Final Video

City Sunsets - The Shambles

second and third filming trips

The second filming was done at Dom's party on saturday 9th of february, where we got some shots that could be used, however, not enough to fill the entire video so we had to organise a third shoot. Much of the stuff shot on the second shoot was to dark to use, the stuff that was light enough we have used in the video and it works well. From the second shoot it was obvious there would not be enough footage to fill our entire narative part and there was not enough shots of the whole band together so we organised a third time for filming on wednesday the 13th of February. On the third shoot we got much of the footage we had planned to get, with shots of the sign to the shambles and the band together as a group, however, due to traffic problems two of the band turned up late and so a few of our ideas could not be done as it was getting too dark to film.

Initial Shoot

On Wednesday we did our initial filming. The band performed the song that we have chosen and we filmed them performing a number of times from different angles, shots and positions. We got all the shots that we had planned to capture and allowed improvisation during the filming which in the most part was them enjoying the filming and performing which we can also use within the video as an adaptation to our original animatic storyboard.

Planning review #3

Well done for meeting the deadline. The animatic is useful - I can see how you have planned out "group fun" shots with performance. My only concern is that you will need to be inventive in use of camera movement while filming the "group fun" and particularly using interesting angles and framing to keep it dynamic. The animatic shows a variety of instrument shots for the performance, however again, this will need fast cuts -make sure you shoot the performance a number of times.

Can you now go back and amend your post - imbed the animatic on the page and more importantly expand on HOW you made the animatic, what specificically you have learnt from it.

Animatic

The animatic is now on Youtube:



From the animatic it is clear we may need more gap fillers and more shots to fit with the song as it is up beat and rapid shots would work better than the longer shots shown in the animatic.

Band Photo

L-R; Richard Scott - Drums

Dominic Scott - Bass/Vocals

Harry Pearce - Guitar/Vocals

Tim Worthington - Guitar

planning review # 3 - CF

Well done - a creative pitch. Excellent choice of track, a suitable response and I particularly liked consideration of locations and intertextuality with Knole Park. Links made to primary and secondary research. Now you must make time to take a camera on a reccie and practice some of the shots. You also need to post a band photo, location reccie observations and audience research. I can see that you have some posts as drafts.

Audience Research

We carried out our audience research on people who were already familiar with the song, including three members of the band, we asked the following questions:

1. What images do you associate with the Indie Genre?
2. What sort of style should the video be? e.g. Performance, Conceptual or Narrative.
3. Which of these best fits the video? Funny, Serious, A mixture of the two or Other (please state). Give reasons
4. Listen to the track, what images do you think of? Do you have any ideas that could be put in the video? If so please state with reasons.

We had the following results

1. From the research most people associated instruments and band members in a music video for the Indie genre. Other things that were suggested were Coats and Trilbys and shots from live performances
2. Most people said the video should be Conceptual with some Narrative and Performance parts.
3. Alot also said that it should be a mix between funny and serious. which we are probably going to interpret as the serious part being shown in performance parts and funny parts within the narrative part.
4. Most people suggested the location of The Shambles in Sevenoaks as it is what the song is named after. One person suggested it be filmed in black and white, and another suggestion was of young people doing what young people do.
   
   

Our Pitch

In our group we pitched our idea for our music video and got feedback from the rest of the group and this is the response we obtained:

• The ideas put forward were very similar to the initial ideas that we both had considered and though of.


• The video should be a narrative/performance based video.


• The video should contain elements of comedy and showing the band members to be good friends and having fun.


• The video should be shot in day light.


• The track is upbeat and the video should also reflect this.

The response that we obtained from pitching the idea to the group was similar to ideas that we had for our music video and the response on our overall ideas were met positively as was the fact that we have an original band.

Final Song choice

The Shambles by City Sunsets



www.myspace.com/citysunsets



We have access to the band so can use them in the video, especially for the performance elements of it. We will also be able to create star image and cannot be influenced by previous videos or any for the song. The video will be narrative and performance based.

Technical Analysis - Nick

Track: Recover
Artist: The Automatic



0.01 - location shot focused on a bench in a park.
0.05 - women sits on a bench.
0.08 - MCU shot on the women on the bench reading a book.
0.10 - Shot fades to flash and a white screen and the women on the bench is standing in front of a black background.
0.13 - Camera withdraws from the CU on women's face.
0.16 - First MS of the band playing their instruments and singing.
0.19 - MS Shot cuts back to the women lying on the bench in the park seemingly unconscious.
0.21 - CU of women on black background camera pulls back.
0.25 - CU shots of a body on the ground. Whole shot in dark but flash of light on body parts as they are shown. Fast cuts between each flash.
0.33 - CU of a man running towards the women on the bench.
0.36 - Black screen removes to show the band playing their instruments in a MS.
0.38 - Fast CU cuts between band members playing their instruments.
0.52 - MCU of lead singer.
0.54 - Image fades away to a black screen.
0.56 - Women appears in distance dressed in white with dancers.
1.02 - Cut to band playing in the dark with spotlight upon them.
1.07 - Camera pans from shot of the band 180 degrees to shot of dancers.
1.10 - Camera pans back to the band.
1.17 - Low angle MS of the band playing.
1.23 - Cuts to shot of band facing away from the camera on a white background. All enter from the side of the shot on at a time. Lead singer is only one facing camera whilst other members slowly turn to face camera.
1.30 - CU on each band member as they turn to face camera.
1.38 - MS on ban together again.
1.41 - Band exit shot from the side leaving a figure in the distance dressed in white.
1.43 - Cuts back to park with a shot of a dog approaching the camera and goes to the women on the bench.
1.51 - Image cuts back to the drummer in a different location.
1.53 - Camera withdraws and a CU of dancers with masks on with drummer in background.
1.55 - Band playing with the dancers in front of them.

Analysis
This video by The Automatic is of a similiar style to what Jimi and I are going to produce for our music video as it is a performance/narrative video. During my analysis of this video I have learnt what key elements and techniques that I should be looking to include within the video we will be producing. Throughout this video in the performance sections there are a lot of CU and ECU used on the band and in particular the lead singer. Moreover the MS of the band playing their instruments was also frequently repeated shot throughout the video and these performance shots should definately be considered to be within our video. Moreover it was evident that all the cuts were in time with the song and shots were never long before they cut to another image and therefore we need to make sure that there are no lingering shots where the camera shot is not changing.

Planning Review #1 CF

Well done - product analysis is perceptive and you consider issues of star image as well as narrative structure. My only comment is that you both could do with looking at some videos purely for camera techniques used (shot, movement, angle) and consideration of mise-en-scene. This will help you storyboard.

It also isn't clear from your blog as to the track you have finally chosen. You need to post an entry clearly stating which track and your initial ideas.

Music Video Analysis 2 - Nick

Track: Pretender
Artist: Foo Fighters

• This video is a performance based video
• There is a voyeuristic approach within the video with the riot police watching the band playing for nearly all the video before they decide to attack the band.
• There are close-ups of the band members faces throughout the video which helps to create a star image for the band and is what the audience want to see in the videos is the band. Tracking shots, zooms and panning shots are frequently used techniques throughout the video.
• The video has a void feeling about it for the vast majority of the video as the band is simply performing with nothing else within the room until the final minute of the song.
• There is a link between the lyrics and the visuals with the line I'm the hand that will take you down Bring you to your knees at which point the riot police are bought down to their knees by the water exploding from behind the screen.
• A link is there between the music and the visuals with the louder chorus at the end matching when the water explodes and there are far more cuts of the shots at this point then anywhere else within the video.
• The conventions of a rock music video are met within the video as there is mainly a performance based video but has a little narrative due to the lyrics and the actions on the screen between the riot police and the band. This also connotes rebellion of the band as they are rebelling against the police/state. The band seem to have a determined look in the video and at the end of the song he throws his guitar away which adds to a rebellious image of the band.
• I feel the video stands up to rebeat viewings as it entertaining in the way that there is a stand off between the band and the police in the video and it makes for compelling viewing and we want to know why there is any anger between the two sides in the video.

Possible Tracks

Track: Why Do I Keep Counting
Artist: The Killers

• There is currently no video to the song and therefore will be an original music video and ideas will not be influenced.
• The lyrics can be interpreted in a number of ways which would give a number of options on what we do with the song.
• Able to create a narrative based video.
• My idea would be to focus it upon a particular person's struggle and that they are looking for help they have no way out.
• A problem with the song is the length of the song being over 4 minutes mean that the video would be a lot harder to achieve.

Track: I Can Do It Without You Artist: Kaiser Chiefs

• Currently there is not a video for this song so it would be an original music video.
• Run length is just over 3 minutes and is therefore not too long a video allowing more time for editing after filming.
• Open to all of the 3 narrative options for us to choose from.
• Allows a interesting narrative idea where we show how good a character's life could be with the women he sings about and then without her which fits the lyrics of the song about how it is better with you.
  

Technical Analysis

Bloc Party - Hunting for witches




In total there are 197 shots in the video and the cuts are all fast except for the start where each shot fades into the next. In total 65 shots are of the lead singer, Kele Okereke, of the Sixty eight, twenty seven are close ups and nine are extreme close ups the rest are either medium shots of just him or of him with another band member. The other band members do not get as many close ups but do get alot of camera shots. Infact each of the other band members get nine close ups, except the bassist who gets eight, although they are not all of there faces many are simply of them playing there instruments. In all there are 25 shots which include the whole band playing together although there are other shots of three members. The drum kit also gets a lot of attention especially the band name at the start and end on the bass drum possibly an advertising technique, the guitars also get alot of close ups whilst being played to add a sense of reality to the video as if they were not shown playing it might harm there image as being able to play their instruments. As the background is just black there is no Mise en scene, other than the instruments. There are various different camera angles used mainly angled down at the band, the main evidence can be seen at the start as the camera starts at a high angle and zooms in. There are also angles when the bassist and guitarist are playing the camera points down to show them from shoulders down playing. another example is when the camera is almost directly above the drum kit showing the drummer playing. As the video is completely performance based it limits the amount of shots there can be and various shots are repeated throughout the video, especially of the drum kit, guitars and the close ups of Kele (lead singer) are basically exactly the same, maybe some of the shots where only taken once and have been repeated within the video.

Music Video Analysis 1 - Nick

Name of Track: When You Were Young
Artist: The Killers

Narrative/performance based video

The video often cuts between the visuals of the narrative to shots of the band performing the song. The band are shown playing and singing at the same time as the actions in the narrative are continuing.

There is certainly a band image created with The Killers they are often dressed in the same clothes often darker clothes and have some form of facial hair. This helps to create a continual image of the band.

There are often Close-Ups Brandon Flowers. This is to promote not only the song but it also creates the star image as well as that of the other band members who are also focused upon with close-ups.

As is present in most videos there is a voyeuristic approach within the video. The band are playing in a bar and there is an audience watching them play as well as the women when she enters the bar stops and stares at the band as they play the song. We also are following and watching the women and she is a number of times framed as we watch her life and what is happening to her.

There is an element of post-modernism within the video. The video begins and the song doesn't start for 90 seconds.

The video has a relationship between visuals and lyrics. The beat of the song matches the cut and when the song beat slows down so the cuts and the shots are longer at this point to when the beat is at a faster tempo.

The video also stands up to repeatability. The narrative of the video makes it compelling and a number of features occur within the video which are often missed the first time through and to fully understand the narrative it needs to be watched again. Moreover it offers a compelling viewing which sets the video up for repeat viewings.

The video does comply to a lot of the conventions of a rock video. Often they are narrative/performance based videos, shots of the entire band playing at the same time often seen as close friends.

The lyrics are not directly linked to the narrative but there is a close relationship between the two. The narrative is therefore loosely related to the lyrics.

Urban location of the video appears to be set in South America with cultural codes such as the old church, her praying, the old bar.

There is a first person mode of address as Brandon Flowers sings to the camera and it makes it seem that he is personally singing to us as he engages the audience throughout the song when in shot.

The Strokes - Someday

Someday is the third single from The Strokes' first album Is This It so at this time the band where still making a name for themselves. They were more popular in England than they were in America.

Does it meet genre conventions?

Many rock and indie bands videos are performance and narrative based which this video. We also see members of the band Drinking and Smoking a convention of rock and roll, we also see a 'fight' between The Strokes and Guided by Voices at the end of a game show.

Is there a relationship between lyrics and visuals?

You could read it as the visuals that are being shown are 'the good old days', and you could say that 'together we fall apart' is visualised in the fight on the gameshow. You could also say that perhaps the video is saying this is now and the lyrics are saying things will go down hill from then on. 'I'm working so i don't have to try so hard' is shown by them practicing as a band. This is why it stands up to repeat viewings because different people can read the lyrics and visuals differently.

Is there a relationship between Music and Visuals?

None, the video doesn't seem to have any similairty to what is shown in the visuals. The cuts are in time with the music, as when it slows down the amount of cutting decreases. The music is quite upbeat and this is reflected within the visuals as the band are seen smiling and having fun.

Are there lots of close ups? Building of star image?

There are lots of close up of all the members of the band rather than, the usual of just having close ups of the lead singer. The visuals and close ups show the band having fun and being on a gameshow, this makes them seem approachable and very friendly. It also shows images of members of 'Guided By Voices' and Slash the guitarist from Guns 'n' Roses showing they have various 'friends' in the music business.

Are there any intertextual references?

The major untertextual reference is of course to the popular American gameshow Family Feud, The Strokes take on Guided by Voices and lose 350 - 211 in the end. There are appearances by other bands and other members of bands possibly a move by record companies to promote forthcoming albums or singles, through another bands music video.

Is it Narative, Performance or conceptual based?

It is a mixture of Narrative and Performance based, althought the performance isn't a major part and when shown it feels as if the band are still young and upcoming (which they were) as they are showing having a sort of band practice or maybe they are within a recording studio.

How Do Audiences Consume Music Channels?

Audiences decide upon the genre that they are most interested in. On TV there are now enough genre channels to appeal the vast audience to be able to watch the channel and genre of choice. Audiences are either focused or ambient. If they are a focused audience it means that they have a made a decision to sit down and watch and consume the text this is primary consumption, they become loyal to a particular channel. If the audience is ambient then it means that they have not chosen a text and it is on in the background they are not paying full attention to the text and have not made a decision to watch it this is secondary consumption. Ambient viewing is non-stop music and often matches the mood that someone is in and it fits into a busy schedule. Focused viewing is often for example people’s favourite artists, concerts, old videos, fashions. Ambient viewing is often for example like the TV is a radio, multi-media sharing, and video hunting. Focused viewing often occurs for example with mates, at work, cheesy favourites and ‘our’ favourites.

Coffee & TV - Blur

The music video for Coffee & TV by Blur was directed by Hammer & Tongs. It first aired in June 1999. It features a milk carton character named Milky made by Jim Henson's Creature Shop. It was also seen in an episode of The Sopranos. The milk carton used in the video was sold at auction in 1999. Graham Coxon sings lead while Damon Albarn sings in the chorus.

Does it demonstrate genre characteristics?

Not particularly, many of the britpop videos heavily feature the band playing there instruments, in this video there is performance aspects but until the end. The fact that Graham Coxon is has gone 'missing' gives a sense of rebellion which is a common convention of Rock music.

Is there a relationship between lyrics and visuals?

'Theres people there who will hurt you, because of who you are' is amplified by a man drinking from a carton and two young boys playing football with a can, these are things you would associate with being similar to 'Milky' the milk carton.

Is there a relationship between music and visuals?

Yes, when 'Milky' the carton knocks on the door of 'Big Suzy's' the snare is hit 3 times which makes it look as if the drum is the knock at the door. The milk carton is also frequently seen dancing along to the music. So the visuals are illustrative of the music.

Are there lots of close ups?

No not really, there is one of a photo of Graham Coxon right at the begining and a few of Damon Albarn during the performance shots otherwise there are'nt many. Possibly because by this time Blur where already an established band and so perhaps did not need to be as marketed as if they were starting out.

Is there frequent reference to the notion of looking?

Not at all, only one vague bit where Graham Coxon looks at his photo on the side of the milk carton.

Are there intertextual references?

None that are visible to me.

Is it narrative, performance or conceptual based?

It includes a bit of everything, there is the narative of the milk carton going to look for the lost boy, finding him and taking him back home. There is conceptual parts for example with the milk carton being alive and given human qualities (anthropomorphic) an finally there is the performance by the band (minus Coxon) at the end.

It stands up to repeat viewing because the main character, 'Milky', is a milk carton and adds a sense of intrigue, we also never find out why Graham Coxon has gone missing, so it is watched again as the story becomes more interesting each time.

Why are music channels commercially viable with such a small audience?

They are commercially viable because having a small audience means advertisers can specifically target that audience and design an advert that will be attractive to the particular audience of that channel. An example of a company that has used this to great effect is Creative Zen Micro who advertised on only the channels owned by Emap.
Emap identified three key areas, Rock, hip hop and Pop. Creative also wanted to target a 16-34 age demographic, so, they designed nine adverts three for each one of the three areas (three pop, three rock and three hip hop) and each of these three adverts where specifically designed for the channel it was shown on e.g. a black man pulling along his whole record collection around for the hip hop channel
Over 6 weeks the advertising reached 76% of the core target audience and they had 46,991 entries into the competition normal entry into the same style of competition is around 1,000. Creative Zen Micro had sold out within weeks.
This proves that with the correct style of advertising you can make a profit from genre channels if you are targeting the correct audience e.g. a rock orientated advert might work on a rock channel but will not have the same effect on a hip hop audience.