Planning Lighting and Colour

Lighting is very important within the music video production. Every lighting set-up provides a specific mood, emotion, atmosphere, and aesthetics to the overall film viewing experience. Without light, it is not possible to see anything, and it is not possible to shoot a film. For example, a horror movie uses light to make the scene look sinister or eerie, whereas the lighting and colour in a children's movie would be very vibrant and colourful.

To follow the conventions of the indie genre we would like to use naturalistic lighting throughout specfic sections of the music video. During the performance section we want to film at around 2 o'clock in the afternoon so that the sun will still be up. On screen this will make the lighting look very high key which is what we want for this segment of the music video. Naturalistic lighting is something that you would tend to find within an indie music video as the indie genre likes to present a natural artist with natural surroundings. This naturalism is also relatable to the majority of audiences.

Throughout the first chorus our music video we will be displaying footage of the artist and her boyfriend, however we want to make this footage look like its a good memory from early on in the relationship that the artist is thinking about. To do this we will film at around midday so that the sun is at its highest, giving the footage a warm feel to it. We will then alter the colour in the editing process to make the footage look aged and bright, portraying happiness and positivity.

Within the second chorus, we will again be showing footage of the artist and her boyfriend, hoever this time we want the footage to look darker to connote how the relationship is turning bad. To create this feel we will be filming in the evening, to give a darker and more dangerous feel to the footage. This will contrast well with the previous sections as they will consist of lighter and more sepia toned colours, whereas this section will have low-key lighting and consist of darker colours, including the colours of our clothing and our surroundings. This decision in lighting and colour will challenge the conventions of the indie genre, as it will give off a more grungy vibe rather than indie. Thiswill hopefully give our music video a unique and original feel with an indie song contrasting with grungy visuals. However I think that this will work with the song and it's message and will still follow indie in the sense that the message of the song is being promoted rather than the artist.

The lighting and colour of a music video must be planned out very well because it contributes to the atmosphere of the music video. The lighting and colour must match the genre and your intentions on he music videos' mood, otherwise it would break the music video and won't be relatable to your target audience.

Planning Editing

Editing plays a big part with the music video production. The editing process consists of taking all of the filmed footage and placing it in a specific order by cutting the footage and using transitions. The editing style of a music video is very important as it brings your footage to life and gives it a certain atmosphere, for example: an action sequence would consist of fast pace editing and straight cuts, whereas a romantic scene would consist of slow pace editing and possibly cross-dissolve transitions. By using specific editing styles and following certain codes and conventions, you can make your product relatable to your chosen genre/target audience.

Our footage with an 'Aged' and 'Mask' effect.

To edit our music video we will be using Final Cut Pro X. I want our music video to look edgy in order to challenge the conventions of indie, therefore I will be using a lot of effects and tints when editing. During the music video there will be sections that show previous events of the artist and her boyfriend, which I will edit to look as though these are memories that the artist is thinking about. To make this evident I will use an aged effect to differentiate between the present and the memories. I will also like to use an effect called 'mask' which creates a black, feathered border. This gives the footage a 'polaroid' feel to it, implying that the footage is a memory.

Our footage with a fast-motion effect.

Another editing effect I would like to use is a fast motion effect. I think that presenting footage in fast motion (such as traffic) could portray the fast-moving relationship between the artist and her boyfriend. This effect represents the message within the song and therefore promotes the music, which is conventional to the indie genre.

Our footage with colour tints and
a cross-dissolve transition to show a
gradation in colour.

I would also like to use colour tints and cross-dissolve transitions. The bridge in the song 'The Apple Tree' is a lot slower. For this section of the song I was thinking that we could take our footage and cut it into two. The first section would have a very vivid and colourful tint, whereas the section section would have a black and white tint. I would then like to link these sections with a cross-dissolve so that it looks like the colour is being drained and taken away. This would represent the end of the relationship. This brings the lyrics of the song to life, essentially promoting the music which is conventional to indie.

I believe that it is important to plan your editing styles or at least have an idea of your editing styles since the editing process is such an important part of a music video production. It is also a very time consuming task therefore it is best to be organised.

Planning an Artist Image

The purpose of the artists image is to promote the artist in a certain fashion and allow the artist to be relatable and to build a relationship with the audience. Artists are constantly changing their image in order to put themselves in the media and to please their ageing target audience. By doing this they are also able to attract different audiences, consequently widening their fan base. Stars such as Miley Cyrus, Rihanna and Britney Spears are popular for constantly changing their style and sound.

For our music video we want to give the artist an edge. Inspired by 90's grunge, we would like the artist to look rough and rebellious instead for steering towards the predictable Nina Nesbitt indie-pop fashion. The reason for this decision is to move away from the artist that we've chosen and break the stereotypical conventions of indie-pop, therefore giving an original feel to our video.

Within our music video I (playing the artist) will be wearing different outfits consisting of garments such as flannel shirts and leather jackets (inspired from the image on the left). Clothing such as ripped jeans, bandanas and doctor marten boots will be worn to give off a rebellious vibe - conventional to our 'grunge' take on the song.

To the right is the outfit that I wore during the performance section. As you can see this outfit is inspired by the picture above, having red tartan, denim and leather jackets in common. I decided to wear an oversized jacket because Drew is seen wearing a lot of oversized clothes. This shows that my portrayal of the artist is still in love with Drew and is trying to find ways to remember him.


The hairstyle was inspired by Rihanna's "We Found Love" hairstyle as we felt that this was an edgy and unique hairstyle and isn't expected within the indie genre. Therefore by using a grungy hairstyle similar to this then we would be able to challenge and break the conventions of the indie genre.

I want Drew and I to wear similar outfits in order to show our 'bond'. I feel that by wearing similar clothes, we will display to audiences our characters affection for each other and their inseparability. For example we could both wear a lot of denim, tartan and leather. This also adds to the grungy style that we are trying to portray. It would be affective if we both wore doctor martens throughout the video, as this would again emphasise our inseparability. We feel that this would contribute to the meaning of the song and the narrative, therefore relating to indie.

In the bedroom scene I think that it would be a good idea to wear the shirt that Drew wore in camden (previously in the music video), the dark blue flannel shirt. This will show how the artist is infatuated by Drew and wants to wear his clothes to feel closer to him. Finally, for my final outfit, I want to wear something very plain to portray the artist's drain of emotion. Perhaps an oversized coat (again similar to Drew's style), a white top and distressed jeans ripped at the knees. The distress of the jeans will represent the artist's frustration and heartbreak. I feel it would be appropriate to let my hair down and messy in order to show how the artist doesn't care about anything except for the loss of her boyfriend. This adds to the emotion of the song which therefore relates to indie in the sense that it's promoting the music.

Planning Cinematography

The purpose of cinematography is to show the audience different point of views and angles throughout the music video. Camera angles, positioning and movement can display locations, iconography and the posture, expression and image of the artist. A wide variety of cinematography is used in order to capture different images and to create a narrative and relationship with the audience in order to make a music video successful.

Here are a selection of camera shots that we will be using:

Example: Mid Shot

We will be using a mid shot to show the use of a guitar within our music video. This will display our use of iconography and the use of instruments will relate to the indie genre. The mid shot will allow the audience to have a clear view of the artist singing and playing guitar and will promote the performance section of our music video. This is conventional to an indie music video as it promotes the music. This would also help the audience build a relationship with the artist as they will understand their musical talent.

Example: High-angled Establishing Shot

We have a particular high angle establishing shots in mind which will show the artist and the boyfriend in the middle of a crowded area with them standing still and everybody else walking around them. This would portray how they are oblivious to everything surrounding them. This therefore emphasises the narrative and the lyrics which is therefore conventional to the indie genre.

Example: Close Up

Finally, we will be using a variety of close ups. For example, here is a close up of Drew underwater. This close up allows the audience to observe Drew's facial expression, which is very blank and emotionless. This shows that he is in such a bad state of mind that he is no longer in control of his body and senses. Rather than having a dramatic death scene we felt that this was more affective as it shows that he is so mislead and unwell that he has lost control. This is conventional to the indie genre as it expresses the emotion of the song and makes the lyrics come to life. The music is therefore being emphasised which is the purpose of the indie genre.

Planning Setting and Iconography

The purpose of setting within a music video is to give the music video an appropriate atmosphere that will relate with the target audience. The location will set the mood and the choice of iconography will bring life to the music video, allowing audiences too see what the artist is experiencing - ultimately allowing audiences to build a bond with the artist. Using specific iconography, such as instruments, will help display the indie genre we are trying to put across as this will be promoting the music rather than the artist. Specific setting and iconography will also relate to specific target audiences. Setting and iconography can also be used to break the stereotypical conventions of the music genre that one is following.

A screenshot of our footage taken in Brick Lane.

We will be including locations such as Brick Lane, Liverpool Street, Camden, a forest. Locations like isolated forests are quite quirky, therefore will relate to indie audiences. We will also be filming sections at Drew's house to display the relationship between the artist and her boyfriend and to show how close they are. We wanted to use more urban locations such as Brick Lane and Camden in order to break the conventions of the indie genre, therefore hopefully making our music video more original. The quirkiness of the city streets will represent the artist, hopefully causing the audience to relate to her and the music video.

In contrast to the urban locations, we will be using a deserted forest throughout the performance sections. Forests are quite quirky, but are also very naturalistic which definitely relates to the indie genre. The emptiness of the forest will imply how empty, lonely and heartbroken the artist is feeling after the loss of her boyfriend. This will add to the emotion and meaning of the song which will consequently promote the music - which is one of the main purposes of the indie genre.

We will be using iconography such as drugs and alcohol in order to show how the addiction is taking over the boyfriend's mentality and body. This will add to the impact of the storyline. However the main piece of iconography that we will be using is a guitar. The use of a guitar will display the musical ability of the artist and will promote her as a singer/songwriter rather than an image. Indie artists tend to use instruments within their music videos for the same reason - because they would rather be sold for their talent rather than their image. Therefore our use of a guitar is conventional to the indie genre and will relate to indie audiences.

Setting and iconography is therefore very important to consider when planning a music video. The micro elements drastically contribute to the visuals of the music video, giving it a certain atmosphere and allowing it to either follow or challenge your chosen music genre. This will ultimately relate to your chosen target audience.

Evaluation

EVALUATION

The point of a target audience is to give an advertised product a purpose and to make it presentable and understandable. This is achieved by the artist of the product following particular codes and conventions throughout their work which relate to a specific target audience. We carried out types of research such as questionnaires and vox pops so that we could gain opinions from people that vary in their taste in music in order to gain non-biased results. We surveyed 40 people with our questionnaires and 5 people with our vox pops. We surveyed such a large number, again, to gain a large variety of fair results.

I think that our vox pops were very successful as we surveyed 5 people who varied vastly in age. It allowed us to understand what genre of music the older and younger generations prefer which will consequently help us understand what our target audience should be for our music video. One of the key questions that we included in our vox pops was 'Do you prefer a fast paced or low paced music video?' The majority of people said that they preferred a fast pace music video therefore we have decided that we will include fast pace editing styles throughout our music video. This has backed up our idea of displaying memories between the artist and her boyfriend, perhaps we will shorten and edit these memory clips to play quickly and in fast motion in order to suit the audience's preferred pace. Another key question that we asked was 'Do you prefer a performance based or a narrative based music video?' Most people said that they prefer a narrative based music video as they like a music video to have a meaning behind it. From this we have learnt that it would be appropriate to include more narrative based footage than performance based footage. 

We also researched into subcultures. Subcultures within the music industry are demonstrated by people who position themselves outside of the mainstream and unite through a common value system, taste and neophyte. These subcultural gangs hold value in conformity and rebellion and have an attitude towards capitalism. Grant McCracken is a media theorist who believes that the post modern world within the music industry is filled with diverse creativity and that there are so many new ideologies that it is impossible that all subcultures come from one culture. The CCCS however, disregard McCracken's theory and says that all subcultures come from one culture and are a rebellious creation against the mainstream. Finally, Hedbige's belief reflects on both McCracken's and the CCCS's, as he states that deep down all subcultures are the same (a rebellious creation against the mainstream), therefore he refers to them as 'little cultures'.

In conclusion, our research task has been extremely useful and valuable. By researching into subcultures, we believe that our music video follows the theory of Grant McCracken. We have chosen this since our music video is not influenced by the rebellion against the mainstream, however it does consist of new ideologies and individual elements that don't follow the mainstream pop genre. 

Pie Charts

PIE CHARTS

Here are our results presented as pie charts.We felt that by doing this we would be able to compare, evaluate and understand our results more accurately:

Questionnaires

QUESTIONNAIRE

When researching into target audiences and their opinions on a certain product, it is wise to produce a questionnaire as you will gather a variety of answers in which you can compare and evaluate. When presenting questionnaires, it is useful to share you questionnaire with a vast amount of people who vary in age, gender and characteristics. This is so that you are guaranteed non-biased results. Below is a copy of a questionnaire that we created in order to research into our potential target audience. We handed this questionnaire out to 40 people to answer: