This is a student made video of ALT J's song 'Breezeblocks', its based around a teenage boy who is having some problems and turns to alcohol and drugs to relieve the pain. During the video it shows him as an isolated and alone person.
The camerawork is raw and rough but fits in well with the story, as he drinks more and more the editing is trippy, life his eyesight would as he gets more drunk. Some parts are zoom in and out of to nature, which they goes in and out of focus, which is really effective. At the start because it is filmed at night the shots are slightly fuzzy, but later on it gets clearer. When the beat goes quicker, the shot alternates between 2 shots to fit the music
The costumes are normal day clothes because the video doesn't have a particular theme or style, its filming a normal teenager just walking around the street and in the woods.
None of the video is life-synced but has a brief narrative of the boy having a troubled time. There is one key character, others are just in the background, nearly every shot is of the boy. There are only a few shots locations, but it alternates back to them, the woods, the streets, the bus stop, the classroom.
This is music video for "Stuck" by Canopy Climbers personally it is one of the best student made videos. There is a mixture of narrative and lip-syncing. The narrative is based around a group of teenage boys specifically 2 of them around 18-19 years old, its about their youth, one of them faces bullying and gets beaten up half way through the video, then later he starts to box and fight to face and stand up to them.
The other teenager has a different approach, he is seen as the 'trouble maker', he shouts at a girl and is one of the boys that beats up the other, his upbringing seems to be difficult as in one part is upset and is the person in the video who is lip syncing, indicating the song is based around his emotions and feelings . There are various time lapse videos of the sky and contrast of the fire on the black night. 30 seconds into the video, 2 boys run through the streets using this we can interpret their childhood is not greatly positive, they are also seen spray painting the walls and beating up other teenage boys.
There are various locations mainly the streets, the video keeps referring back to the burning bonfire and one of the boys standing around it. The start of the video is of the boy it is based around walking with a can to a friend sitting down in a field, after this is the various time lapses of the sky, this could indicate that the start of the video was in the current time and the rest was in the past.
Clangers is a British made stop-motion animated children's television series of short stories about a family of mouse-like creatures who live on, and inside a small moon-like planet. The flutey voiced family of woollen, knitted aliens face misadventures which bring them into contact with such unlikely creatures as the Soup Dragon, the Iron Chicken and Glow Buzzers. The voice over explains what the Clangers are saying and thinking because they speak in a non-speech way. The first episode was released in 1969 and the last in 1974.
This clip is called 'The Intruders' , the Clangers are peacefully building a house, they hear a whistling sound and won comes something. The Clangers run for cover. The thing us a terrestrial space-probe vehicle with large initials on it. it is tracked with appendages. They watch it begin its investigations, it probes about, beeping a buzzing. it finds a piece of local rock and appears to eat it. This shocks Mr.Clanger who goes out to speak to it. The space-probe does not register his existence and pushes him rudely out of the way. Mr. Clanger pushes back. The vehicle stops, backs away and produces a turret with an optical instrument on it and proceeds to examine Mr. Clanger with it. It approaches him, Mr. Clanger thinking it wishes to shakes his hand, grasps the instrument which comes off in his hand. The space-probe goes into emergency action. Mr Clanger tries to put back the instrument but the vehicle takes no notice. Its ignites it rockets and blasts off.
To create this video they used stop motion animation. Technology wasn't very advanced in the 1960s when the Clangers was first introduced, TV's only had 3 channels so shows were restricted, programmes needed to be for all the family, but the Clangers along side others were aimed at children. Its been more than 40 years since the show was last aired and recently the show will be updated and aired in the US.
Analysis of the opening sequence to the Clangers
This is the opening titles for Clangers- children's TV show, It starts off with the name of the programme and music represents the kind of show it is going to be, a stop-motion, funny programme set on a small moon-like planet. There are no characters, as it starts off with the name of the show, this fades out to the earth. A strong British male voice speaks in which it explains what earth is, the camera pans along to another planet, where the show is set and the Clangers live. There is no editing in this, I think as the show is puppets the planets are hand made and filmed all in one take.
'Best Day of my Life' by American Authors was filmed in Brooklyn, New York. The narrative is about a man and a large furry monster doing various things around the city, these include drinking in a bar, playing basketball, looking at Brooklyn Bridge, getting matching tattoos, going to a playground, visiting a strip club and taking photos in a photo booth. The video ends with the man waking up at the same bar they started with implying the monster was his imaginary friend. The female bartender confused found a photo of them both. Throughout the video shots are interweaved of the band playing and singing as they stroll through the Big Apple.
About half of the video shows the band walking through and singing in New York, they are lip syncing to the song and playing which the original recorded song is layered over the top to fit in. The key characters are the 'imaginary' monster and man because the story is based upon them and their friendship. There is very limited dialogue expect at the end where the man wakes up and apologies to the bar maid.
There are various locations around New York in particular Brooklyn, these include on top of the Bridge, in a park, in strip club etc.
Jamie T's song 'Zombie' is set in a pretty normal pub as the band play the song to a small group of regular pub- goers, the song continues throughout the video the band slowly turn into zombies, with various limbs falling off, blood everywhere but the audience in the pub are oblivious to this. The video is portrayed as a live performance to the people in the pub but it actually isn't. The narrative corresponds to the song lyrics because they sing about zombies as they slowly turn into them, themselves.
There are 4 main characters -the band members, 2 men and 1 woman, they are known as 'Jamie T and the Pacemakers' there are also 3-4 drinkers listening and watching the band occasionally. There is no other dialogue besides the singing and no credits either, this may be because the video isn't really a story but a scene from a pub, also perhaps because the band members are not human for most of the video so would have limited dialogue and credits. There is only 1 location, the pub it is set in. The whole video cuts to the band then to the audience, as slowly they turn into zombies. It has various shots, close up and long to suggest the drinkers in the pub are not fazed by the band transforming into zombies and also how the singers change. The video is basically about a guy who feels like a zombie.
This is the shot of what seems like a worker at the pub, as a guitarist's arm is pulled off, blood squirts on the floor, the cleaner doesn't seem bothered so just wipes it up looking slightly sheepish as she does it
The same shot is used at the start and at the end of the video. In the first one picture, the band are normal but then in the last one (below) they are zombies.
This is the opening to a student made childrens TV programme called Copleston high by Matt Joslin. In the opening we are introduced to a few of the main characters, 3, but many more characters can be seen who aren't introduced. There is no dialogue in the opening but there is a really catchy opening theme song. The theme song is ideal for a childrens TV programme as it is very catchy. There is only one location visible, which is copleston high, but many different settings are seen within the school. The credits are very clear to see and are ideal for children to read as they stay on screen for a reasonable time for them to read. The costumes are very traditional to a school so children can relate. The casting choices are reasonable as there are a variety of different ages and it looks like a realistic school programme.
2. Alakazack
This is the opening of another student made children's TV programme called Alakazack. A lot of the main characters are introduced including the main character, Zack. The song used in the opening scenes is Magic by B.O.B. The song is appropriate as there is a lyric which has the words "I've got the magic in me". However the song is quite loud and overpowers some a couple of short lines of the dialogue so I think this needs to be adjusted. The main location is the school but like copleston high there are many different settings within the location. The costumes again are appropriate and the casting seems appropriate, especially with Zack as he looks comfortable in front of a camera.
Day 6666 is a student made short film by Joseph Nowell. The film as a whole works really well as it flows and keeps the audience engaged. There isn't any proper dialogue in the short, but there is a voiceover through some parts of the short. There are a few different locations such as different class rooms in the school and Joe's house. Joe casted himself in his film and I feel that he was right too as he looked comfortable in front of the camera and he knew what he wanted from the role. The costume is a suit and is appropriate as Joe is attending a day in sixth form. I really like some of the transitions and animations in this short as it makes the short stand out. This piece received an A grade and I agree that this justifies an A grade because it is outstanding.
The White Door
This is another short film by Joseph Nowell. I could only get the rough cut off of Youtube so this is the rough cut. again this is an outstanding piece of work. The short film is all about a white door which can teleport you to many different locations, but the girl is dreaming all of this up. There is one main character in the girl, who looks a natural in front of the camera. There isn't much dialogue in the short but that's because there's not really an opportunity for there to be. there are several different locations in the short as there has to be for the story to work about the white door. The costume works really well and just suits the short film as a whole. It is a simplistic white gown but it just fits in to the location and suits the actor. The idea is very good and reflects on the A grade that it was awarded.
Invictus is a short film directed by Christopher Ogden and it really stood out to me. The video in itself is very short and may not stand out to others but to me it does. The voiceover is very effective and stands out because it carries a message about 'not giving up' and 'achieving your dreams'. There is one main character that can be seen in the background throughout the narrative training for a boxing match, maybe a rematch due to the theme being him getting knocked down. The costume is appropriate for the scene as the main character is dressed in appropriate training clothes. The casting choice is very good as the actor suits the role of the boxer as he looks the piece. I think the narrative works well with the voiceover as well because it portray what's being said very well.
Spider
Spider is a short film directed by Nash Edgarton. The narrative is very good and again shows a key message of not to distract people why driving, and at the moment the short films seem to have a common theme of portraying a message. the two key characters are the man and the woman who are in the car. There is dialogue in the short film and although there are moments of silence this fits in with the narrative. There are a couple of locations seen but the main location is the car. The credits are very good in this short film as they outline everyone involved in the production of the short film. Costumes and casting choices are again both ideal as the two actors portray the two characters brilliantly and the costumes are just normal day costumes so give that realistic feel to the short.
Sweet Cocoon
Sweet Cocoon is a 2015 Oscar nominated animated short film. The short film is very simple but very good at the same time! The storyline is well thought of and works well with the animation. The narrative is of a caterpillar who cant fit into her cocoon, so two insects come along to help her. The two insects and the caterpillar are the three characters that are seen in the short. There is only one location as the whole short happens in one garden/forest. There isn't any dialogue in the short but there doesn't need to be as it works perfectly without it! The credits go into a bit too much detail and are very quick so are hard to read, but overall this is a very good animated short film!
