing him in his environment.

Wide Shot (WS)- The subject takes up the full frame, or at least as much as comfortably possible.

Mid Shot (MS)- Shows some part of the subject in more detail while still giving an impression of the whole subject.

Long Shot (LS)- Same as an establishing shot. 

Medium Close Up (MCU)- Half way between a MS and a CU

Close Up (CU)- A certain feature or part of the subject takes up the whole frame

Extreme Close Up ( ECU)- Shows extreme detail.

Two Shot- A shot of two people, usually at a MS.

Over The Shoulder Shot- (OSS)- Looking from behind a person at the subject.

Point Of View Shot ( POV)-  Shows a view from the subject's perspective.

Weather Shot- When the subject is the weather.
          - Music videos usually include lots of long shots, Close ups and Mid shots. This is to put emphasis on the artist, location and emotions. In a music video a close up is also commonly used to show the lyrics of the song and follow the lip movement.

Camera movement
In music videos the camera movement usually has two roles, one is to show the movement of the band/artist, and the other is used to shoot the video if it has another story line. The movement of the camera usually consists of tilts and pans which are used to give a different look and light/dark effect on the video.

Mise-en scene
Mise-en scene literally means, what is in the shot. At any point in a film, music video or TV drama you can stop the viewing and see what the mise-en scene is. It consists of colours and the effects that they give, lighting, props, actors, clothing, design, where they are and acting. All of these things make up what we see, and each of them have been put there for a reason to cause an effect or sub-consciously think something.


Editing
There are a number of ways to edit a movie or a music video and they all give a different effect. In music videos however th 'jump cut' is the most common form of editing, as it enables the video to quickly jump to a different part without delay. Although for our music videos we may also use editing such as 'fade' and 'dissolve' which also gives us a different form of cutting, perhaps a more gentle approach.

Lighting
The light in a music video is all down to setting the mood of the video. There are a number of different effects used in music videos to give a different feeling. The lighting can be made darker or lighter, depending on how the current mood is. Black and white as well as sepia can also be used for different effects, sometimes to show the past/future. And finally coloured lights can be used to create a different effect or set a particular mood.


Sound
In a music video, the main sound will be the music and the lyrics, it is not very likely that any other sound will be put in, excpet if the video has a conversation or sounds such as birds or cars dubbed in to set a scene.


Props
Props are specific objects used in a scene, they can be anything from a microphone to a car. They halp make the video look more realistic, rather than having a plain video with nothing happening.


Costume
The costume helps us to identify the genre of the music video, and has an influence on the whether we as the audience are atracted to the song. For example if they are wearing casual clothes that we too would wear, then we can relate to the video easier.



http://www.slideshare.net/jamsjamsjams/conventions-of-music-videos-2935597
 I also used this website to help me and then explored it, finding that it contained alot of useful information.        http://www.mediacollege.com/home/

Audience Theories

The hypodermic syringe theory
The hypodermic syringe theory suggests that we as the public are easily sucked into the media and media devices. It states that when we watch things on the news/ TV/ films, or play video games, they can take an effect on us and make us act differently according to this. The idea of it being a 'syringe' theory is that it suggests the media topic is injected into us and takes immediate effect in our minds, then continues to play in our minds afterwards.

Two-step flow
The two-step flow theory suggests that media can be spread to the audience by word of mouth and advertising. Once someone has seen/used/watched some kind of media, they will continue to talk about it and tell people about what they have seen, the people they tell will then want to watch/play/see it and it will continue so on. It also suggests that once one person has seen an advert of any kind, they will then tell friends and family about what they have seen, and people will then want to see it for themselves. This is how some forms of media are spread and known to the public.

Uses and gratifications
Uses and Gratifications Theory is a popular approach to understanding mass communication. The theory places more focus on the consumer, or audience, instead of the actual message itself by asking “what people do with media” rather than “what media does to people.It assumes that members of the audience are not passive but take an active role in interpreting and integrating media into their own lives. The theory also holds that audiences are responsible for choosing media to meet their needs. The approach suggests that people use the media to fulfill specific gratifications.

Research into the music video industry

Research into the music video industry pp

View more presentations from Laura Wood

How do audeinces access music videos? Where can they be seen?

•There are a number of ways that the audiences can watch a music video, whether it is old or new.

•One of the most popular ways these days is to watch it on YOUTUBE, I find youtube is very useful as it has almost everything, including the brand new videos. Millions of users watch youtube as the videos are easily accessible.

•Another way is to watch music channels on the TV such as; MTV, VIVA, and special time slots when the top 40 countdown and other chart shows are on the TV.

•Snippets of  music videos are shown on adverts between TV shows if it is a new video and they are trying to advertise it.

How much money is usually spent on the average music video? Have any been made very cheaply or are there any that have had huge budgets?

•According to research, an average, fairly low budget music video would cost a minimum of £50,000. However this can go anything up to $500,000 or even more. For example, Michael Jackson’s music video for scream cost $7,000,000 to make. It really does depend on how well known the artist is, a new artist/band will not have a very large budget to spend on hiring all of the crew to create a video quite as large as Michael Jacksons. ( look on my blog to watch Michael Jackson’s Scream)

Who are some famous music video directors and why are their videos so well known/ successful?

•Jonas Akerlund- The director of Lady gaga’s ‘Paparazzi’

•David Fincher- The director of The Rolling Stones ‘Love is strong’ and Michael Jackson’s ‘Who is it?’

•Their videos are made so popular by the large budget they are able to put into it. The larger directors will not want to do a video for a not very well known artist as the likeliness of it even getting into the charts is slim. They need return on a music video, as then it will become more well known.

•Depending on how well constructed the video is, determines whether it becomes popular, if it is different from normal videos and shows a unique and cleverly choreographed video, the public will be more likely to enjoy it and continue watching it. However it also depends on the song, as if the song is very popular, and makes it into the top 40 chart list, then more people will want to watch the video that goes with it. I know that when a new song comes out and they release the song without a video then I will keep checking the charts on the TV to see what the video is like.

What is the purpose of a music video for the companies/artists that make them?

The most obvious and general reason for companies and artists to create music videos is for the profit they make on them. However other reasons include enjoyment, and doing the thing that they love. In the case of the artist it is about showing off their talent for singing and possibly dancing too. Where as in terms of the production company it is about them doing the thing they love too. Media production and working with the aritsts.
The purpose of the music video itself is to advertise and get peoples attention for the artist to make them more popluar with the public, the better the video is, the more popular the song will be, and then more people will buy it and therefore they will gain more money from it.

How are music videos generally made? What is the production process?

 Film/music video production has 3 main parts:
Pre-production
The first stage of making a music video in the music industry is to choose a production company which they know will produce a good video and be known by the public and well respected. If a famous band/artist was to choose an unknown production company then the public may think they are not so serious about making it. It my also not be to a very good standard and therefore people would not enjoy it and want to watch it. It also includes hiring the crew and building/planning sets.
In this stage there should also be ideas and a story board in mind with a structured plan of what they want to happen. This should be discussed with the crew and production company. This could take several months to get right and have several meetings with everyone involved.

Production
At this stage more crew will be hired to help with the production of the video, and then once they know everything is in place, filming will begin. Hundreds of takes will be taken so that they have plenty of footage to work with and create the video.  Stills will also be taken and used if necessary. This is probably the most important part of the production process, because if this part goes wrong then the entire video will gowrong and the video may not be made, wasting alot of money. It is also possible that they will begin to make the video, or even be half way through, and they will not like it, and have to begin completely again. However, as the video will have been drafted so many times this should not happen.


Post-production
This final stage is where the video is put together, and edited. If animation is necessary then this is the part of production where it will happen. There would be a separate team of crew who work in the graphics department who specialize in putting these parts together and making the lip syncing and everything else perfect. This music video will then be duplicated hundreds of times ready for different formats and also ready for distribution. Parts of the video may also be used for advertising the video, as well as the stills being used for digi packs and posters.

List of the most expensive music videos

As my music video is going to be extremely low budget, probably not actually costing anything in terms of purchasing extra equipment or paying for a venue ect, I thought it may be interesting to see just how much has been spent on some of the most popular music videos. So here is a list of the top 10:
(production cost in dollars)

1. Micheal and Janet Jackson- Scream- $7,000,000
2. Madonna- Die another day- $6,100,000
3. Madonna- Bedtime story-  $5,000,000
4. Madonna- Express your self- $5,000,000
5. Guns 'N' Roses- Estranged- $4,000,000
6. Puff Daddy- Victory- $2,700,000
7. Mariah Carey- Heartbraker- $2,500,000
8. MC Hammer- Too legit to quit- $2,500,000
9. Busta Rhymes- Whats it gonna be?!- $2,400,000
10. Celine dion- It's all coming back to me now- $2,300,000

I was curious to see why this video cost so much to produce.So I researched it and realised that it would of mainly been down too special effects. However then I did more research and found out just why it cost so much:

• Taking 11 days to film it cost an average $636,000.00/day.
• Each set averaged $450,000.00 totaling $5,000,000.00 for all 11 of them.
• $53,000.00 worth of guitars were broken.
• Michael Jackson's makeup cost $3,000.00.

Research into the music video industry

As I am doing some research into the music video industry, I am going to answer a series of questions in a variety of ways.  Theses are the questions:

• How are music videos generally made?- What is the production process?
• What is the purpose of a music video for the companies/ artists that make them?
• Who are some famous music video directors and why are their videos so well known/ successful?
• How much money is usually spent on the average music video? Have any been made very cheaply or are there any that have had huge budgets?
• How do audiences access music videos? Where can they be seen? 

Whilst thinking about the first question I remembered watching something on TV about the production of Cheryl Cole's music video for 'Fight for this love' I looked it up on youtube and re-watched it. Although there is a large part of it that is an interview with Cheryl there is also a lot of footage showing shots of the scene. We can see the cameras that were used as well as all the effort that was put in to make the video as perfect as possible. This shows that there was obviously a pretty large budget spent on the video. Here is the video in 2 parts from youtube.

Stop motion

What is Stop Motion?
Stop motion is a technique used in media to form an animation video. The idea of stop motion is to make objects appear to be moving on their own, usually objects that should not and clearly could not in the way they are made to.
 The object is moved in small increments between individually photographed frames, creating the illusion of movement when the series of frames is played as a continuous sequence.
Here is a video that explains and demonstrates what stop motion is and how to create a stop motion video. I chose this particular video beause it explains how to make the video as well as putting it together. The software that they use in the video is the software we use at school. (Adobe premiere elements)

Although this is not related to a music video, it is the same concept. I am possibly thinking about using stop motion in a small part of my video, simply to show the use of the technique. If i do not use it in the video, I may just create a small stop motion video to practice and learn the technique.

Help and research

Whilst researching into both intertextuality, concepts and music video categories i have come across a few things that have helped me with my research. One of which is a blog by a man called Matt Keil and here is a link to his blog/website- http://www.mattkeil.com/
His blog/website was very useful and helped me to understand the different categories of a music video. I will definitely be referring to this website in the future for more help.

 As well as this website I also found a slide show on 'Slideshare' which was quite useful, it was created by other media students and as it was research I thought it may be useful to others and also helpful for a referral for myself.  ( if the video does not work, here is a link to the website- http://www.slideshare.net/guest60af28/media-music-video-codes-and-conventions-presentation-1994185 )

Categories of music videos

There are 3 main categories of music video which include:

• Performance Based videos
• Narrative Based videos
• Concept Based videos

Performance based videos
 Whereby the band or artist is shown performing the song as it plays in perfect sync for most of, if not all of the video. The camera focuses purposely on the lyrics from the artist and the music produced by the band. music videos such as these will be mainly of these two things.
Here is an example of a performance based music video-
 A good example of a performance based video is Foo Fighters- Best of you. As you can see the video is based on the artist and the band. This is a performance based music video.

Narrative based videos
Some music videos choose to have a storyline of some sort that relates to the lyrics of the song in some way. This type of video will usually include actors, who can often play out the message of the song. Intertextuality is also included in narrative based videos as this can often show parts of films or news clippings, which also acts out the song lyrics.This is probably the most popular category of music video as it is easy on the eye and esy to follow and understand.
Alot of Basshunter's songs are narrative based as the actors are acting out what is happening within the song and this is quite clearly put across. Here is an example: Basshunter- now you're gone.

Concept based Videos

Concept based music videos usually focus on one concept or idea from a song and is quite often based around animation or a particular type of editing technique. Here is Bruno mars- just the way you are, This video is concept based as you will see due to the single idea and editing technique they use with the cassette tape.

I think my music video will be mixed, it will be partly narrative and partly performance based. As I hope to have part of it focused on the singer and the lyrics and possibly a pianist , then the rest of the video will have a narrative story of which I will either use the singer or another actor to help me get the message of the song across.