Album Covers Brainstorm

1. The first album cover I could also use ideas from, because my video is based on the countryside, I could collage one particular scene, using photos from various other photographs, to make one. I really like the montage of images layered up to complete an image. The colours are warm and in the style of Wes Anderson too. As i am an art student, i have skills which i can transfer over to creating my CD cover.


2. This album cover has given me inspiration, I could do the similar styles and in the circles would be the photographs of the scenes and locations that the filming was done at. Its a simple yet effective album cover, sticking to a colour scheme, of black, white and red.

3. This album cover is a montage of the same face, the images are layered on top of each other. The guy in the picture, pulled multiple faces some closer than others, they were then layered and montaged on to a background, to make 1.

4. This album is made to look hand drawn, as an art student i could remake this, in the style of my video, having lots of hands holding a scenery or multiple objects linked to my ideas.

Video Layout

During the video more and more people will join and come along. This is the layout for how the video will develop, it will start off with 1 person, then adding 2 people each time, the distance of the characters from the camera will have to stay the same. It will need to be a far away distance so we can fit 6 people each side, maybe even more, but they will be further in the background to fit them all on.

Wes Anderson- number 2

My Video is inspired by Wes Anderson, his centred style which goes against typical directors styles, where they are told not to put the main object in the centre of shot. I like this style of work and hope to transfer it over to my project.

Visit this link to have a peek at Wes Anderson's style:

https://vimeo.com/89302848

Every shot will be in the Wes Anderson style, when i shoot the characters they will be in the centre, and so will the surroundings. 

Characters

I need a lot of characters in my video, I will start off with 1 person, then in the style of Wes Anderson, keeping it equal either side, by then adding 2 people, each time, when the location changes the people add up. They will be wearing the same clothes each shots to show continuity.

The Grand Budapest Hotel- 2014

The Darjeeling Limited- 2007

 

Location Planning

DO A MIND MAP OF LOCATION IDEAS, EITHER CONTRADICT LOCATIONS OF REALLY INDUSTRIAL AND COUNTRY OR STICK TO ONE OR THE OTHER.

I hope to focus my video on the countryside here in norfolk, because its my home and has a wide variety of rural areas.
I will research some possible areas and places which would work well, and have some differences to them.
A long straight road- in Wreningham or nearby
Holkham beach
Ashwellthorpe woods
Long's Wood
A cropped field
Secret garden norwich
Blinkning hall
Walberswick
Shotesham Ford
Strumpshaw Fenn boardwalk
Waxham/Horsey beach
Airfield

-I need to make sure that people can ably get to some of the destinations as some are quite far away. --Those that are far away i will do at the start where they is few/one people/person.
-I also need to consider the weather, it needs to be pretty much the same for the shots, sometimes      really early in the morning is best, when its crisp and an early sunrise.
-Also the actors need to wear the exact same clothes each time.

Song Choice

The song I have decided to use is Jack Garratt's 'Breathe Life'. The song has a beat that walking to will work and the collaborative sounds work together well. It has a soft start and then builds up to the chorus.
Style of Music
"It would be unfair to categorize Garratt’s music simply into one genre, given that his vibrant sound is a stellar blend of alternative and electro-pop with rock and soul swirled in.

And now, he’s continuing his successful streak with the release of his latest single “Breathe Life.” The track consists of everything Garratt’s known for– hypnotic vocals, rich production and energetic electronic flourishes."

-From http://www.euphoriazine.com/blog/tag/jack-garratt/

Euphoria, by Christine Mathewson on 15th October 2015.

Verse 1
I wouldn't compliment myself for what I've become
Tell her I owe it to her
Tell her I owe it to her
I wouldn't praise myself for every good thing I've done
Tell her I owe it to her
Tell her I owe it to her

Pre-Chorus 1
Tell her I owe it to every heartbeat
Tell her I owe it to every exhale
Tell her I owe it to, owe it to her
Hands upon my chest

 Chorus
Oh, won't you breathe life into these dead lungs I keep under my coat
And keep life warm against the cold night as our bodies grow old

 Verse 2
I know when to give up and I know when to breathe
Believe me, I owe it to her
Tell her I owe it to her

 Pre-Chorus 2
Tell her I owe it to every heartbeat
Tell her I owe it to every inhale
Tell her I owe it to, owe it to her
Hands upon my chest

 Chorus
Oh, won't you breathe life into these dead lungs I keep under my coat
And keep life warm against the cold night as our bodies grow old
Oh, won't you breathe life into these dead lungs I keep under my coat
And keep life warm against the cold night as our bodies grow old

Bridge
Take my silence as a warning
I will not deter your mourning

 Chorus
Oh, won't you breathe life into these dead lungs I keep under my coat
And keep life warm against the cold night as our bodies grow old
Oh, won't you breathe life into these dead lungs I keep under my coat
And keep life warm against the cold night as our bodies grow old

A bit about the artist- Jack Garratt

Hailing from London, the 24-year-old multi-instrumentalist has quickly gained fans across the globe with a pair of EPs and another pair of singles over the last year. He’s gone on to open for megastars like Mumford and Sons while simultaneously selling out his own solo headlining shows across Europe and America. Using only his own musical and production gifts, he crafts a sound that sits somewhere between alternative indie music and the current R&B vogue, something that’s as likely to draw comparisons to Disclosure as Ed Sheeran.

Interview with ' Consequences of Sound' 15th October 2015
On new single “Breathe Life”, however, he’s presenting another case that making comparisons is a fools errand. At first glance, the cut is a watery slice of rhythm and blues, a slinking sexuality and snapping coolness slowly building underneath. As the chorus comes in, however, guitars reveal shades of funk and piano adds a theatrical pacing. By the time the halfway mark comes around, the whole thing has been reborn as an electronic storm of fuzzy synths and thumping low end.
You’re never quite sure where the instrumentation is going to turn next, but thankfully, Garratt’s breathless coo is there to lead you through the maze, singing “Oh, won’t you breathe life into these dead lungs/ I keep under my coat/ And keep life warm against the cold night as our bodies grow old.”
“‘Breathe Life’ is a song that came out of nothing,” Garratt tells Consequence of Sound. “I was stressing in the studio, panicking on my own as I usually do and this song came out of the room to hug me and let me know that for now, I was gonna be ‘ight.”

Inital Location Ideas

As I hope to film in the countryside and have lots of options of where to do it, I don't want it all to be on tracks along a field but hope to change it up in different areas in the countryside. I could possibly visit the beach and a forest.
I want it to start with the person waking up in a field, and then cut to various locations with the person walking whilst miming, then between each miming part will have various shots of the location. Gradually more and more people will come along. Until at the very end where they will start to run towards the camera and then it will just stop to a black screen.

A beach is one of the locations I hope to use, this beach is Southwold, I want to use one with lots of sand space.

Breakthrough Idea!

Since I had a lot of trouble thinking of a suitable idea to make a successful music video, I have come up with the idea of starting off with one person waking up in a field, or not, I haven't yet decided. But the first person will start to walk and to mime to the song, slowly more and more people will join them, it will cut into different locations in the countryside and maybe in more public locations.

Then at the end they will start to run and I will use slow-motion of film them running. At each location a band will appear as the people walk past, the band may not fit in with the style of song, but they will just be in the background so if they don't match up completely it wont be a massive problem.  I may use the effect where at the end of the shot, spin the camera and then do it for the next clip at the start and end so it merges into one. By this idea I can combine my ideas together of wanting it to be based in the countryside, someone running and using Wes Anderson's style.

This music video played a small part in my video inspiration, the gradual add of people, but the people will be walking rather than cycling.
 Its called 'Bat For Lashes - What's A Girl To Do'

The Video called Arrow- by Fences and Macklemore is in the style of Wes Anderson an inspiration.

Success of Music Videos

Music videos are becoming world-wide phenomenon's with artists paying a lot of attention to the story told and the creation of it.
Music videos use a wide range of styles of contemporary video making techniques, including animation, live action filming, documentaries, and non-narrative approaches such as abstract film. Some music videos blend different styles, such as animation, music, and live action. Many music videos interpret images and scenes from the song's lyrics, while others take a more thematic approach. Other music videos may be without a set concept, being merely a filmed version of the song's live performance.

Consumption of music videos

In the early 90's the only real way to view music videos was in MTV, by the early 1990s, MTV was playing a combination of pop-friendly hard rock acts, chart-topping metal and rock acts such as Metallica. During this decade, MTV saw the rise in popularity and strength of the music video industry. It provided one of the only outlets for music videos and, with it's rapidly increasing popularity, allowed the rise of the music video directors. Even several noted film directors got their start creating music videos. From the 1990’s, music video consumption was a common thing but in a very different way from the 21st century. The way people used to consume videos are very out of date. MTV became a popular method of viewing music videos, and with the inability to view them on the internet, it was one of the most common methods and frankly, one of the only methods. The MTV age influenced people’s views of ‘popular music’ and determined which videos they watched and viewed as they didn’t have a choice.

2004- Vimeo, a U.S.-based video-sharing website on which users can upload, share and view videos. This is now being used by people all over the world and is an additional way to watch music videos through high quality resolution in 720p and 1080P/1080i. As of December 2011, Vimeo attracts 65 million unique visitors per month and more than 8 million registered users. As of February 2013, Vimeo accounted for 0.11% of all Internet bandwidth, following fellow video sharing sites
 like YouTube and Facebook.

2006- For five years, YouTube and music industry companies like MTV struggled to understand how their content was being displayed for free on YouTube, and attempted to implement measures to ban the content. The huge rise in views for music videos on video sharing site YouTube meant that they were able to make huge amounts of money through advertising. his has resulted in the total number of displayed YouTube Ads going up 50% in the last year and their revenues soaring to $450 million.
 

2009-The launch of music video channel Viva was, similarly to 4Music, a brave move in the changing climate of music video consupmtion. Viva's television hours were severely cut back and is no longer a 24 hour broadcast station, but only from 9:00 - 3:00. This shows again the dominance of the internet in music video viewing, people don't sit down and watch them on the television anymore. Also Vevo has developed music consumption  once again and more specifically music video consumption because people are able to watch anything they want providing the artist is signed with any of these
conglomerates or their subsidiaries.

Looking at Student made music video

This music video is in rewind it which was one of my MANY undecided ideas. Its set in a bar, about a story of a girl and boy obviously in a relationship.

History of Music Videos

A music video is a short film or video that accompanies a song or piece of music. Modern videos are primarily are primarily used as a marketing device intended to promote the sales of music recordings.

Bessie Smith-St. Louis blues

This is one of the earliest examples of music videos that we are familiar with today. It was shown in theatres in 1932, however we are able to access music videos almost anywhere now and shows how much technology has changed.

The earliest music videos were filmed in the mid 1950's, however before then in the 1920's, films by animators such as Oscar Fishcinger, were accompanied by musical scores labelled 'visual music'. In 1940, Walt Disney released 'Fantasia', an animated film based around famous pieces of classical music.

The key innovation in the development of the modern music video was, of course, video recording and editing processes, along with the development of a number of related effects such as chroma-key . The advent of high-quality colour videotape recorders and portable video cameras coincided with the DIY ethos of the New Wave era and this enabled many pop acts to produce promotional videos quickly and cheaply, in comparison to the relatively high costs of using film. However, as the genre developed music video directors increasingly turned to 35mm film as the preferred medium, while others mixed film and video. By the mid-1980s releasing a music video to accompany a new single had become standard, and acts like The Jackson's sought to gain a commercial edge by creating lavish music videos with million dollar budgets.

Michael Jackson-thriller

This video was the pioneer of the 'Storyline' video which has a plot, almost like a 'mini' movie. It contains sophisticated visuals and it took the music industry to another level. Now music videos were really being seen as promotion and made into high-budget productions.


Music videos now hold stories and put the technological advances to good use by highly creative videos. But some artists want the audience to focus on the music rather than the video so has a very simple storyline.

Setting

Setting is critical in all films. It helps convey the theme of the film, create atmosphere and helps make the story credible. Elements of setting may include culture, historical period, geography and time. Along with plot, theme, and style, setting is considered one the fundamental components of fiction. A setting is the time, place and social environment in which a story takes place.
Some of the most famous settings are:
Home Alone House
Hogwarts
Notting Hill, Notting Hill
New Zealand, The Hobbit

Character

Movies tell stories about people. In every script, the writer has to create one character (or a set of characters) that the audience will root for or hate. This special character is known as the main character, often referred to as the protagonist. He or she will be the character with most obstacles and normally the one with most screen time.
Creating interesting, realistic characters is an art in itself. To find the right dose of believability and novelty to mix together and form an exciting, plausible character ranks as one of the hardest tasks in screenwriting. Something that the audience can relate to or all grow a hatred for where you follow their story either with or against them.
Some of the most famous characters are hero's, but others are sometimes to comical ones or their strange behaviours.
Some of the most famous movie characters are:
-Indiana Jones
-James Bond
-Elsa
-Forrest Gump
-E.T
-Harry Potter
-The Joker
-Darth Vader
-Spiderman
-Ferris Bueller
-Cinderella
Majority of the main characters are males, this shows the film industry is male dominated pushing women to the less important roles
Some leading female characters are:
-Princess Leia
-Dorothy Gale
-Mary Poppins
-Hermione Granger

Music Video Specific

Song Choice

-Song choice is very important in a music video because this is what you base the footage filming around, people are not going to listen to the song if it isn't something people will remember or listen to. There is a wide spectrum of genre of songs and there is an audience for all, so you are not going to be short of listeners but the song needs to be catchy and something people will want listen to.

-The genre of music I am thinking of using is Indie rock/pop or alternative rock. I regularly listen to this style of music and think it will fit best with my video ideas.

-I will mainly use a hand held camera so the shots are slightly wobbly, but will use a tripod so shots are also steady. The video will be quite fast so a lot of movement, I also want to slow down some sections in the editing process. As I looked at Wes Anderson and his symmetrical work, I think
I want to add an element of precision into which also links to me as an art student.

- I have multiple song choices, but I need to look at the lyrics as well, to see how I can link them in with a video idea.
This is a list of possible song options:
-Coasts, 'Ocean'
-Jack Garratt 'Breath Life'
-Ben Howard 'Esmeralda'
- Kodaline 'Ready'
-Elmore - One Man Town
-Vance Joy - Georgia
-Vance Joy - "Mess is Mine
-The Vaccines - I Always Knew
-Fences- "Sunburns"

Footage

I am planning to have mostly footage of the narrative story and some parts will be lip syncing, it will probably be a ratio of 75:25, narrative to lip syncing.

Narrative:

Pro: Lots of stories/ideas to use.
Con: Could be difficult to make the music fit the footage, and making it an effective video .

Lip Syncing

Pro: Adds some interest rather than just a story
Con: Editing can be hard and life syncing can sometimes look too enthusiastic.

Theories of Narrative

The three main narrative theorists Todorov, Barthes and Propp,  all have different ideas on how narratives work.

Todorov's theory:

He believed films are split into 3 sections,
first the Equilibrium, the start of the film where you are introduced to characters, setting etc. Nothing exciting really happens.
Disequilibrium comes second, this is when a big event happens usually a negative thing, where the story becomes interesting.
Then the Equilibrium which is when the story is resolved and all the problems go away or the ending isn't so happy but it comes to a stable end.
Films that follow Todorovs theory are:
The Mummy, Spiderman, Titanic, Shrek.

Propp Theory:  

This theory consisted of character style occurring in most films: these are the Hero, Villain, Doner, Dispatcher, False Hero, Helper, Princess, Her Father.

Barthes Theory:

5 codes in film:
Action code - applies to any action that implies a further narrative action. For example, a gunslinger draws his gun on an adversary and we wonder what the resolution of this action will be.
Enigma code - refers to any element in a story that is not explained and, therefore, exists as an enigma for the audience, raising questions that demand explication.
The semantic code - any element in a text that suggests a particular, often additional meaning by way of connotation .
The cultural code - any element in a narrative that refers to a science or a body of knowledge. In other words, the cultural codes tend to point to our shared knowledge about the way the world works.
The symbolic – annoyingly difficult to explain. You will only understand it if first we look at binary opposites.

Genre

The genre of the movie can be told in the first few minutes of it, by the different elements- the props,setting, characters etc. Genre means the style of what the film entails, due to the conventions set in.
The most common film genres are:
Horror, Romance, Comedy, Documentary, Rom-Com, Western, Action, Thriller, Sci-fi, War, Family, Drama, and Fantasy.

Prezi of Ideas

As I had lots of ideas I wanted to brainstorm them down, this Prezi gives just a few ideas of the area I could possibly focus on.

Click the Link to go to the Prezi or just view it through the images below: https://prezi.com/kj2-c_pyca2m/edit/#4_24309637

Music Influences

The British brand Burberry, have alternative and upcoming artists perform their songs, I really like the style of the songs and artists that perform. This kind of music is my basis for my video, the songs are striped back to instruments and not auto-tuning or much editing. Each of these songs are a possibility to use, and are all British artists.
This is George Ezra performing an acoustic version of 'Did you hear the rain?' live on the Burberry runway at London in Los Angeles event.
















This video is also live from the Burberry runway of British musician James Bay performing 'When We Were on Fire' at the Burberry Prorsum Women's-wear S/S15 show.

      
                                                                     

Ideas

Filming ideas and examples- Windsor

On the weekend of the 3/4th October I visited Windsor park and had the opportunity to take photos and do films some shots of the scenery which is the basis for my coursework video. I will also create a montage film of various shots I took from that day.

Narrative

Narrative in essence is story-telling, its the way the different elements come together to tell a story. When looking at lots of different films you can see the likeliness that occurs in different genres.

Narrative is delivered to the audience by suspense, expectation, tension and closure.

-A closed structure is a story that has a satisfactory ending, this occurs in most films, unless there is more than one film that leads on with the finale at the end of the last film.
-An open structure ending means there is no final conclusion of a story, but has minor endings, this occurs in a television soap such as Eastenders.
-A multi-strand structure is when multiple narratives are going on at once, this is very common in television such as Holby City.
-Point of view structures are often in documentaries where there is one main focus the video has.
A popular narrative structure is an enigma, the plot constructs a puzzle in which the audience have to solve while the characters act out the story.

NARRATIVE IS INFORMED BY LOCATION, CHARACTERS AND ACTION.
-Characters have functions in which they inform the audience by helping/hindering other characters to form the story
-Action determines how the events in the narrative occur and the influence they have.
-Location is very important in a film or television its sets the scene and helps the story unfold, this also can help the audience know what genre the film is.

Inspiration and brainstorming

In class I was stuck for ideas for my coursework, I wanted to base it on the countryside and waking up in a field. We went around the class starting off with the sentence 'Harriet wakes up in a field....' then we all wrote our ideas down passing the papers around, conjuring up ideas for a music video. Most of the ideas were more comical and silly which I didn't really want to use, but snippets from some of them could give me ideas for a video.
This is a list of some of the ideas that people came up with:
Waking up and seeing a long winding road....
Waking up and finding a key in my pocket...
Seeing children dressed up in animal costumes....

Here are some images of them....

Preliminary Task and Evaluation

I used a Camera to film and photograph for the video, to edit it I used Premier Pro, in which I needed to edit the photos together as a montage. I have learnt it is difficult to find people to cast and participate in my video, script writing was very easy, because my video is quite simple and repetitive so no script was really needed. The group worked well together it was me and one other girl, we are friends and working together was easy, I took the shots and filmed while Annie edited it together.

Audience Feedback
'Good video, its creative'
'A fun watch, I could watch it again and again'
'The song fits well with the video'

Here is the video!

If I was to do it again, I would use a better camera so the footage is better quality. I would also possibly add some more footage in, maybe of some happy people or colourful shots.

Genre in Short Film- Documentary

Definition: A documentary is a recording of an event, generally based on peoples perspectives or experiences and/or general facts.

Generic Conventions

-Non-fiction
-Real life events
-Natural lighting and sound, no exaggeration in sound or dramatic lighting
-Can be actual footage with real people involved not always actors
-Realism- this can be shown by archive footage, interviews, location shooting and following the action
- Interviews or conversations with experts / witnesses / participants
-Narration is to communicate in narrative form, so the audience understands more
-Its can be in an interview form or voiceover
Lighting
-Low key lighting – social realism / mood / tone / artistic reasons
-High key lighting – moral, idealistic realism / encodes POV
-Key and fill lighting – Documentary realism
Camera
-Close up, extreme close ups
-Establishing shots to set the scene.

6 modes of Documentary (Bill Nichol)

Expository: Doesn't follow the strict conventions of most documentaries, uses voiceovers and addresses the audience directly .
Observational: It focuses on just using one camera and observes the world.
Participatory: The maker is visible in the video and are usually the voiceover too.
Reflexive: Based on real life moments and objects, these are based on suggestions and opinions rather than real facts.
Performative: Based on emotions, the maker may interact with the subject.
Poetic: Subjective representation of reality.

Positives of Documentary Films

-Can record changes/events in society which can have an impact on peoples lives, to inform them or for evidence
-Easy to record
-Can require low budget

Negatives of Documentary Films

-Could easily be a boring topic
-Always a case of being biased towards someone/thing
-Expensive to make it a good documentary that people will be interested in

Genre in Short film- Drama

Generic Conventions

-Exhibits real life characters and stories
-Intense social reactions

Mise-en-Scene
-Dull lighting, portraying gritty and bleak nature
-Close up of characters
-Low angles and High angle shots- to portray superiority or weakness
-Clear shots and angles showing different groups

Typical Props
-Alcohol
-Drugs
-Guns
-Knifes
-Mobile Phones
-Everyday items

Characters
Characters are crucial to a drama as they help to create the tension and atmosphere of the film due to the circumstances they are facing. Another typical character seen in Dramas is a friend or family member that the main character confides in, there are

Setting:
There are a wide variety of settings used in drama films, due to the wide variety of plots that a drama film can cover. For example, for a teen drama, locations such as schools, streets, homes, cities, any location because they are based on typical experiences. However, for main dramas locations can vary from the workplace to an old fashioned location. This shows the wide variety of plots there are when creating a drama film.

Positives of Drama Films

-Storylines follow a similar format and simple to think of
-Costumes are easy to find and fund because they are mainly normal clothes
-Can require a low budget
-New narratives can be easy to design
-Simple and standard camera
-Settings are east to find

Negatives of Drama Films

-Can be boring if done wrong
-Can be difficult to make a unique film that can stand out
-Can have a limited older audience

Textual Analysis

  Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins) is sentenced to two consecutive life terms in prison for the murders of his wife and her lover and is sentenced to a tough prison. However, only Andy knows he didn't commit the crimes. While there, he forms a friendship with Red (Morgan Freeman), experiences brutality of … Moreprison life, adapts, helps the warden, etc., all in 19 years The lighting of this film is quite dark but natural, the sun isn't shining much until the end because prison is a depressing place, the lighting enhances it and implies it on the audience so they get a feeling of dullness too. The 2 main characters are Andy and Red the story is based around their friendship and life in prison, the story exhibits what life is possibly like in prison.

Genre in short film- Comedy

Setting: a comedy film is often set in a bright place, or a location known for a social event.
Camerawork: is usually naturalistic and the characters are filmed in a way that shows neither of the characters is better than the other.
Sound: is very important within comedy genre, Diagetic sound like the dialogue needs to be clear to make sure it was heard so people find it funny and hear the jokes. Non-Diagetic is also important, edited sound can be used to place emphasis on certain situations.
Lighting: the lighting is often natural or commonly bright because this create a realistic environment. Bright and happy colours are often used to show this it is a happy situation.
Props: they are very important in comedy shows, objects that may hurt the character are well known. Props are used in slapstick comedy because it is virtual in that theme.
Characters: Idiotic people are usually used in contrast with a group of normal people, this shows a contrast of personalities and emphasis the stupidity of the character. Also above intelligent people are used (The Big Bang Theory )

Positives of Comedy Films 

- Can be low budget
- Very little is needed for costume
-Lots of possibilities for narratives
- Camera angles and shots can be simple and not from difficult angles
- Little editing is required
-Few characters are needed

Negatives of Comedy Films

-Can be difficult to find a new storyline
-Can be hard to find appropriate and willing actors
-Can be boring if done incorrectly
-Humour of the comedy can be targeted at a very specific audience

Textual Analysis

Bad Neighbours in a 2014 comedy film, about a young family, who have new neighbours, they end up being a Fraternity house of brothers, who have wild parties and at trying to be stopped by the neighbours. Rogen and Rose Byrne star as Mac and Kelly, new parents who go to war against the college fraternity that have moved in next door. Head of the frat pack is Zac Efron as Teddy, a sweet-natured hunk who doesn’t want to keep the couple’s baby awake, but can’t pass up an opportunity to party. The family, have a young child, the dad (Seth Rogen) is the character who brings most of the comedy to the film, his behaviour and the fact he is a little over weight, and tries to act cool compared to a young, buff 20 year old. The setting is in a suburb street in America, probably somewhere in California, its based in 2 houses, the frat house which is crazy, messy, and crazy college life style compared to the family friendly, calm house next door. This shows great contrast in the age although there isn't much difference, but when having a child, it makes you a lot more mature. The audience of teenagers are attracted to this film making it very successful because of the hunks especially Zac Efron, and the partying college life, a lot of American teens will experience although not as crazy as shown in this film. The Guardian summarised it as ' Bad Neighbours pits family man Seth Rogen against a fraternity lead by Zac Efron’s handsome dummy. It’s Project X crashing a Joe Swanberg movie.' The lighting is natural and bright, and costumes are very casual and everyday.

My Own Idea for a Comedy Film

Following the typical American teen comedy, a group of friends have finished college for the summer and want to party all the time, they go on a road trip where they face lots of comedic problems, and finally get to the party where more typical comedy, teenager things happen. The target audience would be 15-25 year olds and the rating would be 15.

Ideas for music video

I have decided to work by myself at A2, this is because last year I worked with 2 other people, it was good to split up the work load, but difficult to have your own idea implied into the video when everyone has to agree. I want to work alone because I feel I am able to complete the work and I can put all my own ideas and planning into it.


I was inspired by Jack Garrett's music video of 'Weathered' for my idea,  and the British drama on E4 called 'Glue'. I don't want to make it cheesy and with lots of exaggerated facial expressions, I hope for it to be natural like the scenery. My idea is brief at the moment but I hope to base it on the English countryside, with 1 person or a small group, I don't know why they are there, perhaps they are running from something or someone, but they will be in a woods, one part they will be running, it will go into slow motion and then speed up to show how fast they are running. Some parts will be inspired by Wes Anderson where everything is very centred and exact. ALT J's music videos, which have that alternative theme to them helped me get a few ideas together.

Jack Garratt, 'Weathered'

The video was directed by Andrew Donoho and shot in the canyons of Georgia. The video follows the adventures of three young brothers exploring a day out in the wilderness. To round off the video the brothers discover the luminous fungus (Foxfire), which is a natural phenomenon that occurs annually in Georgia.  The video switches between official shooting and a hand-held camera that they take with them on their trip. They wander to the tops of the Canyons and beneath too, finding a large lake and swimming, climbing trees, fighting  and just exploring the woods.
The typical boys adventure without the modern distractions of technology, the video strips back to the traditional boys having fun and messing about outside.
The Radical a digital magazine, created by fans said this about Jack Garratt's music videos 'They’re executed beautifully and are able to articulate thoughts and feelings you didn’t even know you were feeling. With “Weathered,” the actual story behind the song may be left ambiguous but the intent is clear as day. It awakens something inside of you that lets you feel a release. What that release is entirely up to you.'

E4 British Drama 'Glue'

This British TV drama, is based on the friends of a 14 year old boy, Cal Bray who is found dead. The investigation to find the killer reveals their dark and dirty secrets, hidden behind the picture-perfect English Countryside. The lighting is very dull and grey in certain parts, which seems to attract me, where the green parts are very visible, I like where the story is based around the countryside.
Glue was filmed in Berkshire, and over the weekend I am going to Windsor which is in Berkshire, there is lots of opportunity to film on Windsor estate and the surrounding areas to get some work which I can get some ideas from. There are lots of shots of the surroundings and close up of faces.

ALT-J 'Hunger of the Pine

Although the story is not based on what I hope to do for my coursework, the camera angles and shots inspire me, the running through the woods and the lighting I hope to transfer into my work. Some parts are slowed down and then to normal speed, I also like how certain parts focus in and out. It also links to the setting and surrounding I am interested in filming mine in.

Here is a link to an analysis if each shot in this video, I may use this in explanation for each shot that I use:

 http://www.slideshare.net/benjaminprice31/music-video-analysis-hunger-of-the-pine-altj

 

 

 

 

 

 

This video is also partly inspiration for my idea, the shot style of low and going in and out of focus, is a possibility for me. The location is in a woods and I like the slow motion parts, they aren't completely slowed down but its a steadied pace. I like the idea of children pretending to go to battle but have a pillow fight.

 

 

 

Genre in short films- Horror

Conventions of Horror Movies
Location of a wood, forest, abandoned house, lakes, subways, alleyways, run down buildings to emphasize on the innocence and darkness of the setting.
Props- chainsaws, knifes, axe, injections, guns, the weapons and props can tell what type of villain they are, and how the story will be set.
Common objective-  religious aspects, supernatural icons, gore, blood, science monster- werewolves, mummies, vampires.
Character types:
Main protagonist- hero/victim
Villain- often a monster, serial killer, possessed person.
The helpless stupid person that always gets killed off early on or mid way through.
In some psychological movies there are flashbacks of the past which starts off the movie, the person then haunts/possesses the building or one of the main characters.

Mise-en scene
-Usually set in isolated areas where there is nowhere left to run, pathetic fallacy is also used such as thunder and lightening to enhance the isolation.
Lighting
-Lighting is expressive and non-naturalistic
-Low key lighting to help create shadows and unfamiliar shapes.
- It can be used to set the mood of a scene or introduce a certain character, for example a villain, the lighting will may be dark and limited to hide the persons identity to create more fear

Props
-Large dangerous objects, Chainsaw, Knife, Weapons, Masks, Religious objects
-Sometimes set in everyday settings, houses, with normal objects

Camera Shots
-Expressive, quick shots to add fear and suspense
-High and low angles to show dominance or fear
-Handheld, shaky shots to give a raw sense

Sounds
-High pitched screeches
-Low, heaving beat
-Exaggerated sounds to make them sound louder than they are
-Disturbing sounds to put the audience at unease

Positives of Horror Films
-Storylines can be simple
-Can be very low budget like the Blair Witch Project of $60,000 but made over $3 million
-Music can create suspense and atmosphere
-Lots of possible ideas for the storyline
-Few characters needed

Negatives of Horror Films
 -Some can require large budgets for it to be successful and effective
-Can require lots of editing
- Scenes and sets can be expensive
-Editing can be expensive and time consuming and has to be done well or it could look like a film mocking horrors, and laughable.

Textual Analysis
The Exorcist:
When a teenage girl is possessed by a mysterious entity, her mother seeks the help of two priests to save her daughter.
This is one of the greatest horror films of all time, its been made so famous by the inhuman detail and gruesome parts. Its mainly set in a girls bedroom, the close up shots enable the audience to see the fear on the mothers face and the terror of the possessed girl to really scare the audience. The lighting is quite dark for the freaky shots and extreme light to dark shows contrast, the light flickering cause the audience to be scared and nervous. the suspense is built up by sound and shots that prevent the audience from quickly seeing what is to come. The costume are very normal, the girl wears a night dress because she has not changed since the possession happened, it also gives a sense of vulnerability because she cant control what is happening and is still young.

 

 

My Own Idea of a Horror Film

A family go on a day out to a Castle which ends up being haunted by a ghost, various other people are also stuck inside, where they have to forfeit certain things and take part in activities to be released. Some people get killed in brutal ways and other survive, but only that family that is focused on eventually get out. Psychological horror, supernatural, possession.

Genre in short films- Romantic

'The genre of the movie can be told in the first few minutes of it, by the different elements- the props, setting, characters etc. Genre means the style of what the film entails, due to the conventions set in.'

The Generic Conventions

-Aimed at a female based audience
-"Boy meets girl" scenario, where they happen to meet
-Hints throughout the film that they are a good match or they are destined to be together
-There is a situation in the middle of the film which separates them, conflict in which they cant be together
- The problem is resolved and they reunite, to live happily ever after
-The story usually links to the audiences emotions
- Sexuality, gender, relationships and status
-Set in a well known place/city/county

Romance movies are always popular amongst the girls, who love a good love story of which is every girls dream to find that perfect guy in the perfect way. At the start of a movie the main characters are always introduced in some way, it could be by narration and seeing or from the script of what others say, or from the surroundings of what is going on (Mise-en-Scene). The writer/director creates the film in a way that the audience can relate to, certain scenarios that the girls and boys will come across during their teenage years. There is normally a problem in the way of the 2 people not being together, either the other person doesn't know about the other, or family disapprove, or they are moving away, lots of typical conventions but the couple always find a way of being happy together again.

Props
-Usually romantic based things like chocolate, flowers, gifts.
-The giving of gifts is commonly associated with the genre as it is a reflection of romance and love.

Characters
- 2 main characters, typically a boy and girl
The man: virtually the love interest, an attractive male who is the selling point of the film.
The women:  sometimes an innocent women, or someone who has had lots of unsuccessful relationships where they have been hurt.
- Friendship groups
- Parents who are either supportive or don't agree with the relationship.
-Supportive friend who gives advice
- The person who causes the problem

Mise-en-Scene
The stereotypical places romance films are set are urban environments where people would likely meet such as a city, beach, school. At the start it is typical the scene will be set with an establishing and wide shots. The lighting is usually natural and soft because there is no need to build up suspense and for it to be in touch with reality making the story as believable as possible. The settings mainly links to the main characters background and life, as they reflect their lifestyle. Costumes link again to their lifestyle or job,  for example a business man we are going to see him in a suit, reflecting his profession and lifestyle. Costumes are usually casual and normal clothing unless its portraying a time period or cultured area.

Sound
Diegetic sounds are from noises that are happening in the scene that haven’t been edited in, this means sounds like people talking or things like footsteps. People can usually tell which sound is diegetic from what they can see on the screen.

Non-diegetic sounds are sounds that have been added in, this can include things like music, a narration and sound effects. Non-diegetic sounds are often used to add drama to moments that would be silent without it.

There is usually non-diagetic sound to tell the audience how to feel in certain scenes, example: sad calm music to make the audience feel remorse and sadness for the character/s. Diagetic sound doesn't need to be exaggerated or edited so much because suspense isn't needed and only natural sounds are used.

Positives of Romance Films
-Low budgeting
-Minimal Editing
-Sound can create atmosphere
-Locations can be everyday, simple to get to and sets don't need to be expensive
-Simple camera shots, no extreme angles
-Follows a simple storyline
-Lots of characters are not needed.

Negatives of Romance Films
-Can be difficult to think of new storylines
-Could be difficult to find actors that want to work in 'romantic' scenes

Textual Analysis of Romantic film
Pretty Woman:
A man in a legal but hurtful business needs an escort for some social events, and hires a beautiful prostitute he meets... only to fall in love. In this modern update on Cinderella, a prostitute and a wealthy businessman fall hard for one another, forming an unlikely pair.
This film features the traditional romantic conventions- boy meets girl who are both from very different backgrounds, set in Los Angeles and city with everyday settings. It is mainly set in a high class hotel where Edward (Richard Gere) stays when he requests an escort. The non-diagetic sounds tell the audience how to feel. The clothing represents their status in society, a businessman and an escort called Vivian (Julia Roberts), who wears revealing clothing but learns the life of a higher class society and changes her life to fit Edward's.




My Own Idea for a Romantic Film
Set in California, two teenagers, 18 years of age, a boy and girl go on an average house party, enjoying the night and the people around them, but end up sleeping together. The girl falls pregnant but doesn't keep in contact with the boy because he is an arse, her best friend who is also a boy, helps her through the pregnancy and they slowly start to realise that they are falling for each other. But will their friendship be ruined, or will they work things out and be a happy family, this story is spread over the course of 5 years.

Wes Anderson

'Wes Anderson 's films are concerned with home and family ties: the old ones we do our best to escape from, and the new ones we build for ourselves in an attempt to fill the gap'. The Telegraph on Wes Andersons movie style.
His modern, alternative style is distinctive and chances are if you know of Anderson's past films, you can spot one of his films within the first minute of it. With his distinct colour palette that links everything from the production design to the outfits , Anderson set of flourishing visuals that give his films the specific fantastical feeling they all have. His framing is nearly almost stationary, his shots are always still and doesn't like panning, if something is moving he will move with it. His work contradicts the rules of film of placing the main object to the side of the shot, but he puts it in the centre. Most film directors tend to shy away from placing the actors in the centre of the frame, his fascination with symmetry but this makes Wes Anderson such a distinct director. The hazy-hued shots enables us to peer into the directors unique world of retro quality that's give his films as nostalgic feel.

Here are a few of his films:
-Fantastic Mr Fox
-Rushmore
-Moonrise Kingdom
-Grand Budapest Hotel
-The Royal Tenenbaums


Artist and Wes Anderson enthusiast Hamish Robertson says, “Anderson's colour palettes are integral to his cinematic ‘world-building’. His eye for art direction and fantastic attention to detail creates the appropriate space and tone for his characters to exist in – and for the viewer to lose themselves in. They ultimately become their own visual language, the way character themes are elaborated in cinematic scores, allowing an immersive visual experience whether the sound is on or not.”






When looking at a director we need to answer a question, this is mine;


When looking at Wes Anderson films what is it about them that distinguish them from others?
points to focus on:
Symmetry
Colour Palette
Music
Re-occurring Actors
Family Centred


This link takes you to an article of 12 reasons to make you love Wes Anderson :
http://www.tasteofcinema.com/2014/12-reasons-to-make-you-love-the-films-of-wes-anderson/



This is the script from my video on Wes Anderson:


Wes Anderson is an American film director and screenwriter who is known for his unique, artistic, unmistakable movies. The meticulous colour schemes, quirky characters, dialogue, still camera shots and geometric concepts are elements which distinctively separates them from every other film. His pitch-perfect musical choices and the blending of European art-house traits with a stylish, modern view point attract the alternative audience and more recently the mainstream public. His films are concerned with home and family and are probably the best modern example of directors. Moreover, the audience can best understand his characters and stories by being more aware of previously missed technicalities. Artist and Wes Anderson enthusiast Hamish Robertson says, “Anderson's colour palettes are essential to his cinematic ‘world-building’. His eye for art direction and fantastic attention to detail creates the appropriate space and tone for his characters to exist in – and for the viewer to lose themselves in. They ultimately become their own visual language, the way character themes are elaborated in cinematic scores, allowing an immense visual experience whether the sound is on or not. "
   Symmetry is a massive part of his films, most directors put the main subject to the side of the frame, but Anderson places the focal point exactly in the center of the shot and the background is as symmetrical as possible but also looks natural. He loves to compose his shots with perfect symmetry, from his breakout hit Rushmore, stop-motion fantastic Mr. Fox and his most recent The Grand Budapest Hotel, he consistently organizes the element in the frame so the most important thing in the center. Directors were taught not to do this, as an asymmetrical shot is more natural.

Anderson’s films are consistently unique and vivid where they continually have a specific colour pattern throughout each film. Sometimes its not always noticeable at first, for example The Life Aquatic, he uses scheme of colour continually throughout the layout, background and with characters which create a unique and visually compelling combination. The colours are readjusted and edited to fit the theme of Anderson’s style, they are retro styled colours to give the films an alternative and nostalgic theme. Moonrise Kingdom is probably the most naturally coloured film.

Actors that regularly occur in films of the same director draw the same audience back in and are easily identified as a Wes Anderson film. Bill Murray has racked up most screen time with him, appearing in seven of his films. Owen Wilson and Jason Schwartzmann are also other common actors. He uses actors which are counted as friends, so there is harmony and the film can get the best outcome.

Anderson’s stylistic choice sparks scrutiny by many but is also loved, his work has provoked much discussion, and because it is so different to other contemporary directors this is why his work has stood out from others and many have warmed to his style. He is the master of storytelling and visually outstanding, most casual mainstream movie goers haven’t heard of his but passionate alternative film fanatics are very fond of his films, but his work is becoming more known to the common public eye.

 

 

 

Preliminary Task

Our chosen song for our preliminary task is American Authors- 'Best Day of my Life', we wanted to create a happy video with a happy song. We didn't have many ideas and had a short amount of time to finish it in, so idea popped into my head of a montage video of lots of photos put together. Eventually our video idea was to take multiple photos of people in our sixth form, boys and girls, we montage them together. We also needed to have a mime section, which we added in to the chorus.
This is our preliminary task.

This Adele song also has a form of montage, short clips are then merged together to create the video.

 

Horror Movies

We are looking at different genres, especially Horror and the generic conventions in them.
Horror film is a genre with a purpose of creating a sense of fear, panic, alarm and dread for the audience. These films are often unsettling and rely on scaring the audience through a portrayal of their worst fears and nightmare. Horror films usually centre on the arrival of an evil force, person or event, many include mythical creatures such as ghosts, vampires and zombies. Traditionally, Horror films incorporate a large amount of violence and gore into the plot. Though it has its own style, Horror film often overlaps into Fantasy, Thriller and Science-Fiction too.

Conventions of  Horror Movies

Positives of Creating a Short Film on Horror
You don't need to overcomplicate the storyline, horror films can be based on a range of fields, and people will be scared. They are also easy to make like the Blair Witch Project made in 1999 (

Found video footage tells the tale of three film students (Heather Donahue, Joshua Leonard, Michael C. Williams) who've travelled to a small town to collect documentary footage about the Blair Witch, a legendary… More local murderer. Over the course of several days, the students interview townspeople and gather clues to support the tale's veracity. But the project takes a frightening turn when the students lose their way in the woods and begin hearing horrific noises.)

 which was made on a very low budget making a very successful horror. You don't need to get to know the characters either, the story isn't about them, its just for the audience to feel fear.
Negatives of Creating a Short Film on Horror
Don't have as much time to build up tension, and then break it, build it up, break it, build it up to create suspense. You also don't get same kind of investment in a character, the psychological side to their story or finding out about them.
Lights Out