Wednesday, 29 September 2010

Wednesday, 22 September 2010

Sunday, 19 September 2010

FIRST PITCH

Common Generic Conventions of Pop Music Promo Videos:

  • a wide and extensive use of shot types, camera angles and movement
  • repetition of reoccuring thematic elements and generically specific iconography
  • a possible narrative structure
  • a possible performance element
  • the flexibility to disregard realism
  • shots cut tightly to the beat of the track
  • use of special effects (lighting, animation, CGIs, in-camera effects)
  • a constructed Mise en Scene appropriate to the content and tone of the track
  • high impact

RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT- FIRST IDEAS

  • Name of band: YELLA
  • Genre of band: Heavy metal/punk-rock
  • Target audience: male and female of young age group:
  • Music: Kyuss/ Demon Cleaner


Scene 1:

NIGHTIME ( fade in ) Helicopter with night lights circling ( chopper sounds and police siren sound )


CONTINUED - ( pan down) wrecked building site ( music fade in / fade out sound affects chopper / siren ) - band set up in middle of rubble, playing.


Helicopter lighting continues on band and around band ( suggest could keep chopper sound going under music if it works ) - "if not just chopper light circling band playing - camera circles 180 degrees around band with dramatic lighting.



Scene: 2 - Cut from band to day time street.

(slow motion ) Business man legs crossing on white line pedestrian crossing ( pan from feet/ legs up to full body / side view )


CONTINUED - She Devil flies through the air out of nowhere and karate kicks business man in back. ( camera, side view leap and pan to back view of full foot in back , thrusting man forward flying on his face )


CUT TO: (slow motion ) She devil appears and throws man through plate glass window, smashing


CUT TO: (slow motion ) She devil smashes man into brick wall.


CUT TO: (slow motion ) She Devil sets man on fire - we see him burning.



Scene: 3

DAYTIME - Office. She devil in business conservative clothing ( secretary ) sits in bosses office with computer ( fade to her looking at boss with distaste, imagines, throwing man through plate glass window, smashing ( slow motion )


FADE BACK to Office - She devil enters bosses office with cup of tea ( fades to her imagining smashes boss into brick wall)


FADE BACK to Office - She devil at photocopy ( music stops, we hear only the photocopy machine ) - camera pans from her face to her action doing photocopies.


CONTINUE - Boss ( same guy all the time ) walks past from the back and suggestively rubs against her.


Camera pans to photocopies, as we see a montage of the violent shots repeated on the photocopy paper, as it spews out...


Scene 4: Cut to montage QUICK edits between band, wrecked site, helicopter, she devil moves ( fast cutting this time , not slow motion ) from band to helicopter to siren to chopper noises, to she devil abuse, etc, etc.......over and over quick images repeating all scenes, except office.


AUDIO: under fast images, CHOPPER, SIREN







Thursday, 16 September 2010

THE FIVE STAGE OF PRODUCTION

Stage One: Research and Development

In order to research and develop ideas, it is wise to firstly consider who your target audience will be and what elements to add in order to sell it. For example, if the product were to be sold to twelve year old girls, you would aim on adding a famous Disney character or a specific product which is sold mostly in that age group.

It is good to take account of the basic concept behind the video idea, therefore it is wise to consider what you are trying to convey and promote with the product together with exploring the ideological values behind the concept.

When doing research and development, it is good to consider HOW to achieve the ideas in terms of location, number of cast needed, special effects, staging, set design, lighting, costumes, make-up, crew, time-schedule and especially budget.

When starting the planning, it is necessary to pick key roles between the group: director, producer, care co-ordinator, editor, props, make up, designer, lighting designer, storyboard artist. Obviously in a group of three it is difficult to set out so many roles, therefore in order to make it work each member of the group needs a central role

Stage Two: Pre- Production

The point of pre-production is planning in advance a list of names of all major roles such as: producer, director, camera coordinator, chief editor, lighting designer, studio floor manager, props coordinator, make up coordinator etc.

When doing pre-production, there is need of a timeline, therefore a detailed timeline that illustrates how lyrics, the performance and the song are coordinated.

In order to understand the shots needed to be done, there is need of a storyboard in order to illustrate the technical directions: shot number, shot type, camera movement, sound track lyrics, lighting, actions, location, special effects, editing transitions and timings, etc.

Another thing to take into account is taking care of planning floor plans and lighting: birdseye skethces, preferably printed, including rough measurements of all locations, showing all light sources such as : windows, video light etc.). You have to plan the positioning of the camera and area in which the scene will take place.

It is good to consider in advance all the equipment and props needed in order to avoid any money problems or even a matter of long-term wait. There should be a full typed checklist of all technical equipment needed on the day of the shoot.

It is good to also put props in the list including costing incase of any expensive items.

Part of pre-production is also to plan a cast list of pictures, name and role.

In order to have everything in order and everywhere at the right time at the right time, it is necessary to have a title page with a contacts page and a call sheet for each member of cast and crew.

Stage Three: The Shoot

Call sheet for cast and crew few days before before the day of the shoot.

This day is where everyone takes part in their major roles and also does some directing and camera coordinating. Actors have to be in the right place at the right time, equipment has to be ready, props have to be put in order of shooting moments, etc.

Stage Four: Production

This is where the sequences are shot and the stage where the lead editor drives the work.

Stage Five: Distribution and Exhibition

If a dependant group is trying to distribute their video, they can do this by using established outlets such as terrestrial and subscription television such as: sky, BBC1, etc. Another way of distributing and exhibiting with a high budget would be to send a URL link to all smartphones such as: blackberry's and iphones which have access to internet and MMS. This is the same when looking at CDs and DVDs which with a high budget, can easily be handed out in megastores as a free sample of the song etc.

With small budget and independant groups, a way of distributing themselves would be to upload their music on internet and social space, marketing sites such as: facebook, myspace, youtube, etc.