Music Video Workbook

A2 G324: Advanced Portfolio in Media (50% of A2 media mark)

This is a coursework/practical unit.

Brief: Students must produce a promotion package for the release of an album to include:

1. A music promo video2. A music DVD digipak3. A magazine advertisement for the Digipak/DVD.

G324 is marked out of a total of 100 marks:

Planning: (20 marks)Construction: Digipak (10 marks), Advert (10 marks), Music Video (40 marks)Evaluation: (20 marks)

All A2 project work (planning, construction & evaluation) is uploaded to your blog.

Rules for the Music Promo Project:

1. The track must be for an unsigned artist OR be a copyright free track;2. The track must be a good quality MP3;3. Do not film in a car;4. No drugs or simulated drug use;5. No weapons – fake or real;6. No recreation of illegal activities;7. No bedroom shots;8. No sexually explicit activity;9. Don’t rely on the editing software to sort out all of your (filming) problems.

Tips for the Music Promo Project:

1. Think really carefully about the styling, art direction and mise-en-scene for your DVD digipak, print advert & music video;

2. Don’t work with time wasters;3. Working with a copy-right free track is simpler and potentially less stressful than

working with a band;4. Shot composition – treat each shot like a photograph;5. Don’t use the zoom;6. Use a tripod, Fig-rig or Steadicam for a more professional look;7. Lighting – a strong torch can provide a spotlight;8. Make sure that you transfer your footage onto your D:Drive folder!9. Jot down your skills development during the project

The deadlines below have been agreed by the academic staff. They have been set in stages so that you can monitor your own performance during your Advanced Production Portfolio. After submitting work on time you will receive detailed feedback on your progress during the project and you will be given an individual action plan on ways to improve your work. The deadline dates are final, however please feel free to submit work before the deadline dates and move onto your next task.

Friday 1st October 2010Finish Music Video Research (Tasks 1 – 4)

Friday 5th November 2010Finish Music Video Research (Tasks 5 -11)

Friday 19th November 2010Complete Digipak and Advert (Tasks 12 – 17)

Friday 17th December 2010Complete filming; upload rushes to D:Drive folder (Tasks 18 – 20)

Friday 4th February 2011Complete final edit and upload to blog (Task 21)

Friday 4th March 2011Complete evaluation and upload to blog (Task 22)

ALL ADVANCED PRODUCTION PORTFOLIO WORK TO BE COMPLETED AND UPLOADED ONTO YOUR BLOG BY FRIDAY 11th MARCH 2011

Below is a complete list of all of the tasks for the A2 Advanced Portfolio in Media:

1) Set up your new A2 Media blog.

2) Embed a range of music videos that you like onto your blog; say a bit about what you like about each video (camera, editing, styling and mise-en-scene etc.)

3) Analyse three of your favourite videos using technical terminology and Key Concepts.

4) Upload your analysis to your blog - include screen grabs from the videos to help illustrate your points.

COMPLETE TASKS 1-4 AND UPLOAD TO YOUR BLOG BY FRIDAY 1ST OCTOBER 2010-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

5) Research a music video director of your choice; you should include examples of their work (screen grabs) and comment on their visual style, the artists or bands they have worked with; the genre of music they specialise in (if appropriate); whether they produce mainstream or underground work; their stylistic influences; their use of live performance; their use of narrative elements; their editing style; why you like their work.

6) Research into youth subcultures and current fashions for ideas about the look and styling of your own video and the band. Upload research to your blog.

7) Research your chosen band. Who are they; what genre of music do they play; where do they play out; where do they rehearse; have they got a Myspace; have they got a studio recording of the track; are they reliable.

8) Band discussions and conversations; video the meetings with the band; scan and upload notes taken during the meetings; complete a diary of when and where you met the band – what was discussed and agreed; keep copies of emails/texts sent to the band.

9) Upload all notes, pictures, sketches, drawings, copies of emails, video footage of meetings etc to your blog (the more you have; the more marks we can give you for Planning)

10) Decide whether your band is reliable and want to be involved in the project. If in doubt use a copyright-free track instead. You haven’t got time to mess around with bands that are not into the project. You will not lose marks by using a copy-right free track, but you must decide on a track or band by Friday 5th November 2010.

11) Pre-production paperwork:

Proposal

Song lyrics with timings and annotations

Mood board(s) mood boards are selected images from magazine shoots; music videos; TV; film; advertising that have inspired you. They are used when pitching your ideas to the band so they can visual the style and look of your video.

Animatic storyboard

Production schedule

Cast and crew list

Risk Assessment – if filming during class time the Risk Assessment must be with Steve Guratsky three weeks prior to filming

COMPLETE TASKS 5–11 AND UPLOAD TO YOUR BLOG BY FRIDAY 5TH NOVEMBER 2010------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

12) Research what digipaks are; upload examples of digipaks to your blog; state some of the key elements of a digipak.

13) Develop ideas, sketches and designs for your original music DVD digipak; upload designs onto your blog.

14) Produce the final music DVD digipak and upload onto your blog.

DVD Digipak for Joe Potter Enough is EnoughBy Oliver Saunders

15) Research existing magazine adverts that promote the launch of a new music DVD digipak; what are the key features of the advertisement; upload your notes to your blog.

16) Develop ideas, sketches and designs for your magazine advert; upload designs onto your blog.

17) Produce a magazine advert that promotes the launch of the music DVD digipak; upload your final advert to your blog.

COMPLETE TASKS 12-17 AND UPLOAD TO YOUR BLOG BY FRIDAY 19TH NOVEMBER 2010 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

DVD Digipak Advert for ArkaicBy Kelly Cartwright

.18) Film test footage

19) Film the music video

20) Upload and save the rushes onto the your D:Drive folder

COMPLETE TASKS 18 – 20 BY FRIDAY 17TH DECEMBER 2010-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

21) Complete final cut.

COMPLETE FINAL CUT AND UPLOAD TO YOUR BLOG BY FRIDAY 4TH FEBRUARY 2011-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

22) Individually evaluate your final music video using the key OCR evaluation questions.

COMPLETE THE EVALUATION AND UPLOAD TO YOUR BLOG BY FRIDAY 4TH MARCH 2011

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FINAL DEADLINE DATE: FRIDAY 4TH MARCH 2011

Still from The Crookes Chorus of Fools byAmy Colk, Abbi Finney and Loren Aldridge

Evaluations are individual. You need to answer four broad questions about your project. The evaluations are uploaded to your blog and must include audio/visual elements.

The questions that must be addressed in the evaluation are:

In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

How effective is the combination of your main product and ancillary texts?

What have you learned from your audience feedback?

How did you use new media technologies in the construction and research, planning and evaluation stages?

Remember that you can choose to present your evaluation in a number of ways:

A Director’s commentary recorded onto MP3; A filmed Director’s commentary; A selection of slides that you present to the group;

YOU DO NOT HAVE TO PRESENT YOUR EVALUATIONS TO THE WHOLE GROUP;

BUT YOUR EVALUATION MUST ADDRESS THE FOUR QUESTIONS ABOVE.

A successful music video has to work at two levels – it must sell the song to the audience, and it must reflect the mood, story, tone and musicality of the song. A music video is essentially a selling tool. Its job is to shift shed loads of CDs or downloads – that is the bottom line.

Most artists like to devise dynamic, creative and artistically exciting and adventurous videos, which add energy and a creative visual dimension to their songs. You can too.

Music Video Jobs

Art Director/Stylist – creates the look of the video; designs the set; designs the clothes worn by the band; takes lead on hair and make-up – must enjoy fashion and design

Cinematographer – works closely with the Director; the cinematographer operates the camera and decides with the Director on shot composition and movement. Must enjoy photography.

Director – leads the production; negotiates and presents the brief; ensures that Art Director, Producer and the band understand the vision for the project – must be confident to give the band and crew orders

Editor – works closely with the Director and Producer; the Editor is involved throughout the production. Must love editing and computer-based design work

Producer – works closely with the Director and the band; ensures that music video project is successful and productive; the producer needs to be organised and bossy

Andrew Goodwin identifies the following characteristics of the music video:

1. There is a relationship between the lyrics and the visuals (with visuals either illustrating, amplifying or contradicting the lyrics);

2. There is a relationship between the music and the visuals (again with visuals either illustrating, amplifying or contradicting the music;

3. Particular music genres have their own music video style and iconography (such as live performance in heavy rock or choreographed dance routines in RnB);

4. There is a demand on the part of the record company for lots of close-ups of the main artist/vocalist;

5. The artist may develop their own star iconography, in and out of their videos, which, over time, becomes part of their star image;

6. There is likely to be reference to voyeurism, particularly in the treatment of women, but also in terms of systems of looking (screens within screens, binoculars, film and movie cameras etc;

7. There are likely to be intertextual references, either to other music videos or to films and TV texts (this may or may not feature actors from the original film or TV programmes).

Benny Benassi - Satisfaction Remix:Goodwin Topic: Representation of women; voyeuristic and highly sexualised portrayal of women which is a signature feature of his music videos – see his ‘Who’s Your Daddy’ and ‘Every Single Day’ videos.

Nas – Street DreamsGoodwin Topic: Intertextuality – the video recreates a number of famous scenes from the Martin Scorcese film Casino.

Lady Gaga – Poker FaceGoodwin Topic: The record label demand lots of close-ups; Lady Gaga has used her music videos to exaggerate her star persona and image.

Dizzee Rascal: Dance Wiv MeGoodwin Topic: there is a relationship between the music and the visuals.

The names below have produced some exceptional music videos. Some, like Spike Jonze have progressed from making music videos to become successful Hollywood film directors.

This is a suggested list. Feel free to choice a music video director that does not appear on this list if you want to:

Alison Schulnick

Anthea Benton

Chris Cunningham

Cyriak

Dougal Wilson

Grant Gee

Hype Williams

Lindy Heyman

Spike Jonze

Tobias Stretch

For more examples of up-and-coming directors check out:

www.bugvideos.co.uk

www.finalcut-edit.com

www.vimeo.com