Music video pre production: Dolls/ puppets

The use of puppeteering a dead person in my music video means that I portray my aim of having an ambiguous music video in an arty alternative style as the combined happy mood of the music and the creepy fact that the puppet used to be his girlfriend before he killed her has a contrasting mood.
I have taken inspiration for this and the dolls from many sources;


Olly Murs - Busy



 This puppet scene from Chicago:


 I liked the look of this scene and the arm movements from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang:


I have decided that my puppet (female character)will be a floppy body just like a dead body but the male will puppet her by moving her arms and legs, whilst propping her body up against a tree/sofa.

Music Video Production: Storyboard

Storyboard subject to change in production. Used as a rough guide line combined with the storyboard idea sheet as a secondary storyboard.

Shot 1-3:

This is the opening sequence of my music video where is it immediately shown to the audience that the man character has strangled (with his hands) his wife/girlfriend as she has tried to leave him. The music video pans to a close up shot of a photograph of the couple which further implies their relationship. This photo is significant as it represents a happier time in their relationship - a place he wants to get back to. The lryics; "She may contain the urge to run away" - Goodwin's Theory as in the music video the female has tried to run away. Here shows the start to his control obsession.

Shot 4 - 5:

Shot snaps use to link lyrics and song together and to create pressure and focus on the main character. 

Different setting of woods to show contrast as this section of the song is where the character is reflecting on what he has done. Character and audience build up relationship as the artist is walking towards them with a point of view shot singing the lyrics. Different angles will be used to create variety and interest but also to add to the artiness and ambiguity of the song. Refer to storyboard ideas for "La la la la's". 

The sequence of each of the settings go back to the first setting of the bed room where our character is sitting next to his dead girlfriend. The use of going back to this setting marries all the story lines together, adds a arty alternative feel to the storyboard and reinforces the idea that the main character was just reflecting about this time in the woods.

Shot 7 - 9:

Here the theme of obsessive control is shown as the main character finds out that he can physically control her if he keeps her as a doll and therefore begins the transformation into making her pristine and mannequin like. This is the first significant introduction of the female character to the audience.

Shot 10 - 12:

In this sequence (held in the bedroom) the main character tries to position his 'doll' into a pose to recreate the photo from the beginning. This is significant because it shows the he is trying to recreate the happy moment in his life when he felt he had the most control over his girlfriend, However this control before was in the form of love and stability in his life whereas now this control has become physical.

Shot 13 - 18:
This sequence is the first date sequence where the couple go for a romantic picnic on a hill. This is the second time when we see the male showing physical control over his girlfriend as he tied ribbons to her wrists, holds her body up with his body and puppeteers his girlfriend to show the amount of control he has.
The use of the hill side setting as a stereotypical date location means that it is obvious to the audience that the couple are on a date.
Shot 18 is a flashback to when the male killed his girlfriend. As explained previously (post: Ideas I would like to include in my music video) The use of cutting different moods and sections of my music video on the "la la la la's" means that I will be able to achieve my aim of making an ambiguous music video that shocks the audience and changes moods and settings frequenctly.

Shot 19 - 21:
In this section of the song I have chosen to take the opportunity to use some editing skills in order to create effects that are conventional to those in other alternative songs, therefore making my music video similar to real alternative music videos. I will use slow motion on the slower parts of this song to connect the audio to the visuals as well as the use of zooming that will allow me to zoom in to the eye and the end of shot 21 and then zoom out to shot 22. The use of lip syncing in shot 21 strengthens the connection between the visuals and audio whilst building on the relationship between the characters' and the audience.

Shot 22 - 23:
This is where I have used Goodwin's theory to make my music video look more realistic. I also felt that this had an element of sensitivity as in this sequence the couple are together doing the same thing.

Shot 24 - 25:
In the ending section of this song I have chosen to use my editing skills again as I have decided to have the end of my song in slow motion and backwards so the couple end the music video happy and loved up as a couple how they are in the picture at the beginning of the music video. 

Music Video production: Permissions

In order to use the song Breeze blocks I needed to contact the record company who represent Alt - J.

The record company didn't have a email address so I had to Facebook the company.
This is my message below:

[Vanessa Gutowski - Smith

Hello, My names is Vanessa Gutowski - Smith and i am an A Level media student. Our task for our next unit of work is to make a music video and after searching for the right song for ages I fell in love with the song Breezeblocks by Alt - J of which I understand you represent. With your permission i would like to use this track in my music video. Thankyou very much in advance and I look forward to hearing from you soon. Vanessa Gutowski - Smith                                       1st October 2013 16:53]

Music Video Deconstructions: Tunng - bullets

Music Video Deconstructions: Tunng - bullets (Alternative folk)

With alternative music videos I have found that like the bands/ artists they are either artistic or experimental in terms of being unique and creating unique sounds.

This music video bullets by Tunng is quite artistic and individual as the music isn't conventional of other alternative music videos L have seen as Bullets doesn't have a story line or much explanation as to what is going on or how each object is related.

In terms of camera angles - this music video has a combinations of extreme close ups and close ups when focusing of the artists faces or on objects. The use of long shots and mid shots have been used to show the whole shot of the world and in add difference to the shot list.

This music video has given me some inspiration to my music video as I will experiment with using different colour schemes for the sections that I have in mind for flashbacks the use of sepia or a clouded look for effect.

From looking at music videos from the alternative genre I have found that every music video and its style is different and almost anything goes in terms of the creation of arty alternative music videos.

Music video production: Prop list and mise-en-scene notes

Here is a list of all the props I will need in order for the production of my music video to go smoothly:

Sitting room scene 1:
Coffee table, coaster and picture of couple at Christmas (Christmas decorations)
Standing lamp
Ring

Bedroom sequence 1: (Death)
(Bedroom set up)
Bedside table with lamp alarm clock and photo frame. (Picture of couple at a birthday party) (Birthday items)
Clothes
Holdall bag
Two pillows
Cushions with feathers

Bedroom sequence two (Dead female): (BRUISE NEEDS TO HAPPEN IN THIS SECTION)
Ring
Mirror and dressing table items
Mirror pictures (photo booth)
Clothes
(Plus all of above)

Sitting room 2 (Photo sequence)
Lip brush
Lip stick
Blusher brush
Blusher
(+ all of first sequence sitting room props)
Camera + Tripod
Pitcures (and props for the pictures) of the couple for around the mirror.

Music video distribution: Video streaming

I think that my music video would be streamed on independent non-mainstream blogs such as these below in order to create publicity amongst the rock/alternative/indie industry and crowd;

RockSound.TV

http://www.rocksound.tv/videos

Much music


http://www.muchmusic.com/music/playlist/pid/15762/alternative

ROXWEL


http://www.roxwel.com/






I feel that my music video may be shared on sites such as You Tube as another form of sharing alternative songs between the alternative community as You Tube is a sharing site for everyone.

The alternative industry and music videos:
I have found when researching alternative music videos that due to the lack of funding for the industry (pop being the genre with the most funding, publicity and popularity) and the fact that the focus is on the artists singing talent as oppose to being a celebrity and having fans like you for public image means that not every artist or band have a music video for everyone of their songs. if they do then they are usually artistic or have sub meanings.

Music video genre deconstructions

This is my initial convention deconstructions for music videos.

Pre production: Lyrics Annotation (Breezeblocks Alt-J)

This is the first process of creating my storyboards that will help in the production of my music video. The use of annotating the lyrics of the song means that I can get an idea of what the song is about and therefore create my music video according to the messages/ mood of the song. Amongst these lyrics i found that the main message of the song is about a character who has excessive love and obsessive over his girlfriend/wife. He kills her when she says that she wants to leave in order to maintain this level of control.                  

Music video pre production: Ideas I would like to include in my music video

Ideas I would like to include in my music video:
The camera angles that i would like to use are:
Close ups and extreme close ups to show expressions so that my audience can sympathise and feel a bigger connection to the characters in my music videos.
Mid shots, two shots and wide angles long shots to show where the piece is set so that the story can be developed.
I also have access to a tree house for my woodland settings which means that I can show birds eye high up angles that will look down on my artist creating more interest and more vary in terms of my camera angles. 
I also would like to include match on shape where two shapes are edited together in a sequence. An example of this is in psycho where the camera shots go from a close up shot of the blood draining away down the circular sink hole in the iconic shower scene to a close up of her eye (which is circular too).

Structure:
Inspired by the structure of Imagine Dragons music video for their song demons, i have also chosen to use a structure pattern within my music video.
In order to keep with the dark twisted nature of the song and the music genre i have chosen to cut up my music video in a way that means that each section of shots change between different location and moods within the song in order to make the piece more interesting and shock the audience in certain sections of the song.
("Break down let's sleep build up breakfast now
  Let's eat my love my love love love, la la la la
  She bruises coughs.....")

This section will be showing the couple happy together. showing love, them on a date being happy.
Then it cuts to this section that flashes back over 2 seconds to show him killing her.