Pre-production: chosen song
My chosen song is "Before you go" by the Scottish singer and song writer: Lewis capaldi from his album "Divinely Uninspired to a Hellish Extent" which was released on the 19th of November of 2019. This song was an extended edition to his album. I chose this song because of it's relaxed melody and slow beat that allows me to cut and edit freely. The lyrics are very deep and emotional, which I love as I enjoy listening to songs with deep meanings.
Background Of the song
Lewis capaldi is a singer and songwriter from Scotland, he has written most of his songs however, he says that "Before you go" is by far his most personal song so far. He got most of his recognition and boosted his publicity when he released his song "Someone you loved". "Before you go" reached number one on the Irish Singles Chart in November 2019 and on the UK Singles Chart in January 2020, becoming his second chart-topper in the UK and third in Ireland, so in other words it was a great hit. Lewis mostly creates soul, R&B, Alternative and Indie music. His song "Before you go was inspired by what happens before and after a person takes their own lives or how someones live could be taken away without a warning and how people who were close to them react and how sometimes they blame themselves for the actions of others. He wrote it based on what happened with his family, where his aunt got extremely ill and passed away (some think it was due to suicide and not an illness) when he was six and how his mother had reacted to it. The song sends a sad emotional sense to the listener and instantly makes you understand and feel for others even if you yourself haven't been through it.
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The original video features a young couple living their lives and enjoying being young and having freedom. Everything is good and working out until the girl's father falls ill and has to be hospitalized, and she has lost her "boyfriend"due to a break-up then she has to take care of her younger sister and her youth is partly taken away from her however, she still remains strong and living. Once her father is better and back everything goes back to normal and everyone is happy (however she still is not back with her "boyfriend" and we don't see him again until the very end). Everything seems perfectly fine and normal, until the young girl has her own life taken away in an instant and when no one expects (maybe an illness or suicide). All the people who were close to her are then devastated and torn (including her "boyfriend". They all eventually start to blame themselves and rethink everything they've done or said thinking that they might be the reason for her going.
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In this video I really like some of the shots such as the first close up of the young woman in the first 15 seconds and how sometimes Lewis is placed in front of the lighting to blur out his features yet we still know that it is him as they use iconography with his hairstyle and guitar. Another thing I really love about this video is how the frames transition from a dutch angle to a medium shot or a full shot which is very unique as most videos use a smaller range of angles and shots however, I really like the idea of varying the shots and angles.
Analyzing lyrics:
This song has an edgy, sinister, yet modern vintage style to it and meets all expectations of Indie/Alternative listeners, in terms of the instruments, it has the lead guitarist and a drum rhythm that is harmonized by the vocals. It has a very simple arrangement making it seem young and somehow gives it a desperate feel. Also, it has the do-it-yourself attitude with the lazy melody and stripped vocals at times with not many effects and seemingly very edged. It is almost a dangerous song as it's based on such a sensitive topic that is yet to be developed on by our now-day society, so therefore I would consider it as almost a fragile topic that not many have words to talk about and so this adds a uniqueness to the song and it's lyrics and narrative. When analyzing my song lyrics I chose to talk about the girl having her life taken due to an illness (since the other way it could be interpreted includes a really sensitive topic), the song could be interpreted in a different way suggesting she took her own life but this would all depend on why Lewis has written this song which is not very clear.
Video Research:
I really love the aesthetics and backgrounds and different scene selections in this video, there are many amazing views of nature weirdly, but beautifully mixed with space and the universe. I really love the use of the stars and planets reflecting on the water and how the aesthetics really match the lyrics of the song. I love the different shots of her dress underwater, it gives the video a magical touch that also matches the space and stars that are reflected on the water. Adding on, I love the iconography of Jessie's hairstyle throughout the whole video so this might be something I consider. In my video I could have the lead singer or cast have a consistent hairstyle or look that stays throughout the video to give them a sense of iconography during the video even if they are not very famous.
I really like the simple yet complex idea of filling the frame with different aspects of nature and different environments so I might want to consider getting some different scenes of nature within my video. I am inspired by using the singer as the center of the frame where all the attention is drawn to, so I would definitely consider using that even for a small period of my video. |
To start off, I love the flashback of Faouzia as a child singing, it shows how passionate she is about her career and how much she has changed/is changing. I like how the scene and and video are set in one place (the desert) near a road/on a road hence the lyrics and name of the song "The Road". It is almost like the video is comparing her as a young child and now with all the flashbacks which matches how the lyrics are talking about her growing and "hitting the road" as in to boost her career and no longer just be a child with dreams but instead making her dream come to life.
I love the use of colours and how it slowly turned from white to pink and slowly red to show some sort of fire maybe symbolizing the fire within her and the passion she has towards singing and creating music. Most of all I love how the Mis-en-scene is filled with her and the background is only shown a bunch of times, so how the focus is all on her and not on the background. |
In this video I really love the contrast between sunrise and sunset, it is really effective. Although the frame is split and sometimes it isn't very successful in videos with too much happening and the audience struggling to keep up however, this is very professional as there is not too much going on and I can keep up with both frames, also I absolutely love how the angles are shot from full shots to medium shots (sometimes close-ups) and back to full shots as they take turns in singing. I would like to use this in my video. Here I love the play with colours and how the sunrise is mostly white and blue wheres the sunset is more reddish and orange. I think the combination between the two colours is very effective as the eye is not drawn to one specific side only as both sides are set in the same destination but just at different times which I think is used to show how different a place could appear at times and maybe the same for how people may act or think at different stages or times of their lives.
Once again, I adore the iconography of both Daniel and H.E.R, they both have famous hairstyles that are really shown throughout this video as the lighting is coming from behind, hiding their features but defining who they are and so makes the video and song recognizable. |
This video is similar to the previous one in a way as the frames get split in the first few seconds and throughout the video however, it does not really appeal to me or wow me as the other one as it it less professional, in this video I think there is a bit way to much going on and so I don't really know where to look but it only lasts a few seconds so it is not as much of a problem. On the other hand, I really love the use of showing both sides and how both people feel, I think this is shown through the play of colours in this video.
In this video, it has inspired me to be bold and play with colours when filming my video but know the limits and where to cross and not cross. Also, it gave me a brief understanding of the pros and cons of splitting the frame and if I were to use it, what the best way is. |
Concept
Ideas for production
1st. Idea: My first Idea was inspired by the stereotypical death of the female protagonist where there is a relationship that appears to be working out and amazing between two people: the female or male protagonist but one of the them eventually starts falling ill and dying and the other member of the relationship singing and lip syncing and mourning over the death of their partner. This idea would involve flashbacks and so I may want to play around with palettes and include dark colours for the person singing in the music video to suggest that this is happening in the present against another palette including happier and brighter colours for the flashbacks of their relationship to tell my audience that it was a very merry and happy stable relationship. The production requirements for this idea may involve from 2-4 locations so that one location is full of bright colours and perhaps a place where couples would go and another location with much darker colours and preferably at night. To film in those locations, depending on where they are I may need to send a location form to get permission to film there however, if it is in a place owned by the crew it would be much easier. With the equipment, I will choose the equipment according to the locations so if the location included sunlight I may use reflectors to ensure that my models are visible and that the lighting is balanced.
- Pros: Locations would be very easy to find where I have a wide variety of places that do not require filming forms. Another advantage would be that the storyline would be very simple and so therefore, the planning would be easy.
- Cons: Due to the pandemic, actors may not be willing to work and some locations may not be available to film in as they may be closed
- ideas of locations: rooftop, school theatre (empty) restaurant
- Pros: less complicated than 1st idea where less actors are needed and so there are multiple ways to film through the pandemic without facing to much trouble about social distancing and safety precautions
- Cons: some of the equipment for lighting may not be available to be used again due to the pandemic. Some public locations may not be available again because of the global pandemic
- ideas of locations: amusement park (lots of bright colours and filming at night) mountains (with city light in the background and using fairy lights unfocused)
- Pros: Location is most likely available in multiple places, actors required are not too much
- Cons: The location chosen may be disturbed by cars passing by and other factors may need to be assessed in detail. Alongside, the editing would need to be professional and make up for the lost location and actors to ensure that the music video done is to the best standard
Proposal For Chosen idea: IDEA 1
With my proposal and idea, I may wish to add more to it as the locations and perhaps change some. I will choose would not only require 2 places but perhaps 3 where 2 of them are for each protagonist is lip-syncing the song on their own and so the locations chosen should be dark to match the mood and theme and so I may choose the rooftop and empty streets both at night for each actor to be on their own and one location where both actors are happy and perhaps this could be at the beach during the morning as flashbacks of their happier relationship.
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Pre production documents: |
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Filming Location:
A road
Picking a road would be quite beneficial but also basic, the idea of getting one of my casts to walk down a road for a certain shot could give the video a vintage and old look and would give the video a different look compared to other locations I could pick. It is a very cheap and easy locations that does not need any permissions for filming. Issues: could be hard to find a quite road without cars. It would be very difficult to clear the frame from anything else to just get the cast in the frame without any bins or anything unwanted. It could be a challenge to avoid including any villas or unwanted homes appearing in the shot. NO REQUIRED DOCUMENTS |
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location agreement | |
File Size: | 15 kb |
File Type: | docx |
Cast:
As cast I would like to include 2 people who have some sort of experience with modelling or acting as I would like to create this video as professional as possible, The main people that I have in mind are Chirag and Natalya. I have also included myself as one of the cast since I will be in charge of the filming and directing and perhaps acting and modelling if needed in case one of my chosen crew has an accident.
Chirag
Chirag is not an experienced actor but is confident in front of cameras so will not be embarrassed is asked to retake a certain shot. He has taken media BTEC for his GCSE options which means that he would have some sort of experience in how it all works. |
Mirna
I have experience in modelling and acting since I take media for my GCSE and this is my second year, I understand how to act in front of cameras if needed and I know how to handle cameras and direct my crew. |
Natalya
Natalya is a very confident model and has lots of experience in how cameras work and how to model for the camera giving all the best angles. She has taken art as one of her GCSE options therefore would understand how to pose and what to wear to contrast the background and so on. |
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casting_document_mirna.pub | |
File Size: | 221 kb |
File Type: | pub |
Equipment:
Canon DSLR 17000D
Tripod
Samsung Galaxy S8
Osmo 4 gimble
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