First Group Shot

This is our first attempt of filming one of the group shots in our video . This includes the moustashe scene at 2:9 and the haribos at 3:12. We filmed these together as they are filmed in the same location with the same lighting models and clothing therefore it is time efficient for us to film them at the same time.

We set up the white cotton backdrop on the stage and used two photography lamps which lit the models from either side as well as having the stage lights on above.

Both of these shots are very random and there is not much reason behind them however we wanted to show a group of friends being filmed openly together and have chosen random props to bring out their funny sides.  We chose to use three quite different models to emphasize this randomness.

The use of haribo sweets makes them seem young and innocent however contrasts this with the make up and lack of clothing they are wearing. It is a bit of a surprise for the viewers when the models open their mouthes to reveal haribos as they do not know what is coming and it is likely to be unexpected due to the rest of the video which is quite rebellious.

Similar to this the moustache scene was shot at the same time, this is another very random shot but we feel shows the models having more fun than previously as they look a bit awkward with the sweets. The models hair and make up gives strong representation to femininity and then this is argued by giving them moustaches. This is a way which we are contrasting stereotypes in the video and challenging the norm. The videos panning from left to right means that all of the models are seen however we would speed this up when editing it into the video so it fits the fast pace.

Transitions

Our video will be consisting of quite random and alternative clips which give viewers a kind of 'insight' into the life of modern day youth as portrayed by our main model. These clips will be linked together in the video using cuts as this will be quick and fast paced fitting the theme of the video and working well showing ellipsis of time. We wont use transitions such as fades as these work well for more emotive video with a message and are better for building tension where as our video is just about having fun.

An example of a very current video which used cuts between random scenes is Afterglow -Wilkinson

Using our storyboard which outlines the basic idea of what will be going on in each scene and the time which it will be happening. Below we have set out a diagram showing the ways which scenes will cut into one another smoothly.

Initial Timeline and Storyboard

0-2 seconds- Fran breaks handcuffs apart.

Extreme close up of Frans hands breaking the silver hand cuffs apart suggesting she may have been in trouble.

3- 8seconds- Fran hands turns up speakers.

Close up of the speakers on with Frans hands (showing nail art). She will turn the two dials of the speakers aggressively. At this time we will have the name of the artist and the song flash onto the screen.

9-15seconds- Fran puts on lipstick on and then licks teeth grills.

Mid shot shown diagonally from the left hand side, showing her putting red lipstick on and then open her mouth and licking the silver teeth grills.

16-20 seconds- Fran writes her name onto the mirror.

The mid shot will continue showing the same amount of her body but this time shot diagonally from the right hand side. She will write on the mirror in red lipstick that matches the colour on her lips.

21-25 seconds- Puts the cross pendant in her mouth

Fran is shown on a straight on mid shot. She will put the pendant from the necklace that she is already wearing into her mouth and bites it looking fierce.  The pendant will be gold and contrast against her silver teeth grills.

26-27 seconds- An extra (Rebecca) eyes with glitter

An extreme close up of Rebecca eyes with hands uncovering her eyes to show the glitter all around them. The shot will be filmed in a dark room with extreme lighting.

28-31 seconds – Legs with ripped tights camera following

Cut to a mid-shot of fays legs showing ballet tights which are ripped giving reference to the lyric of the song. “Stockings ripped all up the side”. Fay will be standing on podium giving her height from the ground.

32-36 seconds – Maisie on the swing

Cut to Maisie on a swing, holding onto both of the handles. This will be shot from above the swing and will show her moving further away and swinging back towards it ending with a close up of her face in the camera. (Terrence malice swing scene)

37-39 seconds- Fran putting her shoes on

Fran sitting on the small, clear TV stands (without the TV on) tying the laces on her white platform shoes. This will be a long shot of her looking down and then looking up and directly into the camera when she has tied them.

40-46 seconds- Fran throws herself back onto a bed and dances lying down

Cut to Fran wearing white legging and a white crop top, lying on her back.  Shot as a wide shot from a low angle showing small detail of the surrounding mise en scene.

47-50 seconds- Afro man ripping up money

On the lyric to “tearing it apart” black model with from will aggressively rip up fake money. He will be against a brick wall and light from under his face. The shot will be a close up with his face in the center of the frame

51-55 seconds- Fran lying in and singing in the bath  

Using a steadi cam there will be mid shots which go into close ups of the main model in the bath. This will be shot from a high angle however the stedi cam will allow us to alter the height of the shot without it being jolty. The bath will be white along with all of her clothing. She will be mining the lyrics to the song looking as if she is singing along.

56-1:00 seconds- Ballet dancer with pointe shoes and microphone.

Cut to Gretel wearing pointe shoes and dancing around a livening room with the background of a glass wall behind her so that the garden can be seen behind her. We will film this as an extreme long shot to see all of her body.

1:01- 1:03 seconds- Fay smacking her bottom on the bike machine

A low medium shot of fays legs circling round as she moves on the bike machine. She will be wearing short shorts to reveal her long bare legs moving. We will light them from above looking like there is a spotlight on them.

1:04-1:07 seconds – Fran lying on bed pulls chewing gum out of her mouth

A close up of Frans face from an elevated slight side angle. The surrounding décor will be a light colour similar to the colour of the chewing gum that she will be pulling In and out of her mouth. There will be emphasis on the bright red lipstick that Fran will be wearing as that will be the main burst of colour in the shot.

1:08-1:11 seconds – 3 people painted as animals space hoping towards the camera

An extreme long shot which will be filmed in a long, confined corridor. Shows 3 girls bouncing towards the camera on space hoppers with their faces painted as different animals. They will be at the far away end of the corridor during this scene and will make it to half away towards the camera. The mise on scene of the location will be dull however the colours of the space hoppers will be bright and waxed to make them have a shiny effect. The makeup and outfits of the characters will follow this. The shot will be edited into slow motion.

1:12-1:14 seconds- Hands turning the deck up.

 The tattooed hands of Safia with nail art on her hands will be filmed in close up which only shows her hands and the part of the deck that she is moving. The camera will follow the hands of her moving around the decks using the stedi cam.

1:15-1:19 seconds – Pushing people around a car park in trolleys

We will cut to different camera angles and positions within this scene to show the movement of the trolleys around the car park. Due to the location we are filming in there will be lighting coming from the street lights however we will also add own to stay with the brightness of the rest of the video. 

1:20-1:23 seconds – laying in bath with sunglasses on

A shot of Fran from a high angle showing her laying in the bath mining along to the lyrics “I’m telling you ‘bout the sh*t we do” as this is as if she is talking to the viewers. It is a close up shot from a close up that shows the top of her body down to her chest with their head positioned at the top of the frame.

1:24-1:25 seconds- people lying in car through sun roof

A short shot of 4/5 people squashed into the back of a car, lying in mis-matched positions on top of each other. This will be filmed directly through the sun roof of the car giving an ‘inside look’.

1:26-1:28 seconds- filmed inside car

A quick cut that is connected to the previous shot, showing the same scene as what is seen previously however this time shot from the inside of the car, the middle of the front seats, looking back on the puzzle of people in the back. Giving a different point of view on the situation.

1:29-1:31 seconds- person holding hand over their eye with an eye drawn on it

A close up of Rebecca’s face against a plain coloured wall. An eye will be drawn onto her hand with is covering her actual eye she will then uncover it to show the glitter over her real eye.

1:32-1:35 seconds- girl with ripped tights on exercise bike 

A low medium shot of fays legs with ripped ballet tights on, making circular movements on an exercise bike which fits with the lyrics of “bodies going numb”. There will be extra lighting as well as the interior lighting onto the models legs as they are the focus of the scene.

1:36-1:39 seconds- Maisie standing on the swing

Shot from a left diagonal angle, we will show maisie as an extreme long shot dancing on whilst standing on the swing which is in the trees and holding onto both of the handles with are attached.

1:40-1:43 seconds- Fran sitting stroking a dog

A low midshot of Fran wearing a white fur coat and stroking a white poochon dog that will sit on her cross – legged lap. She will be sitting on the floor of a bedroom, leaning against the back of the bed.

1:44-1:46 seconds- people splashing in pool

From a high angle, looking down on the pool we will see people jumping into the pool Fran is already in and splashing around. The lighting from the photography lamps will be focused onto Fran who will also be central in the frame. There will also be further lighting from in and around the pool.

1:47-1:51 seconds- close up of Fran on the side of the pool singing

Fran will be alone in the pool, leaning on the edge with both arms and singing the lyrics whilst looking directly into the camera. This will be a wide mid shot and will show some of the surroundings of the pool however will create her a focus in the shot by framing her in the middle. The camera will be at eye level to give it a more personal feel.

1:52-1:54 seconds- main girl swimming under water to the top of the water

We will use an underwater camera to film Fran pushing off from one edge of the pool whilst we film from underwater at the other end. There will be lighting coming from the garden lights around the pool as well as the light which will be behind the camera from inside the pool at the end we are filming at. She will move closer towards the camera as she pushed off therefore her head will start at the bottom of the frame and her legs will finish at the top.

1:55-1:58 seconds- people splashing and playing in the pool

Shot from a high angle, from the outside of the pool. Only the water and the people will be in the frame and you will not be able to see any of the pool surroundings. This scene will be shot at night and the lighting will be coming from all the above mentioned places.

1:59-2:03 seconds- dancing in kitchen with another girl lights off projector

We will use a projector to project an image of an optical illusion onto a blank wall in which Fran will dance around in front of. For the projector to work we will film this in a dark room however lighting that will illuminate Fran will come from the bright colours on the optical illusion projection. We will film this as an extreme wide shot to ensure the whole wall is in the frame and Fran looks small in relation to it , making It look like she is being ‘swallowed up’ by it.

2:04-2:06 seconds- pouring coloured vodka into a bowl

A close up of extra models hands will be filmed pouring bright coloured liquids out of vodka bottles. It will not have any other mise en scene around it and the focus will be on the bowel by having it at the front a central in the frame. The bowel will be transparent in order to see the different colours going in and mixing.

2:07-2:11 seconds- a person doing double Dutch with skipping ropes

 Filmed in the same location, car park, as the trolley scene and using the same group of people. We will use 3 people and 2 skipping ropes to perform double Dutch therefore will use a wide shot to ensure we get all of the actor and ropes in the frame. The person jumping the rope will be in the center of the frame.

2:12-2:15 seconds- Fran lying in the pool with eyes shut.

We will film Fran laying face upwards and feet first towards us. We will film this from a high angle looking down on her still body and a long shot to ensure her whole body is able to be seen. There will be focused light from the photography lamps directly onto her face.

2:16- seconds- dj in the bath

Whilst laying diagonally in the unfilled bath we will film a close up of Fran miming the word “dj”. She will be dressed in all white with red lipstick and the surround mise en scene will also be white.

2:17-2:18 seconds- turn it up against a blank white wall.

Fran will stand against a blank white wall mining the words ‘turn it up’ this will come in quick concession after the previous shot as this all links together. The wall which we will film her against will be a glossy white wall therefore adding to the plastic feel of the video.

2:19-seconds – dj in the bath

Exactly the same shot as seen at 2.16

2:20 seconds - turn it up against a blank white wall.

Exactly the same shot as seen at 2:17

2:23-2:27 seconds – person wearing mask dj turn it up

An extra model will be wearing a ghost mask whilst in a pitch black room whilst mining the words “ dj turn it up” as this part of the song is in an electric, scary tone of voice. There will be a single spot light on them in terms of lighting to emphasize the horror.

2:28-2:32 seconds- Fran standing backwards on roof.

We will film a wide mid shot of Fran standing on the edge of a flat roof. She will be facing forwards in terms of the camera however backwards on the roof. She will have her arms out wide as if she is trying to stabilize herself. The mise on scene behind her will be the scenery of a garden and will also show that she is high up.

2:33-2:40 seconds – Barbie falls down goes back up and then falls again

After the tension of the previous shot we will cut to a completely black screen for a split second before showing a high angle shot of a Barbie , dressed and styled to look like Fran, being dropped and falling backwards off of the roof. We will then use editing to reverse this shot in slow motion and showing the dropped Barbie coming back up towards the camera before it quickly drops back to the floor with at the same point that there is a drop in the song. Whilst the Barbie is falling there is silence in the song which will add to the tension.

2:41- 2:43 seconds – people coming out of trees

From a slight side angle we will film mid shots of two people following each other out of a bush, looking around and walking past the camera. We will use photography lights to give extreme lighting on the faces of the characters as this shot will also be filmed outside at night.

2:44- 2:47 seconds- space hoppers in slow motion

This shot will be filmed in exactly the same way as 1:08 however, where the characters only got up to half way along the corridor then, they will resume from this point and bounce towards the camera further therefor making this shot closer than the previous one in this style.

2:48- 2:51 seconds- projector in kitchen

Filmed in the same way as 1:59, however Fran will be dancing around in front of the projection in a different way.

2:52-2:54 seconds- nail art stroking dog.

We will use the same whit fluffy dog that we have used previously in the video and show a close up of models hands who has nail art on them stoking the dog in slow motion.

2:55-2:58 seconds- the word ‘HARD’ written in fire

We will use 4 extra models, the same ones which we have previously used for the car park scene to use sparklers and write the word ‘hard’ in them at the same point the song says it. Bu getting four people to do it instead of one is will avoid the sparkler running out. This will obviously have to be done outside at night and we will use photography lamps to light the models that will be standing in a line.

2:59-3:02 seconds- throwing the globe around

We will film Fran and some other extras in an open indoor space throwing around a blow up globe as it has association to the lyrics. They will be mucking around having fun. We can use the interior lighting from inside but can also use focused lighting through the photography lamps.

3:03-3:08 seconds – three people lined up wearing moustaches.

We will film a close up of the nose and below of three models lined up with fake, all different, moustaches stuck on we will film this against the white glossy wall to make it simple yet random. The white glossy wall also will reflect bright lighting well.

3:09- 3:11 seconds- in the pool singing we are who we are

This will be a similar shot to 1.47 in terms of lighting, costume, mise en scene and framing however this time she will be mouthing the words “ we are who we are”

3:12- 3:14 seconds- Fran playing on games machine

From side on, we will film Fran playing on an old fashioned games machine. The shot will be a mid-shot to ensure that all of her can be seen. The machine has many colours on it therefore Fran will be dressed in her white attire and there will be a white curtain behind her as the backdrop.

3:15- 3:18 seconds- people with haribos

In a similar way 3.03 where people were lined up with moustaches on, we will line 3 people up with different haribo sweets on their tongues and show them opening their mouths and sticking their tongues out to reveal them.

3:19-3:22- seconds- Fran with a cigarette.

We will show Fran in an outside averment inhaling a cigarette, there will be a large amount of ash building up on the end of the cigarette that we will show emphasis on though centring it in the frame. As this shot is outside, we will use photography lighting to create spotlights on her as well as having garden lighting.

3:23-3:33seconds - on view point chilling

In this final scene we will use a variety of camera shots and angles whilst showing Fran alone and with friends at a high, outside viewpoint. We will film this shot at a sunset. Fran will look elevated as we will see the environment below her. She will be dressed in black for this final shot. She will be mining along to some words as well as looking directly into the camera to give it a personal feel for the viewer.

Chosen Song

The song that we have chosen to use for out music video is;

 'Kesha- We Are Who We Are' (2010)

After we had spent time discussing and researching the concept that we wanted to create for our music video we agreed that we must find a song that represented youth, originality and freedom. Both the artist of this song and the lyrics convey this perfectly making this the correct choice for our video idea.

The lyrics to the song are as follows; 

Hot and dangerous
If you're one of us then roll with us
'Cause we make the hipsters fall in love
When we got our hot pants on and up

And yes of course we does
We runnin' this town just like a club
And no, you don't wanna mess with us
Got Jesus on my necklace-ace-ace

Got that glitter on my eyes
Stockings ripped all up the side
Looking sick and sexyfied
So let's go, oh, oh, let's go

Tonight, we're going hard, hard, h-h-hard
Just like the world is ours, ours, o-o-ours
We're tearing it apart, part, p-p-part
You know we're superstars, we are who we are

We're dancin' like we're dumb, dumb, d-d-dumb
Our bodies going numb, numb, n-n-numb
We'll be forever young, young, y-y-young
You know we're superstars, we are who we are

DJ turn it up
It's about damn time to live it up
I'm sick of being so serious
It's makin' my brain delirious

I'm just talkin' true
I'm tellin' you 'bout the shit we do
We're selling our clothes, sleepin' in cars
Dressin' it down, hittin' on dudes, hard

Got that glitter on my eyes
Stockings ripped all up the side
Looking sick and sexyfied
So let's go, oh, oh, let's go

Tonight, we're going hard, hard, h-h-hard
Just like the world is ours, ours, o-o-ours
We're tearing it apart, part, p-p-part
You know we're superstars, we are who we are

We're dancin' like we're dumb, dumb, d-d-dumb
Our bodies going numb, numb, n-n-numb
We'll be forever young, young, y-y-young
You know we're superstars, we are who we are

DJ turn it up
DJ turn it up
DJ turn it up
DJ turn it up

Tonight, we're going hard, hard, h-h-hard
Just like the world is ours, ours, o-o-ours
We're tearing it apart, part, p-p-part
You know we're superstars, we are who we are

We're dancin' like we're dumb, dumb, d-d-dumb
Our bodies going numb, numb, n-n-numb
We'll be forever young, young, y-y-young
You know we're superstars, we are who we are

We realised we would have to contact the record label responsible for Kesha, to ask permission to use the song for our own work. Below is the email we sent to RCA Records.

After sending this email , we received a post master failure response and the email had bounced. I therefore found another way to contact the record label would be to send the same message on the contact us feature of the website. 

General Music Video Research

To begin our research, we looked at a variety of music videos that where of a similar style to what we want to create. We print screened parts of the videos that we particularly like and would like to re-create in our own work. 

There are a number of titles that appear largely in the center of the screen and show the name of the song , artist and director of the video. There is a simple white and red colour scheme in these scenes that is followed by the artists hair and make up , clothing and mise en scene. Therefore the titles being in a bold , yellow font , makes them dramatically stand out to the viewer and makes the shot all about them and the other visuals become a background.

We see Miley whilst she is getting ready , putting her statement red lipstick on that becomes an important feature of the video. The positioning of her body is the start of the provocative attitude that the rest of the video has and makes the viewer excited to see what other antics the character will get up to in the duration of the video.

For the concept of wild youth for our video a pool scene is very generic in other music videos with similar concepts. The use of a pool in a music video similar to the one we are planning on creating is a reference to wanting to still do the fun things that are done by younger children and without being told what to do. Using a pool in our video would also give us the opportunity to display a range of camera skills as well as using an underwater camera.

Whilst researching we have found a number of  recent music videos have used different props to literally write a message on the screen.. This is something that we will interpret into our own video as it perfectly fits with the quirky, disjointed attitude that it will have.

During research we have found that it is a very popular feature to show the main characters in the video on bed , both laying still and dancing around. This normally happens at a point in the song where the song comes to a point where the artist stops what ever they are doing and begin to sing along to the lyrics. When a video has lots of creative and interesting things in it, I think that a simple shot such as this that brings the video back to the songs and the concept of the lyrics. This is a shot that we plan to use in our music video as it will not only give a break from the edgy scenes but also represent a youth lifestyle.

Pushing actors around in shopping trolleys makes it clear that it was an extremely fun film for the actors to film and this is transferred to the viewer who can see this and is interested by a scene such as this. Many music videos that represent youth show the antics that they get up to in modern day , and most that prove to be controversial however a scene such as the one above would show inside the childish mind and how people are not ready to grow up.

To project an image or video onto the wall of a scene is a way to disorientate the viewer which is the way that other generations may look at the way that modern day youth present themselves and live. The confusion that it creates due to its random nature keeps the viewer engaged as they don't know what to expect next.

A scene which is shown in the large majority of youth music videos is the pool scene. In some videos this can be seen as boring and generic however when shot with the correct colours, lighting and make up to give it a quirky edge to ensure that it does not fall into that catorgary. The videos that I have researched and have pool scenes succeed creating pool scenes that are not boring for the viewer and therefore are able to use these shots to make a point in their videos.

Location Research

Due to the nature of the video we are planning, the location of shots are not too specific as most of the shots are of a random and quirky vibe and are about what is happening in the shot rather than the location and or background. However there are a number of scenes that we have clear ideas for that location and lighting must be planned for as follows;

A large amount of the video we plan to shoot will be on an inside set, inside of a house. The bathroom and bedroom will be two of the main rooms that are used. The house that we choose to use should have the ability to have bright lighting and light decor.

A scene of the video will show a group of people being pushed around in trolleys and mucking around. We will rent the trolleys and shoot this scene in a quiet car park.

We will be shooting two types of scenes in a private swimming pool, the main character alone and a group of people splashing around and having fun. Lighting can come from inside the pool and glow sticks can  be put in the water to give off a colourfull effect.

 One of the scenes that we plan to shoot involved a scenic , natural background. We will shoot this on a bright day in the early evening from a viewing point area on the outside of our village.

A scene that we plan to shoot will involve using different areas within a park such as the natural features such as bushes and hedges as well as the swing equipment.

We have now gained permission from the owner ( my next door neighbor )  to film in their inside swimming pool