Character Profiles

My female solo artist will be played by Alice Ridpath
Age: 18
Interests: Fashion, reading Vogue and Socialising
Studies: Biology, Psychology and History at Wyke 6th Form College

Cast - Release Form

Narrative Theory

Narrative theory sets out to show that what we experience when we ‘read’ a story is to understand a particular set of constructions, or conventions, and that it is important to be aware of how these constructions are put together.

The narrative of something is the structure of the story and Tim O’Sullivan (1998) argues that all media texts tell us some kind of story. Such media texts as a music video through careful mediation, offer a way of telling stories about ourselves – not usually our own personal stories, but the story of us as a culture or set of cultures. 

Andrew Goodwin (1992) argues that in music video, 

“narrative relations are highly complex” and meaning can 

be created from the individual audio-viewer’s musical 

personal musical taste to sophisticated intertextuality that 

uses multidiscursive phenomena of Western culture. 

Many are dominated by advertising references, film 

pastiche and reinforce the postmodern ‘re-use’ tradition. 

According to these theories of narrative my music video, which I create, will portray my own ideology of what the song and its lyrics represent. Whatever I choose to create and include in my video will also determine to audience which it will appeal to i.e. people who hold similar ideas and beliefs of my own.


Another theorist Sven Carlsson (1999) suggests that music videos in general, videos fall into two rough groups: performance clips and conceptual clips. When a music video mostly shows an artist (or artists) singing or dancing, it is a performance clip. When the clip shows something else during its duration, often with artistic ambitions, it is a conceptual clip. My music video falls into the category of performance because it contains mostly filmed performance. A performance clip is a video that shows the vocalist(s) in one or more settings. Such as common places to perform i.e. the recording studio. But the performance can take place anywhere, my other locations include a bedroom, park, a garden and a pier.


According to this theory the performance can be of three types:

• song performance
• dance performance
• instrumental performance

Almost every music video includes song performance and some videos combine song and dance performances. My music video will contain elements of both song and instrumental performance.


Kate Domaille (2001) suggests that every story ever told can be fitted into one of eight narrative types. Each of these narrative types has a source, an original story upon which the others are based. My music video fits with the narrative story of Romeo & Juliet, which is a love story like Titanic. Through a reflection of the lyrics my music video tells the story of someone who falls deeply in love with someone, but they are now with someone else. They start to question what was wrong with loving someone that much and they took advantage of that love and attention, but then denied their affections which obviously confused them and sent them to the brink as they couldn't deal with it.


The Russian theorist Vladimir Propp (1928) concluded that all characters can be resolved into just 7 broad character types in the many Russian folk tales, which he analysed.  My lead singer will play the part of the hero/victim/seeker hero who stereotypically weds the princess.

The narrative within my music video must contain versimilitude. This is the quality of something appearing to be real or true to the viewer. For a story to engage an audience it must follow the rules of continuity, temporal and spacial coherence in order for it to appear real as we watch it. The fictional space and time implied by the narrative i.e. the world in which the story takes place is known as the diegesis.

Genre Theory

Genre as Daniel Chandler (2001) argues comes from the French (and originally Latin) word for 'kind' or 'class'. For example the type of music a song belongs to according to the codes and conventions of the song. For example within folk music there are acoustic instruments and typically the lyrics relate to politics or social issues. Such as Woody Guthrie's song "This Land Is Your Land," which comments on Irving Berlin's song "God Bless America." Guthrie considered "God Bless America" to be unrealistic and his song is a response to it. So stereotypically folk music could potentially be quite outspoken and controversial as it explores the concerns of the artist's homeland.

Genre also refers to the kind of music video which represents a specific song. I have chosen to make a music video for the song "White Blank Page" originally sung by Mumford & Sons, but my video will feature a cover of the song by Taylor Swift. This song belongs to the genre of folk, but I would also suggest that it crosses over to rock and indie genres as well. All genres have sub genres (genre within a genre) and this shows through Mumford & Sons' music. Sub-genres mean that a certain genre i.e. folk is divided up into more specific categories that allow audiences to identify them specifically by their familiar and what become recognisable characteristics (Barry Keith Grant,1995) For example Mumford & Sons' music and music videos feature acoustic instruments such as guitar and violin. The videos feature close-ups of these instruments and of the band members to make something that could be quite simple, more interesting.


However, Steve Neale (1995) stresses that “genres are not ‘systems’ they are processes of systematization” – i.e. They are dynamic and evolve over time. This shows in the genre of folk as the term would suggest folk music often relates to a nation or a culture. Such as American follm singer Pete Seeger, who sang about America and left-wing politics which he strongly supported. In the 50s and 60s when he was at his peak, folk music appealed to a niche audience and was a rather acquired taste. But over time the genre of folk has evolved, but still features similar elements such as acoustic instruments and the lyrics telling a story. It is vocal music, where the singing whether it is accompanied by music or not is the main focus.

Folk music has recently undergone a revival recently with the help of bands such as Bellowhead and later Mumford & Sons. People want to listen to music that is real and has some significance such as lyrics that discuss politics and social issues. But taking Mumford & Sons for instance, their music isn't political it deals with more romantic themes, yet also contains the conventional acoustic instruments.

Mise-En-Scene

Location:

When I drew up my storyboard I decided that my music video will be in the form of performance, and that there will be many different settings in which the solo artist will feature. These will include:

• Recording Studio
• Bedroom
• Park
• Old Town
• Marina / The Pier
• My Garden

The above shots were taken close to Hull New Theatre in the City Centre. There is a small park across the road, which is usually fairly quiet and has some benches and old style lamp posts. It is located in Kingston Square, which resembles and old Georgian square with a communal garden in the middle. I think this location creates a park setting for part of my performance. I think it holds a resemblance to the lyrics because they refer to a past relationship and I think a park is a place where they probably went together as a romantic setting. 

This photo was taken in Queen's Gardens, I also thought that a like the park this location would be nice as a place they used to go as a couple and the singer is subconsciously remembering that by going to these places.

This gazebo is also located in Queen's Gardens, which I thought would be a nice setting for the to be whilst she remembers her relationship and the time they spent together. I thought it could also be good for the singer to play her guitar here.

This photo was taken in the city centre near to the Old Town, I like this street because it is also like an old Georgian street and has old fashioned lamp posts.

This shot was taken in the Old Town and I like this location, because it is completely pedestrianised. There are also some lights in the trees and old fashioned lamp posts on the street.

This image was taken near to Holy Trinity Church in the Old Town, I quite like this location, because of the fairy lights in the trees and the cobbled streets to me create a nice country/folk vibe.

This like this image taken inside the indoor market in the city centre for the same reasons as the picture of the square, because I think this location is ideal for the backdrop .

The above image was taken close to the Marina, near the Deep. I thought this would be a good setting for the backdrop of the narrative between my male and female characters.

This image was taken near to the Deep at the Marina, for a location of the performance - as they could walk across the bridge as a romantic scene for a couple.

The above images were taken at the Pier, near to the Marina, I thought it would be an ideal location for the narrative, because of the outdoor lights and because the setting is a pier which could create a romantic scene.

The above photo was taken at the Pier, I like the wooden panels, the old-style lamp posts and the effect that they create. Therefore I think this would be an ideal location for the narrative, because it create a romantic setting.

Costume:

• Female Character

This is the costume that I have chosen for the scenes that will be shot in the park setting. I wanted the costume to consist of simple and mainly neutral colours. I didn't want anything too fussy so that the audience's attention wasn't drawn to the clothing. I like this as an outfit for outside e.g the park or the pier.

I chose these two dresses because they are simple, but very pretty and feminine and again fairly neutral colours. I wanted to draw attention to her as a female artist in order to appeal to the target audience. These two outfits will work well for the filming inside e.g. bedroom or the recording studio.

I chose this outfit as another one that can be worn outside, again this outfit doesn't have any loud colours or eye-catching patterns to take away the audience's attention from the actual video. I added the fur collar to the outfit to convey to the audience that the video is set in winter, it also adds some glamour to the actress' character.

I picked this outfit as something for the inside scenes, it's not my favourite combination - but I wanted to give my self some selection and different options to choose from.

I chose this outfit for the outside scenes and added the fur hat for a touch of glamour, but the denim waistcoat keeps it modern - thus appealing to the target audience.

I like this dress because it very feminine and the pattern is looks rather vintage, although the colours aren't neutral I thought it would be a good outfit for the scenes in the recording studio.

Props:

• Sparklers - I had originally wanted to film some scenes with sparklers - that draw out the outline of a heart to represent love.
• Fairy Lights - I had originally thought that I would be filming a band outside and I wanted to use fairy lights to brighten the image and to give it a country feel.
• Fireworks - Originally I chose a different song and was going to have a band playing with a crowd. And the song was quite slow at first then got fast-paced towards the end so I wanted it to be like a party /  celebration and I would have set off fireworks at the end.

Production Plan

• Shoot:
• Location Shots: Mon 26th November 2012
• Costume Shots: Sat 8th December 2012
• Start Filming: 
• Fri 21st - Pick up the camera for filming over the Christmas Holidays.
• Sat 29th - filming inside 
• Mon 31st - filming outside
• Start Editing: W/C Mon 28th January 2013
• Mon 28th January
• Tues 29th January
• Additional Filming:
• Mon 4th February - Pick up camera for filming in New York
• Tues 5th February - Filming in New York
• Wed 6th February -  Filming in New York
• Sat 9th February -  Filming in New York
• Editing: W/C Mon 18th February 2013
• Mon 18th February - Editing Footage from New York
• Tues 19th February - Editing Footage from New York
• Mon 25th February - Editing Footage from New York
• Mon 4th March - Editing Footage from New York
• Editing W/C Monday 18th March
• Mon 18th March - Editing
• Tues 19th March - Editing
• Wed 20th March - Editing
• Thurs 21st March - Editing
• Fri 22nd March - Editing
• Submit First Draft: Mon 18th March 2013
• Submit Second Draft: Fri 22nd March 2013
• Submit Final Draft: Fri 19th April 2013

Test Shots

The three images above are stills taken from the filming that I have done inside. I think because it is so dark that it doesn't work very well. I want my scenes to be well lit as it looks more professional. But I do like the close-up shot at the bottom, which highlights the artist and her facial expression.

The four images above are stills from some more filming that I did this time outside. This filming  was done at the pier in Hull, but on the day there was very bad weather as it was raining and very windy - but we carried on filming regardless. It was quite disheartening to go out and find that there was bad weather - as we had been planning this for a while and was the only day both I and my actress had free.

Examples of Shots

These images below are example of shots within existing music videos. I have already looked at whole videos and analysed them from the perspective of media language i.e. Cinematography, Mise-en-Scene, Sound and Editing. From that work I discovered the typical codes and conventions of music videos belonging to the genre of folk indie rock.

The above images are a close up of a guitar and then a close up of a piano, similar shots to this are used very frequently within music videos belonging to the genre of folk indie rock. I think they choose to use such shots to show their dedication to the it music and that they are original, not just doing it for the fame.

The above image is a crane shot of the audience, these shots are used within a music video which contains a performance by the artist. The shot shows the audience enjoying themselves, which makes the audience of the music video want to enjoy the artist in the same way, thus selling the product of the band.

The above image shows a close up of band member, I have this shot because I like the way the lighting has been used so that all you can see is the silhouette of his face. During the filming of my music video I would like to experiment with lighting to see what different effects can be created. For example if the artist is back lit it can represent the artist as being mysterious and sinister, whereas if they are front lit it makes the image my flat. Also if the artist is side lit, it can create a similar effect to the above image.

The above image is a long shot of a band and this shot also acts as an establishing shot to show the location. Shots like this are common within music videos in between close up shots of each band member. The shot also shows all the instruments, which consequently gives the audience a clue to what they are about.

The above images show extreme long shots and establishing shots, I like the effect that the sun set creates - a poetic scene. This image is something I might think about taking inspiration from, it looks good to the viewer and it's not something you see everyday.

The above images show a close up and then a mid shot of a band member these are typically used within a band's music video, if the video is in the from of performance. It shows the audience where the music is coming from, making the sound synchronous unlike that of a narrative or abstract music video.

This image shows a close up of a band member's feet, the old barn-like location gives it a rustic feel. It also makes the music seem more raw, as though there isn't anything superficial or imposed through special effects etc.

This image shows a close up of the solo artist, I like this because it is set within a recording studio environment. There isn't anything superficial about it, it's just the artist singing with her guitar.

The above image shows an close up of the guitar, which I think could be used within an eye line match from the artist looking down to see her guitar. Shots of instruments are typical of folk/indie rock music videos.

This image shows a shallow focus pull, to the foreground of the artist. I like this it shows a way to focus on the background and then the foreground within one shot. Also it establishes the setting from something you can't see completely clearly to the artist.

The above image shows a medium close up of the solo artist, this is ver common within a music video belonging to the genre of folk/indie rock.

Health & Safety Production Assessment

Animatic

Storyboard