Magazine Ad (First Draft)

This is the first draft of my magazine advert, kept in sync with the music video and digipak in terms of colour, font, style and aesthetics.

I plan to play with the design further, such as the main image that attracts the audience's attention, add more minor details for a touch of realism to the piece and play with the positioning to make it aesthetically pleasing but, overall, I am pleased with the result.

Digipaks vs CD cases

Differences between Digipaks and CD cases:

• A digipak essentially consists of a plastic disc placement that has been placed inside a folded cardboard case with the design digitally imprinted on the card. They are made of paper and were once considered the environmentally friendly version of CD cases, however, they have remained less common due to them not being able to survive wear and tear as well as jewel cases and have a higher manufacturing cost.

• A jewel (CD) case consists of pieces of plastic put together that act as a protective layer for the disc.The plastic pinner is the same as in the digipak but the information about the CD is kept to the front of the case and printed out on separate paper and act as a booklet. The back artwork is kept in place between the CD and plastic.

Why is there more value on a Digipak?

A digipak has 6 sides, 5 that are taken up by the design, that creates more opportunity for artwork, information, promotion, creativity, etc. Through this, the artist is not creatively restricted and can reach out to their target audience through the design. Additionally, the digipak becomes more than just protection for the disc but a collectable item as well. Comparing this to the CD case, the information has easier access and there is more availability to be creatively free with the digipak's design due to the make and layout.

What am I going to include on my Digipak?

Artist's Name

Album Title

Tracklist

Barcode

Album Credits (Producers, Writers, etc)

Copyright Label

Record Company

Album Artwork

Images of Artist (?)

Lyrics (?)

Disc Placement

Usage of Star Image

I have been looking at star image for the digipak in relation to the music video so I can continue having a consistent brand for the artist and provide a link between the video and the ancillary tasks. Below is a list of 'rules' I plan to use when photographing my star:

Quality

Image quality is very important as the star needs to be seen clearly in order for the audience to recognise her and become familiar with her image i.e. her blue hair. Additionally,  I want the artist's surroundings to be included within the frame as it enhances the star's over representation and portrays the genre she is a part of.

-Imperfections such as spots and bruises are expected to be removed via Photoshop unless they are meant to be a part of the theme.

-Lighting is very important as it determines the overall success of the image taken so making sure the lighting is correct when it needs to be is of the essence. Additionally, the correct use of shadow could create a brilliant dramatic effect that would be useful for my artist's shoot, seeing as the video is partially set in a dark studio with only a spotlight to spot the artist.

Due to this being the official album cover, it was Photoshopped to perfection: making sure the lighting was right, she had no spots/blemishes/bruises, keeping her face and signature hairstyle in shot, specific areas of her body have been highlighted, etc.

Star

The artist should be well defined within the image but other factors do contribute towards creating a suitable finish such as a background blur, strong colours, composition, etc. Additionally, the star and ultimately the image must stand out from other real media images. This way, it will be easily recognisable and easy for the target audience to locate within the stores.

The artist follows each of these conventions in creating a strong image that represents her as an artist that makes her appeal to her target audience. Also, she does challenge her typical style in some areas of the video where she has her hair down rather than up, showing her confidence within her success to take a bold move.

Mise En Scene
This is significant in portraying the artist's image and style as they are both linked in with the same genre which can either be conformed to, changed or challenged i.e. bright colours and focus on artist's face within video reflects upon artist's album cover, promotional posters/ads, etc.

This shows a clear link with the theme of a brightly coloured environment and keeping the artist's face in focus within the centre of the frame, which allows the artist's image to continue being portrayed clearly and even allows her to play about with the image also i.e. she typically has her hair up in a ponytail which she challenged within this video.

Continuity
The star's image must stick throughout the brand, from the music video to the digipak and magazine ads, so that the artist's promotion has a sense of familiarity with the audience and slowly introduces them to the artist's work.

Released March 26, 2013

Released July 22, 2013

Released September 3, 2013

The steady build up to the official cover art shows a link between each of the artist's work and shows a steady progression leading up to the album's release and making sure the audience stays familiar with the artist's image. There is a clear relevant link towards the artist's genre as a broadway theme runs through the image, with the star placed beneath a bright spotlight and a background that compliments the theme. Additionally, the colour - or lack of - signifies a dramatic build up that links to the name of the song/album i.e. Baby I is a pop-ish 90's throwback song which connotes dramatic, bright colours whilst Yours Truly has a much more sophisticated illustration with the title only in a twirly pink colour and the lack of colour dramatises the album and its meaning behind the title.

Analysis of Marketing Campaign (Miley Cyrus' Bangerz)

Miley Cyrus had spent well over a year building up her marketing campaign leading up to the release of her "debut" album Bangerz on Oct 7, 2013 (in the UK). She and her management team made sure that it was a slow and drawn out process so that she was kept relevant within the media and amongst her target audience. Below are some key points within the campaign that I have highlighted success:

Star Image

Miley Cyrus has drastically altered her image and behaviour beneath the spotlight, starting with her first few paparazzi appearances in early 2012 where she was spotted leaving gym sessions very often with a leaner, healthier figure; this is something that had signified a turning point in her growth from a child Disney star to an adult artist.

Pictured often working out from Dec 2011 - May 2012

Additionally, she did begin to dress far more maturely following her physical change which, in turn, led towards her future controversial (and sexual) image. Notice the small, subtle changes to her wardrobe as the year goes on: her hair gets shorter, she shows more skin, she begins to dress more sexually, etc.

Cyrus at the People's Choice Awards (Jan 11, 2012)

Cyrus at the Billboard Music Awards (May 20, 2012)

Cyrus at the MTV's Video Music Awards (Sept 6, 2012)

This progression continued into 2013 with far more dramatic outfits and her racy behaviour hits headlines consistently, despite Cyrus describing the development as simply her going through 'puberty'. 

Exploitation

Her new image, which later proves to reflect the theme of Bangerz, runs through the entirety of her marketing campaign:

Performing with outrageous, unique styles

Cyrus' infamous performance at the MTV's Video Music Awards (Aug 25, 2013)

Her attitude/dress code during interviews

Cyrus interviewed on Germany's popular tv show 'Wetten, dass...?' (Nov 9, 2013)

Her visual promotion (mostly involved front cover shots and interview packages)

Cyrus posing on the cover of Cosmopolitan (Mar 2013)

Cyrus posing on the cover of Elle (June 2013)

Cyrus posing on the cover of Rolling Stone (Sept 2013)

The theme for We Can't Stop and Wrecking Ball music videos

Cyrus on set of We Can't Stop (June 2013)

Cyrus on set of Wrecking Ball (Sept 2013)

The album artwork (provided a variety other than the main cover art to emphasise Cyrus' brand & link with singles and the music videos)

Official cover art portrays Cyrus' new good-girl-gone-bad role

Open stance and unique dress links to her new sexual image

Leather jacket, topless, slick back hair suggests an edgier tone

Crop tops and extravagant trousers links to her We Can't Stop music video

Nude image links to her Wrecking Ball music video

Roses and subtle gaze suggests a softer side to the album

Timing

Everything that has happened from the release of her singles to every detail of her performances, Cyrus had made sure to correctly time when to make her next move and this has clearly worked in her favour as she peaked at #1 in eight countries, and peaked in the top 5 in nineteen countries.

A brilliant example is the release of her second single Wrecking Ball on August 25, the very day of her infamous and highly controversial VMA's performance with Robin Thicke. This link built off the hype of her performance and skyrocketed single sales overnight. This then led on to immense success with the music video, garnering 19.3 million views within 24 hours and 100 million in six days; breaking both records of most views in 24 hours and fastest video to attain 100 million views. It helps that the video's content was made to bounce back off the VMA performance with Cyrus seen nude upon a massive ball. Additionally, the video was released around the time of Cyrus' split with her fiance and it is widely speculated that the song was written about him; this strongly aided the single's success and sales.

Social Networking

Prior to officially launching a campaign, Cyrus has a strong influence on her social media platforms and has kept them all branded and in sync with one another in relation to her star image and new album.

Before the release of her album, Cyrus had the listed following:

Facebook: 29 million likes

Twitter: 14 million followers (she had generated over 300,000 tweets per minutes due to her VMA performance)

Youtube: 2.7 million subscribers with 1.5 billion views (more views than the #1 movie of all time Avatar)

Instagram: 4 million followers

Cyrus keeps all of these platforms updated on a regular basis, keeping her audience informed on what she is doing and provides a place for her to communicate freely and openly with the target audience, which is very important for her success.

In response to a rumour but done with humour that is relevant to her image (currently has 25k retweets)

Countdown to the release date on her Instagram account

Change of Artist for Ancillary Research

The artist I used for my main piece hadn't done much promotion work for the album in which the song is from so I decided to research Miley Cyrus, whom had accomplished a grand amount due to her campaign and Ariana Grande, a vocally and musically similar artist to Christina Grimmie and had accomplished a better marketing campaign.

Music Video Draft

I have released the first draft for music video Christina Grimmie's With Love. I am very pleased for the overall finish and I am confident that it follows through with all the research and planning I have done up until this point. I will take into account any criticism I am given and will complete the finished product thereafter. Below is the music video, enjoy!

Release of Teaser Trailer

I have released the official teaser trailer for the first draft of my music video on YouTube that details the people involved, the name of the artist, the title of the song and its release date. Below is the uploaded video.

I thought that having a teaser trailer released in anticipation for the music video would set in stone a realistic build up to the music video's premiere, a tactic modern artist's use often and having that link with popular music helps boost the artist's popularity and reach her target audience.

Final Fonts Choices

I have finalised my decisions of the fonts I will use on the digipak and magazine ad designs:

Orator Std: I chose to use this to represent the artist's name across the board as it is a very simplistic and blunt font but the use of all capitals and the clarity of the font allows the audience to easily recall and relate it back to the artist's name, hopefully making it memorable. Additionally, it contrasts the album title's text very nicely and both together illustrate a 1990's tone that reflects the album and artist's style well.

Rage Italic: I wanted the album title to mean something, as it does to the artist, and the term 'With Love' is typically used to end a love letter or some other. This gave me the idea to make the title appear as a gift to the target audience, choosing a font that gave off an air of personality and sincerity in the products. So the use of this font worked nicely with the album's overall theme of love and portrayed a lovely tone of intimacy between the artist, the album and the consumer.

I am aware that neither of these fonts were original choices but, after further research and testing into the image design of the product, it was clear to me that it was far more beneficial for the products as it properly reflected the underlining meaning and inspiration of the album: the artist's basic but bold image alongside the deep lyrics within the songs that revolve solely around a personal love.

Initial Ideas for Magazine Advertisement

I have decided upon doing a magazine as part of the ancillary tasks to help promote the music video plus the artist and her album. I have done a substantial amount of research into the different kinds of magazine adverts created and how the artists use it to their advantage, which will be shown through the research phase.

I have chosen to focus upon placing the advertisement on the back of the magazine because, although it is at the back; the amount of space available is enough to get an effective, eye-catching ad that appeals to its target audience and I find that the consumer tends to look at the front and back of the magazine before sifting through the inside so it will be extra useful to merge these two together for successful promotion. I will continue to use the colour scheme but may add one or two colours to add more colour to the image (and keep it linked in with the digipak) although the main colours (blue and black) will be made clear throughout the products. Additionally, I will be using the front cover of the digipak to promote the artist's image and continue the flow of the artist's representation and album.

Initial Ideas for Digipak

I have decided upon doing a digipak as part of my ancillary tasks to help promote the music video I have made and I have done a substantial amount of research into the different kinds of digipaks used and how each artist uses it to their advantage, which will be shown throughout the research phase.

This is the template I will be using for my digipak:

I have chosen a 6 Panel design simply because I am able to do more creatively with it and truly bring out a strong, bold image for the artist. Additionally, this would be beneficial for the artist's genre as it would allow me to create a certain classic, elegant image that fits in alongside the genre's conventions. I plan on keeping to the colour scheme of blue and black but I may add one or two more colours to add more colour into the image as the chosen colours are already dark and the design will need some brighter colours involved to help make the artist stand out. Additionally, I will be planning a photo shoot with the artist to produce a good collection of photos for the design and to illustrate her clearly into the image itself. More will be written individually about this specifically.

The Script: Science and Faith (Analysis)

Front Cover

The image of two hands held in a strong hold is the first indicator of the CD's theme and takes up a substantial amount of space, done this way so that it is instantly noticed and grabs the consumer's immediate attention. The Script is an alternative rock band, not solely focused upon their image but on the quality of their music and how its perceived, so giving no face to the band's name conforms to the conventions of their group's genre. The main text illustrating the band's name and the title of the album is placed directly above the hands; each letter compact together 

Back Cover

Another image of hands is presented that link to the album's design but the touch is far more gentle than the front cover, and this contrast suggests a visual representation of the title 'Science and Faith' in which each image suggesting two separate ideas about faith; the front cover appears more stronger and together (Faith) whereas the back cover indicates a more compassionate tone to the album's aesthetics, having the immense detail on the bone structure of the hand shown emphasising this (Science). 

CD Design

There is a fire-like symbol that portrays a 3D shape that encircles the CD itself; arguably suggesting that its purpose is to create an enigma of the album and its contents, especially when relating it to the title 'Science and Faith' since each topic are, in their own rights, have a sense of mystery themselves. Additionally, this links back to the band's representation as, being an alternative rock band, they rely on an ambiguous image which encourages the audience to think about its concept and how it links in to the album's title.

CD Sleeve

This stands out from the rest particularly due to the band's faces being shown as part of the CD package. The photograph of the ambiguous band, being the first image the consumers see before the music and inside design, portrays a suggestive subversion of the alternative rock band conventions who appear develop their star image in relation to the album's theme. However, the faces of each band member aren't every clear with shadows streaking across vocalist, obscuring half of his face, whilst the other band members are kept further away from the camera's view and look away from the lens. Arguably, it successfully amps up the enigma of the band member's identity by providing the faces and image but obscuring and distancing them away from the target audience.

Katy Perry: Teenage Dream (Digipak Analysis)

Front Cover

The main text illustrating the artist's name and the album title is placed near enough the top and bottom of the cover, done this way so that the image of the artist is kept in a sandwich layout and, therefore, portrays her as the most significant icon within the design. This is a good style to use as its layout encourages the audience to look from top-to-bottom and ultimately provides a recurring theme for the album, the idea of Katy's "teenage dream" having nudity, candy floss clouds and sweet-related items. The font additionally emphasises this, having been made of a decorative sweet pattern such as candy canes and liquorice. After researching the album, it's made clear that this theme is a recurrence through her music video's such as California Gurls - the first single from the album.  The image of the artist provides a new alternative to the meaning of "teenage dream", the artist suggesting that a modern teenager's desires involve nudity, however, the use of the colour pink does connote sweetness and innocence to the title; encouraging the audience to take a further look within the digipak. The background of the cover is the artist seductively laying upon pink clouds - likely to be candy floss - which mostly focuses upon the artist's image and how she's portraying herself to her audience, being her first hit album and her breakthrough into the music industry as a worldwide artist. It's made clear that the album contains some suggestions of sexuality intertwined with the idea of a teenager's dreams of love, further indicating that she is using this theme to appeal to her young audience to help boost her career.

Back Cover
This continues to follow through with the sweet theme, although kept clear of the artist's image, as shown through the font used to name the track titles. The font is the bold colour red which allows to keep the consistency of the candy cane theme and helps the text stand out against the fluffy, pink clouds. Additionally, the text is stocky and has a sweet-related connotation that continuously connects with the overall theme. A small portion of the text is presented very differently against the red text in a bright blue (a similiar colour to the sky pictured in the top third of the design) and is positioned differently so it is eye-catching to the audience. Its importance is that is promotes the extra CD as part of the packaging that provides extra tracks for the audience, something that will appeal to them as consumers.

CD Design
The design is a continuation of the sweet theme, although is far more visually plain; kept as the designs of a doughnut and candy cane. However, the candy cane design is a clear repetition throughout the digipak's design so this makes it clear which is the main CD and which is the bonus CD. The design's do merge within the overall scheme of the digipak and continues to broaden a strong image of a "teenage dream" thoroughly.

Inside Design
Again, the sweet theme thrives as a main factor to the album's design although does involve the artist's image more; following Goodwin's Principles of keeping the artist's face in full view of the audience. In one image, there is a closer shot of the artist laying on her back on the pink candy floss cloud. She is still visibly naked and this emphasises the idea of sexuality playing a significant role alongside innocence and sweet things within her music; also portraying the artist's confidence with herself which will encourage consumers to further look at the digipak. Additionally, the leaflet left inside sees her wearing clothing but in a more princess-like manner which presents a contrast with the artist's vision for the album. Wearing a sweet tiara and pink puffed-up dress and surrounded by sweet things further presents the album's theme and suggests the artist wants to emphasise that she is portraying her version of a "teenage dream".

Rihanna: Loud (Digipak Analysis)

Front Cover

The main text revealing the artist's name and the title of the album is placed on the top and bottom in capitals, done specifically so the first thing the target audience see is the most important information needed for the design. This is formally known as the Z layout where the artist's name is presented above, the image is presented in the middle to put a name to a face and the title is presented below. This is a great style to use as its layout forces the audience to look at everything on the cover and follows Goodwin's Principles in keeping the artist's face in full view of the audience. The image works well with the title as it links in with this idea of a 'LOUD' image, the use of the colour red merged with the artist's style reflecting this and encourages the audience to look further into the digipak to find out more. The background for the album cover is the artist herself, linking in to Goodwin's Principles of the record label demands, that mostly focuses upon her bold hairstyle that was perceived as outrageous and eccentric when she adopted it. It's made clear that her hair has impacted a majority of her change in image as the colour red is being made a distinctive colour throughout the scheme of the artist's work and, therefore, emphasises the creative impact a slight change of image has made on her career.

CD Design
This is a little different from the front cover design where the artist is in focus; bold and fierce, whereas this design represents something completely opposite with softer pale colours although still following in with a theme of roses which signify gentility. This links in to the inside design in which holds the CD. The strength of the colours clash quite strongly, perhaps suggesting that Rihanna has following through with this image of gentility and love but on varying different levels: the dark red which she lays upon in a seductive manner has a sensual connotation whereas the lighter shade of the disc suggests innocent love. This portrays an amount of different suggestions to the target audience that illustrate how Rihanna is experimenting with her sound within this album.

Inside Design
This creates a better link between the front cover and the CD design seeing as the bold colours are still strong within the design but the way the artist is portrayed - caressed by the rose bush - is far more romanticised. Looking at the design on its own, it portrays a confliction on the artist's own accord as she is dressed in white (a symbol of purity and innocence) whilst she is passionately resting her hand on the roses; indicating there is a contrast between purity and sexuality in the album. This links in with the title of her album 'LOUD', visually portraying her distress between love/lust and the images are presented loud and clear to the audience.

Digipak and Magazine

Whilst I begin editing the music video, I will continue my work on here by beginning my research and planning for the digipak cover and magazine advertisement. Additionally, I will continue to use the same artist whose song inspired my music video as it is more convenient to do so.

For the digipak, I will be looking at analysing the artist's marketing campaign for her most recent release by sifting through the choice of colour, font, her image, etc. and what they suggest about her personality, her style of music within the genre and, ultimately, the brand that is created for her. For the magazine advertisement, I will be looking at analysing the conventions used to promote the artist and her album, its print make and how well it links back into the artist's brand.

Behind-The-Scenes Take 1 (2.0)!

Today, I began filming with my artist and everything managed to work out well this time! We managed to flm all of the shots I needed plus extras in about an hour-and-a-half so I'm hoping I won't have to re-film anything as that will be a hassle due to location availability. This was the performance scenes which I felt needed to be kept raw and basic so that the most focus would be upon the artist and her style and it would create a stronger and, most importantly, recognisable image for her target audience. I've uploaded a few pieces of footage to show how the time panned out:

Re-Arranging Filming Schedule

Again, I am unable to meet with the artist to film her scenes today as she mistakenly made plans with me when she had other commitments so we have arranged a date to film them on Friday 15th November in the school drama room. This is the last time I am able to record her scenes as I have to begin editing the footage and piece the shots together and, due to my lack of knowledge on editing, I want to give myself plenty of time to learn and edit the film myself before December 6th, the release date for the music video and, ultimately, the time where I begin my evaluation tasks.

Plans for Teaser Trailer

I have been debating on this for about a couple of weeks now as I wasn't sure how time consuming this was going to be, alongside editing the actual video and beginning the research and planning of the digipak. I have decided to give creating a teaser trailer a go seeing as it would be beneficial for my work and, hopefully, makes it look much more professional.

I'm going to keep it as simple as possible by adding in one/two clips from each narrative alongside an instrumental of the song, not giving away too much about the video and allowing me to create it in about 2-4 hours so I have time to edit the official clip.

Improvement #2 to Music Video

I have decided against having three different narratives (performance, main narrative and flashback) for the following reasons:

• I don't have enough time to film and edit all this footage
• I felt the music video will have too much narrative to keep up with
• the actors involved aren't readily available to film
• keeping it basic and raw may compliment and amplify the song and its lyrics further

I believe this is for the best for my music video and I will have more time to work on the artist and actor's scenes. I have changed the Cast and Crew List in accordance to this also.

Behind-The-Scenes Take 2!

Today, I began filming with the main actor! It went very well and we managed to complete filming in about 3 hours so I'm hoping that I won't need to re-film anything as that may be a hassle to re-create everything in the scene. This was the main narrative scenes which I consider to be rather significant in reflecting the lyrics of the song into something real and alive so I wanted to keep everything in the shots as realistic as humanly possible. I've uploaded a few pieces of footage to show how the day panned out below:

Behind-The-Scenes Take 1!

Today, I began filming with my artist! It didn't go as planned, however, as a couple of things didn't follow through.

To being with, I had been handed a brand new camera that most probably hadn't been used beforehand and, therefore, didn't have much battery life to start us off and left us charging it the majority of the time.

I then realised that my SD card wasn't compatible to the camera's fitting (Micro SD) so we had to go and find one that did which, at that time after school, wasn't too easy. However, we did and I managed to get one full shot of her throughout the whole song.

I don't regret this even if it was time considerably wasted doing other things as I am now able to overlook the piece of footage I did film and evaluate how well it went and if there was anything I could do to better the footage for next time.

We have rearranged another date to film, Monday 11th November at the same time, where I will have charged the camera and have the correct equipment with me.

Equipment Collected

I collected the necessary equipment needed to begin the production process today. Not much can be said on how everything will go but the equipment is brand new so I expect good quality and a great outcome for the project!

Cast and Crew!

Here is the list of the cast and crew for the music video:

Director: Aria Archer

Screenplay Writer: Aria Archer

Producer: Aria Archer

Editor: Aria Archer

Costume Design: Aria Archer

Visual Effects: Aria Archer

Camerawoman: Aria Archer

Artist: Basheba Baptiste

Main Actor: Chantal Neckles

Sub-Actor #1: Adela Davis

Sub-Actor #2: Daniela Stempinska

Props Ready!

The actors have their outfits chosen, the make-up is accounted for and the on set props are ready! I have just completed the final act of printing out images as the last important prop for the music video so all that needs doing now is the filming. I have high hopes for the video and my actors are motivated to getting it right too.

Costume Change

Although this is a minor change, it does affect the overall image of the artist and is important to document. There is a change to the shoes being used due to lack of funds and availability to the prop. I had originally wanted to dress the artist in black wedges as it made her overall image appear more elegant but I am unable to find a pair to use and I cannot afford to purchase a pair so I have decided to make an ultimatum for her image by having her elegance modernised slightly by merging casual and elegance to provide the artist with her own image. This works best overall as it allows me to reintroduce the Soul genre to the audience with a twist that the audience is familiar with. Below is the swap I made to fulfill the image and I will be including this change throughout the rest of my work i.e. CD and Magazine cover, so there will be consistency throughout the works.

Shot List

Here is a list of ideas I have for each particular camera shot I am considering using for different scenes. I have drafted this up alongside my storyboard here (<-- link to be embedded)  so I have a clear idea of how I want the music video to go.

Extreme Close-Up shot

Although I don't want to use too many extreme close-ups, I felt that it was necessary to involve them within the video as there will be slight indications of the actor's emotions through them i.e. tugging a sweatshirt over her hands signifies a need of emotional comfort. Additionally, it highlights every little thing going on within the scene and provides, yet again, this stripped down clip of something real and modern audiences find that more valuable now as it's a way for them to feel connected to the actor/artist in some way.

Close-Up shot

I plan on using a lot of close-ups in the music video as it involves a lot of focus on particularly strong emotions throughout the course of the song and is a clear signifier for the audience on the progression of the actor's feelings through the duration of the video. Also, with the actor's and/or artist's face so close to the camera almost forces the audience to look them in the eye and take them in completely.

Medium Close-Up shot

This will most likely be the most popular camera shot to use during the performance scenes as I want the artist (costume and all) to be seen clearly but I also want her face to be the main focus as she will mimic the lyrics. Additionally, having her outfit seen will once again make her style and colour scheme somewhat recognisable for the target audience. I want to be able to have a fair amount of the background to be seen as having the setting appear realistic (kind of like behind-the-scenes set up), then I believe it will emphasise an image of having everything stripped down to its bare.

Medium Long shot

This shot is very similar to the medium close up but only shows a slightly larger amount of background which will, again, be used during the performance scenes frequently for similar reasons. It will perhaps be used for the main narrative shots also as there will be times where the actor will become more active so a use of this shot will help to gain a better understanding of what she's doing and her surroundings.

Wide shot

This shot will only be used a couple of times to assert a setting/location and to single out the figure in view of the camera. It will be used with the performance shots when the song becomes much more upbeat and the artist will, in turn, start using her body language more and then in the flashback narrative so the audience will know what is occurring.

Over The Shoulder shot

This will only be used during the main narrative to give another perspective to watch the narrative from as I don't plan on repeatedly re-using the same shots. It also gives the audience insight into what she is possibly doing as she goes about the narrative flow. It gives the video a more personal tone too as having the camera placed behind them so closely makes the audience feel as though they are actually in the same room as the actor which would create an interesting perspective for them, especially since a connection between the artist and her fans are significant.

High Angle shot

This shot is significant for the main actor's scenes as, to being with, the actor will be seen in a rather depressive-like state and this shot is most likely used to portray a character whom is powerless so this seems like the best shot to use. I really want the audience to feel pity for the actor as she lies on the bed at her most vulnerable.

Deep shot

This will briefly be used in the flashback narrative as the camera doesn't have complete focus on one specific thing and will be used in a handheld fashion to recreate a memory of the actor and her loved ones.

Shooting Schedule

This is the official shooting schedule for the production of the video for the next few days.

Friday 8th November 2013:

collection of the borrowed equipment at 9:30am

filming of performance takes place with Basheba Baptiste

timings from 3:30pm to 5:00pm, with designated breaks

Saturday 9th November 2013:

filming of main narrative takes place with Chantal Neckles

timings from 10am to 4pm, with designated breaks

Monday 11th November 2013:

filming of flashback narrative takes place with Adela Davis and Daniela Stempinska

timings from 9am to 3pm, with designated breaks

return of the borrowed equipment at 3:30pm

This has been kept small, divided and simple in order to allow me time at a later date to refilm any bits, if necessary.

Improvement #1 to Music Video

I have decided upon having my video as a progression from black and white (symbolises sadness, weakness and all around bleakness of the actor's emotions) to colour (symbolises happiness, strength and a reflection of the actor's emotions) as I truly wanted to make the video appear as transitional as possible in order to keep true to the tone that the song takes. Additionally, it will allow me to keep the audience's interest as the video progresses, as they will take notice of how the song and the actor gain strength together.

Editing Ideas

Immediately after envisioning ideas for the video, I felt that editing was to be kept simplistic and to not overshadow the underlining meaning of the song or the importance of the lyrics and visuals reflecting each other. Although I haven't made any solid decisions yet, I am certain that special effects or animation won't play a part within the video simply because I believe it would not match the song very well and having a solemn tone assists in keeping the song in the spotlight.

Music Video Script

• song begins; the artist stands in the middle of the shot facing the camera
• close up shot of the actor, staring away from the camera in a mournful way
• artist begins to sing as actor is sat on bed and climbs to get off
• close up shot of artist singing, switch to actor knocking something over
• actor turns, bends down to pick it up and spots something odd (a parcel? letter?)
• cut to artist singing (medium long shot), switch to actor opening object to see photographs
• she stands, moves back to the bed and begins laying them out with a cut to artist looking down on the floor with a half-smile
• actor stands back once finished and camera pans over the photographs (extreme close up) between cuts of artist singing
• actor smiles, picks up a couple photos to reminisce and cut to flashback where sub-actors are smiling, laughing and joking about together (camera represents actor's vision)
• medium close up shot of artist singing with more movement; switch to actor smiling before placing photo down, bending down for object again and shakes it for anything she missed
• over-the-shoulder shot of actor's hand holding a note saying 'LOOK AT THE BOOKCASE' where she proceeds to go
• artist shot holding herself with face turned away from the camera, switch to actor reaching for the bookcase and spotting a bible with a necklace attached
• actor holds necklace before finding the page it's attached to and finds it to be her favourite part of the bible
• close up shot of artist singing more strongly, switch to actor who is reading the pages, smiling, and puts down the bible
• actor stands, holding the necklace and goes to put it on
• cut to artist who is singing, switch to actor looking back down at the bible, seeing something and bends down to retrieve it
• ovre-the-shoulder shot of actor's hand holding another note saying 'LOOK IN THE DRAWERS' where she proceeds to go
• artist shown singing with much more movement, switch to actor who sifts through the drawers and finds a notebook
• actor opens it to find it has notes from her family left for her, she smiles; cut to artist looking at camera with a smirk
• over-the-shoulder shot of actor who finds another note reading 'WHEN YOU NEED ME, CALL ME' to which she puts down the notebook
• cut to artist who is staring directly into the camera and sings softly
• when tempo rises again, cut to wide shot of the artist increasing her movement whilst singing, switch to actor who grabs her phone and texts her friend
• many cuts between the artist singing and the actor getting ready to go out and meet her friends occur (artist belting out the lyrics more soulfully whilst actor gets dressed, does her make-up, etc)
• panning shot (wide shot to close-up) of artist who finishes singing, switch to actor who leave her home (peering over her shoulder, smiling beforehand)

Media Equipment Booked!

I've booked the media equipment today including the camera, its battery and a tripod for filming on Sat 9th and Sun 10th November, all checked and agreed with the actors also. I hope to keep to this so that, if needed, I can go back and re-film any shots over the next couple of weeks afterwards. Additionally, it will give me enough time to edit the video in my own time. Below is the arrangements made for filming days with the actors.

21/10/2013 20:46

Aria Archer

hey guys! I'm hoping to start filming when we come back to school in early November so would you all be available to film on Sat 9th and perhaps Sun 10th too? if not, we may have to film during the school week and the latest I can do is Sat 16th and Sun 17th because I need to edit the video.

21/10/2013 21:09

Daniela Stempinska

I can help with everything at any time

22/10/2013 10:32

Chantal Carine Neckles

Sorry my fb hasn't been letting me reply properly, if you need me I can help out

22/10/2013 10:33

Aria Archer

great! are there any dates you guys would prefer? I was thinking Sat 9th and/or Sun 10th Nov would be best.

22/10/2013 11:24

Chantal Carine Neckles

So long as it's not Nov 15th than I'm good to go

22/10/2013 14:49

Basheba Baptiste

yep, those days are good. where and when are we meeting? x

22/10/2013 17:04

Daniela Stempinska

I'm good to go too xx

22/10/2013 17:32

Adela Davis

I can do it! is there anything I need to bring with me? xoxo

22/10/2013 18:11

Aria Archer

great! no, I don't think so. I guess I'd just say dress casually because that's all I really need to for your part of the music video (including you Daniela). I'll speak to Basheba and Chantal over the holidays in terms of dress because you're playing more significant figures. But other than that, I'll book out the equipment and we'll meet on Sat 9th Nov at 10am at Morrisons in Acton.