Research into music campaigns websites 

I decided to do my research on websites using the same artists that I used for album cover research to make the study more in depth. 

Flume

The home page of Flume's website is a bit contrasting with the style that he used on the album covers. The design is quite light, everything is in similar colour scheme. The website is pretty straight forward - at the homepage it has the most important information about the concerts, recent album and shop. Flume used a moving image at the background, which I think sets a good feelings, it's calming - it encourages the audiences to take time and look at it. 

I enjoy the design that Flume is using in their website. It is simple, easy to direct and pleasurable for the eye. We would like our website to follow that theme, however we would like to use more disturbing picture as a background, which catches the attention of the audiences and makes the website more dynamic and intriguing. 

Moby 

This is the home page of Moby's website. By using this type of design, which is really simple, Moby is trying to convey that he is an organic artist. The website is neat and clear to follow. There is no information that is unnecessary. It contains whatever is needed to get to know the artist. 

Also I think the website design fits the style of his albums, which helps the audiences to understand the type of artist he is. 

I like Moby's layout of the website however, I would like to have more design and some sort of fine art in the website of my artist. I think Moby's website is a bit to plain. 

A - Trak 

A-Trak has quite interesting design of his website. The first site that comes up is a 'menu' for his official site, to his music or to his shop. His official site is has a moving covers of his albums in the background however it also has a re-direct menu to the tour, newsletter and merch.
His website is much more complex than Flume's or Moby's. It contains repeated information and a lot of re - links. I like that fact that its is kept in one colour scheme in comparison to his album covers and that the design is quite modern and futuristic in some way, which is a possible pathway for our music campaign.

The Lumineers 

The Lumineers has a similar layout of their website to A - Trak. The first site is the advertisement of their recent song and its video however in the right corner is a button that re - directs you to the actual homepage. In comparison to their album covers the website has a lot of information in it - moving background, recent news and videos. There is a lot of things happening in the same place however they also have a 'menu' for the tour, fun club and music. They do not have a general theme that runs through the whole website, which I do not like - I think there are to many patterns and designs that they are using, it is easy to get confused in the layout of the information. 

While thinking about our website, we established that we want to avoid unnecessary information and multiple themes - we are aiming for something completely different that The Lumineers website.   

Research into digipacks 

We started thinking about music campaign (CD digipack and website) for our artist. At the beginning we brainstormed different concepts that we want to include in our digipack. However I did some research on music campaigns of other artists from the same genre of music, which is electronic/ house. 

Flume 

The first artist that came to my mind was Flume, personally I really like the appearance of album covers and website. 

The simple design fits the concept that we would like to follow. 

The artist that we are using is organic therefore we want to keep everything in similar colour scheme and have a image or a pattern as a background. 

Flume's music campaign is a style that we would aim for. The album covers are quite alternative, creative and original. There is a lot of digital editing included. What we were discussing in a group was the fact that we would like to have a mix of our work and Photoshop so we don't rely on Photoshop fully, since we want to imply that our artist is organic. 

There is not much writing on Flume's album covers, which I think works quite well because it does not drag the attention away from the rest of the appearance however it contains the most important information. 

Moby 

The next artist that I looked at was Moby. I did a lot of research on his work, since one of my music video ideas was for his song. I picked this artist since his album covers are very simple but intriguing. Most of his albums have a photograph in the front. They don't have contrasting colours and there is not much action captured, which again I think works pretty well since it makes the viewer interested in this album, that he/she wants to find out more. As well as Flume's design, Moby doesn't use a lot of text or any flashy fonts - there is only the name of the artist and album. This kind of design shows that the artist is organic and put more emphasis on his work rather than the visual aspects. Personally I think even though there is not much aspects they are still working really well - they are dragging my attention with their simplicity.

A-Trak 

A - Trak is the next artist from the same genre that I found sometime ago. His designs of album covers are a bit more dynamic and complex in comparison to Flume and Moby. However, what I liked in his album covers is some kind of dissolve concept, which adds confusion and distortion to the design. As well as two other artists that I researched, A - Trak only has the name of the artist and the name of the album on the cover however he is using much more vivid and bigger font, which really grabs attentions viewers attention. 

The Lumineers 

As a last source I choose the band from indie genre. They are one of my favourite bands. They only released two albums by now. The first album contains a photograph, which looks like an old picture with some filters on. I think the picture intrigues audiences and make them question the meaning of the photograph, which I think is a nice technique of using photographs in the album design since they are not revealing a lot. Besides the picture on a black background there is white simple font introducing the artist, which is also the name of the album. This album cover implies that the band is quite organic and quite simple. The next album cover is a bit different since the picture is on a full cover and it is black & white. Additionally it is linked to the name of the album. However it is using similar font. 

Editing the clips 

Razor Tool 

The most frequent tools that we use is razor, which enables us to cut the shot in whichever place we want. We are not using whole clips of our footage in our music video we only use part of different shots that we especially like. The razor tool let us cut the footage in different places so we can use one piece in one part of the video and the other piece elsewhere. 

Arrangement of the clips 

At the beginning stage, in which we are right now, we have decided to cut the performance shots first and stick with majority of close - ups, to show the appearance of our main character - the hanging man. The close - ups are intertwining with wide shots, which are establishing the location. 

The arrangement of the shots that we have right now is not consistent with our storyboard, which we created in the pre - production stage. 

Lip sync 

During shooting the main character was lip syncing to the song and later on in editting process the first thing that we did was to match his lip sync with the actual music track. It was an easy task since we used playback, which helped us to sync the right second from the footage to the audio on the timeline. The main convention of a music video is that there is an artist/s singing, therefore it is really important to correctly match the shots with the soundtrack so it seems like the hanging man is the artist of the song.

Pick - up Day!

We were told today that tomorrow we have a chance to record DJ shots that we did not have time to shot on last Thursday. 

Tomorrow we are meeting at 8.30 in the studio and we have time till 11.00. We decided to change our DJ. It was supposed to be George from AS. Our first idea was Heath, however he can not do it since he was ill for past few days and need to catch up with work - we ended up working with Josh who is another AS student. He is more reliable person since he is creating his own music and is experienced with DJ decks. 

Beginning to Edit! 

Reviewing 

Yesterday, together with Teddy and Angelina we went to editting suite to have a look at our footage and start sorting out the shots and labels.  At first we watched through our shots and start naming them with the type of the shot and actor that was in it. This helped us later on, during the process when we need a particular shot for a cut we do not need look through all the shots we go straight to the names. 

Generally we all liked the shots that we got. There are no shots that were a failure however throughout the editting process we saw few fragment in various cuts that we did not like, however we decided to leave them throughout the whole process of editting because we might use some parts of them at some point.  

Most of the shots, however are amazing and really well played by the actors, which we happy about. They look realistic and creepy, what were aiming for. 

Secondly Teddy started matching up the shots with the audio on the Premier Pro timeline, so the lip sync matches the audio. Teddy did first few shots to show me how to do it and then we split this job between is two.  Teddy told me that we need to match the sound board on our footage with the one on the actual audio so the movement in our shots is simultaneous to the correct audio. When I matched the soundboard I needed to mark the matched point on the clip and drag it on the timeline with the actual audio. 

The music track was the first thing that we placed into the timeline. We dragged our footage from the library to the timeline, which helped us with quick cuts of the shots, it was easier to cut the footage to rhythm on the timeline where we also had access to the audio track and we saw when the words finish or when there is another beat coming. Therefore our video will be fact cut along the rhythmic song. 

In the picture above I captured our timeline. The blue strips are the shots that we have. The names of the shots are visible. The labels helped us in a quick selection of shots. 

Conventions 

Throughout the editting process we are aiming to create a clip that has a scary and creepy atmosphere. We want to create the feeling of craziness through this music video. To achieve that we are using a lot of close - ups on the main character - the hanging man to show his facial expression and dynamic singing. Additionally we use medium shots to introduce the audience to the padded cell setting. 

Editing! 

What is editing? 

Digital editting is a part of post - production process of digital video making. It is all the footage shot during production stage being stored in one software so the editor can select different shots to create a finished video piece. It is possible to add any sort of filters, titles and effects. 

After our shoot on Thursday we had all the footage uploaded in the editting suite ready to create a finished music video piece. We all decided on the type of editting that we want to use and what effect do we want to achieve. Since it is a fast pace song we discussed to have fast cuts throughout the whole video so the cuts match the rhythm. 

What technology will I be using?

We are going to work on Adobe Premiere Pro. Adobe Premiere Pro is a timeline - based video editting software.

  

Shoot day! 

    Together with Teddy and Angelina we met up in the canteen with Laura Smith (who was doing the make - up for all of our actors) and Harvey to prepare him for the shoot. He had dark rings under his eyes and was pale, his hair was gelled so they are the same every time we hang him upside down. Subsequently we gave him his costume, which consisted of white stained with fake blood pants and straight jacket. Whenever he was prepared and ready to shoot we went to the studio. The set was already prepared. There were two padded walls and a padded floor. In the middle there was a rope hanging from where Harvey was attached and could freely hang. 

    It took Joe few minutes to prepare Harvey. The day before we measured that Harvey can be hang for approximately three minutes at once and then he needs to have few minutes of brake at the mattress. It was decided at the end that everything (lighting, set, camera) needs to be set before we hang Harvey so we have more time to shoot whenever he is up. 

    Personally I was really happy with the appearance of the set and shots. It was the best set when it comes to preparation. Everyone from our group knew what we wanted when it comes to the shots and Harvey's performance. I think it was due to the fact that it was the key concept in our video and therefore we worked on it the most. 

From the beginning the roles on the set were divided - I was a director of the shots and I was next to Harvey all the time to help to bring him carefully down and whenever he felt wrong or he needed something I made sure to give it to him or check his costume. Also I decided about Harvey's performance, I communicated what we want and how we visualise the whole shot. Whenever he was asking questions regarding his acting or what he should do I answered them. The questions were mainly about the lip sync and the facial expressions. Teddy was engaged in the director's part as well, we communicated a lot during the shot to make any last minute decisions about the shots or performances. When it comes to the scene with Mike and Fran - it did not work as we thought and planned. This scene was not so organized in comparison to padded cell one. I had issues with explaining them what to do exactly - where to look, when to laugh etc. Mike made few suggestions throughout the shoot. 

Teddy was mainly the cameraman - he shot some shots in the padded cell as well as in the interrogation room. He knew what to do and what we are aiming for in every shot. However at the end there was an issue with camera or it was a case of Teddy missing the button on the camera - we are not quite sure yet but it distorted our shoot. 

Angelina from the beginning was doing playback, she was taking care of the song playing in the right moment.  

To be continued... 

Last Preparations 

The evening prior the shoot, together with Teddy we went to see the risk assessment for Harvey. Professional guy (Joe) came to set the hanging equipment for Harvey and we tried hanging him to see if he is feeling comfortable, we discussed what he should wear underneath his costume additionally Joe explained everyone how the ropes work and how he is going to support Harvey throughout the shoot. Harvey was confident and ready for the next day to shoot.
Afterwards we decided to put up the first set (padded cell)the same evening to have a bit more time the next day.
After the risk assessment I went to Elizabeth from the costume department to tell her what we need for Thursday so she could prepare everything and give us the next day.

Risk Assessment

Today in the evening we are doing risk assessment with Harvey to test the hanging part and make sure if Harvey is feeling confident and safe, while hanging upside down. If something is wrong we can fix it today so it is all ready for tomorrow! 

Finalised schedule for tomorrow's shoot! 

Who is the Hanging Man???

Luke got back to us that we are going to be able to do the hanging man concept, however there was a difficulty with finding someone professional from outside the school to come and take part in our music video. We therefore needed to find someone from the school who is willing to be hang upside down and lip sync to our music video. 

At first Callum Henderson said that he would be more than happy to help us with this and be the hanging man, however the decision was not up to him his theatre teacher said there is to much going on with the musical production so therefore Callum could not take part in it. 

At last Harvey Wright got back to us that he is able to do the hanging man part. 

Shot list 

Here is a presentation with all the pictures of the shot list that I have created.

Schedule on the shoot day 

Here is a finished schedule for the day of our music video shoot! 

Complete Props List 

Here is a complete Props List depending on the sets:

Roles during the Shoot

There are five main jobs that are needed to be taken care of while shooting. There is a director, camera operator, art director, producer, sound playback and lighting desk. There is only three of us in the group but we will switch the jobs and share the responsibility of the rest ones. 

Director 

A film director is a person who directs the making of a film - in our case it is a music video! It is the main person on the set that makes sure that the shoot is run fast and smooth by guiding the technical crew and actors. The director has a vision of how the shots and framing should look like and therefore directs everyone to achieve this vision. 

I think every person in our group would feel safe to take the role of the director. Since September we all have been brain storming and discussing the concept of our music video. 

Throughout these few months of polishing our idea I think as well as me, Teddy and Angelina are pretty sure and confident with how the shots should look like or whats the general vision of the video. 

However, looking at three sets that we have I assume that each of us is going to direct one of the sets. Personally I would feel most confident in directing one of the scenes in the padded room - the one with the DJ or Hanging man. 

Camera Operator 

Camera operator also called Cameraman is responsible for operating the camera and recording the footage. The job is to apply the director's vision when it comes to the shots, framing and angles. He or she need to follow the orders from the director and be take care of the visual aspect of the clip - if the shots and composition are correct, but also cooperate with director of photography and the rest of the crew to communicate any errors or to discuss the shot. 

Personally I am not fully confident when it comes to that job. Operating the camera is not an easy thing for me to do. I think that I do not have enough experience to feel fluent in shooting the clip.

The Art Director 

Art Director is focused on the full appearance of the shots. He/she is making decisions about the visual elements used in the shots. The art director is taking care of the continuity in shots that everything matches together and there is a good flow. The art director is focused on the movement/placement of different props and objects and makes sure that everything goes to its primary positions so later on - during the editing process it is easier to make the shots come together so the fluency is correct. 

On the day of shoot I would feel confident in that job, I am able to pay attention to details and I would like to take care of the visual aspects in our music video since I have some experience with this kind of job since I do photography and this is one of the main aspects in my projects, which concentrates on fashion and beauty. 

Producer 

The producer has an important role that focuses on the production of the whole movie. The producer is responsible for arranging everything from managing the budget, looking for crew, sorting out the equipment, making a general schedule for the shooting, working on the set designs and scripts. 

 

Playing a role of producer is not for such a big scale in our music video production. I think in our case the job is really similar to the role of the director, therefore each of the group members could do the job. Everyone is well prepared when it comes to the flow of the shoot and what we are supposed to do. In my opinion we should switch the job so at different scene someone else is making sure that everything goes smooth, that there is a general concentration and 'peace' on the set and that everyone from the crew knows what to do and where to be. 

I would feel confident in the role of the producer, since I enjoy making sure that everything is working and organise a lot of aspects on set. I have some experience with that kind of job, since multiple times I was chosen as a producer for my filmmaking process in MET film school. 

Sound Playback and Lighting Desk 

People responsible for light and sound are making sure that the lighting is right with the requirements, it is also taking care of the general appearance of the shot. Sound crew is responsible for the quality of the sound, in our case the sound is one of the most important aspects, since we rely on a good lip sync and the sound in general. 

I would like to be responsible for the lighting in the padded room while we are shooting the DJ, because we decided on strobe and colorful lights and I think it would be a good new experience since it also will add more artists and visual aspect to the video, which I am interested in.