1) State the song you have chosen for your preliminary exercise.
Everything is romantic - Charli XCX
2) Choose at least three music videos similar to your concept and watch a clip or more from each. Make bullet-point notes on everything you watch, commenting on camerawork, editing and mise-en-scene.
Charli XCX - forever
I chose to analyse this music video as it heavily related to my concept, depicting how every part of life can carry love within it. Most of the cinematography is based around clips filmed on phones, showing handheld movement. The choice to use personal footage is reflective of the time it was filmed, during the COVID-19 lockdown, hence the lack of establishing shots or any professionally shot footage. Through editing these clips together as a montage with fast-paced cuts and no transitions, the sense of being isolated physically but being connected to other people through the love you have for them in your life is conveyed, with match-on-action cuts used to make the montage more cohesive. For mise-en-scene, there is no core concept as most of the clips show casual clothing for the costume. The lighting varies from shot to shot but there is a prominence of high-key lighting and natural lighting.
Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeroes - Home
I chose to analyse this music video as I was most inspired by the use of high-key lighting and the choice to edit it as a montage, varying the speed of clips and the tempo of the editing to match with the upbeat energy of the song. The music video's cinematography is focused around handheld movement again, with fast camera pans. The shots alternate between close-ups of people's faces and top lighting used on those faces and long shots that showcase the outdoor locations mostly based in nature. The natural shakes and jitters of the handheld camera create a sense of authenticity, as if the music video is a glimpse into the artists' life. The mise-en-scene of this music video combines casual clothing for costume again, and actor movement is key for this video as many of the clips feature dancing or running together.
Jeff Buckley - Forget Her
I chose to analyse this music video due to its concept being the reverse of the one for my music video, depicting Buckley's struggle through heartbreak as everything that seems ordinary or mundane in his life reminds him of his failed relationship. The music video opens with a medium shot of the artist himself, which jitters, reflecting the use of handheld camera throughout. The editing and cinematography of the video reflects his stream of thoughts as he goes about his day via a montage of long shots and close-ups with many fast and blurry camera pans and no transitions. The most prevalent type of camera shot in the music video are extreme close-ups, particularly of Buckley's face which are lit with top lighting to show his anguish.
3) Write a short music video treatment for your extract (this is basically a script for your music video). You can find an example of a treatment here. If you are making your real coursework then feel free to use the treatment from your summer project.
First 30 seconds of music video (in Northala Fields):
- Scene 1: Starting with shots of the lake + sunlight, other shots of nature before song starts
- Scene 2: Two people in establishing shot, then close-up of hands tying shoelaces (Vans product placement), then close-up of jewelry of other person
- Scene 3: Medium long shot of them walking in grass, close-ups on faces, extreme close-ups on eyes as they smile (match-on-action)
- Scene 4: Wide shot of clouds + sun with couple in it, then both of them run until second verse, holding hands
4) Write a shot list containing EVERY shot you plan to film AND additional shots to create flexibility when editing (in a music video you will find you need FAR more shots than you think, particularly close-ups). These additional shots can be close-ups, alternative angles or something more creative. I advise using a simple table on Microsoft Word/Google Docs to set out your shot list - you can find an example here (this is from narrative filmmaking but the same format can be used for any video project).
Shot No.
Shot
Filmed?
1
Long shot of sunlight hitting lake in Northala Fields
2
Medium shot of grass and trees
3
Close up shot of plants by the lake/ducks or birds if around
4
Extreme close up shot of birds or squirrels
5
Establishing shot of the couple sitting opposite each other
6
Medium shot of one of them laughing at the other
7
Medium shot of the other person looking at them (shot-reverse-shot)
8
Close-up of hands tying shoelaces on Vans
9
Extreme close-up of Vans shoe design on the side
10
Close-up of jewelry of other person
11
Medium long shot of both walking in grass, holding hands
12
Close-up on one of their faces
13
Close-up of the other one's face
14
Extreme close-up on one of their eyes as they smile
15
Extreme close-up of other one's eye
16
Wide shot of clouds and sun
17
Long shot of both of them starting to run past camera
18
Extreme close-up while both are running, slightly blurry
19
Long shot of both running further, now away from camera
5) Plan your mise-en-scene: what iconography are you including to ensure your audience understands the genre and style of your artist? Plan your settings, costume, make-up, props and lighting.
Costume: Casual/Indie streetwear, warmer & more natural colours, one of them wearing the Vans for product placement shot, jewelry and necklaces
Lighting: High-key, natural
Actor placement/movement: Sitting together opposite each other
Make-up and hair: Natural makeup, warm tones
Props: Picnic blanket, food
Setting: Sitting by lake in Northala Fields
6) Plan a shooting schedule that will ensure everything is filmed by the deadline. Include when, where, who is required, planned equipment and any other aspects you need to arrange.
Shooting footage on Thursday, Friday and Saturday
Editing on
Location of Northala Fields
Must remember to film early in the morning, giving myself 3 days to account for weather/rush at park
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