Transcript G324 Music Video - Media and Film Studies

G324 Music Video
10 Step Guide
Step 1 - Limber Up
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Film some test footage of yourself experimenting with different camera
techniques
learn to lip-synch with a small segment of the song you have chosen
do a karaoke multi-angle version of a track for fun
Watch some music videos in the same genre as the one you are going
to film and take notes on props, camera angles, locations etc
Do test shots to try out effects that you may want to use
Check any ‘quirks’ of the camera
Make sure you have tripod (and ‘shoe’) to use
Do you know the editing program? -experiment before you edit the
main music video
Have you got the music and an audible source?
Step 2 - choose the right track
• Be careful about what song you choose, it
can be a mistake to go for a well-known artist
or your favourite artist
• Make it short (3 mins 30 secs, maximum)
• Choose a track which stimulates some
visuals
• Make sure the whole group agrees on the
final choice!
• Be prepared to listen to the song a lot of
times
Step 3: Write a treatment/plan
of action
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Pitch for the material with a strong and simple idea
Have a clear concept which is workable
Be realistic in your plans
Be original, use other students to inspire and guide, not to rip off
Be prepared to compromise with the rest of the group
Film the presentation for the blog
Get a sense of what the conventions are. look closely at them
and break them down to see how they work. How do they use
verse and chorus? how do they use the beat and rhythm? how
do they showcase the star? How much do the visuals relate to
the lyrics? what's the concept?
Step 4: Plan for everything
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Storyboard- you can always shoot extra
Plan people, places, props, costumes
Get everyone’s mobile numbers
Aim to shoot video early (next six weeks if possible,) not
up against Jan 8th deadline
Make sure your performers have rehearsed and know the
words (they have to be up for it as well)
Always remember the basics, tripod, camera (charged)
Remember to work round work commitments, school
commitments and things like the barge trip and other
social activities
Plan for the worst, logistics is the key word
Step 5: Use the Blog properly
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Use it to link ideas together, the glue of your work
Videos that influence you (YouTube)
research the genre in detail!
Photos that give you ideas
Take recce shots on location and post them
Do an animatic of your storyboard
Put up all your ideas including screengrabs of work in
progress
• Be ‘media rich’ and use your blog as a ‘journey’
Step 6: The Shoot
• Shoot the performance at least four-five times with
different set-ups, angles etc
• Make sure you have plenty of cutaways to objects, items
of interest (why?)
• Experiment with extra angles and lighting changes
• Don’t forget: lots of close-ups and variety of shots
• Enthuse your performers- they must give it plenty!
• Shoot more than you think you will need
• Check the weather report
• Health and safety
• Locations, choice of clothes and correct props at all times
Step 7: the raw footage
• Organise it so its easy to find
• Don’t capture stuff you don’t need, it is very
hard getting the music video just right
• Break it into manageable chunks
• Upload as soon as you can
• Be critical with your footage, if it doesn’t work,
shoot again
Step 8: The Edit
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Synch up performances first
Get the whole picture rather than tiny details
Cut and cut again
Aim for a dynamic piece of work (rhythm is key)
Do any effects work last
Upload a rough cut to your blog and get feedback
asap
• Be ruthless with yourself, if you like a couple of shots
but they don’t seem right in the context of the whole
video then don’t use them
Step 9: Audience feedback
• Get feedback wherever you can and the
sooner this comes the better
• Upload video to your blog via YouTube
• Post links on twitter
• Send it to the actual artist?
• Ask for honest opinions, don’t just ask
your mates
Step 10: The final polish
• Unlike the real world, you’ll have to
produce an evaluation
• Take advice about what is needed in
your evaluation (read the ‘bible’
• Make use of your blog at all times and
when finishing the blog order everything
correctly
Pete Fraser - Head Examiner
• The video lasts at least as long as the track (can be longer if you
have an intro or outro or both)
• The video features the artist/band quite prominently
• The video features some element of performance- singing and
playing instruments (usually miming) and often dancing or acting
too
• The video has some kind of concept along with the track
• The video does not feature a complete narrative but the concept
may involve fragments of narrative
• Different genres of music produce slightly different visual
conventions in music videos