Props and Costume List

COSTUMES:

This is for the performance with other band member

We chose this sort of outfit because it is something that the singer would actually wear and we think the hat is quirky like she is. We kept the outfit all black so the attention will be on her face and her singing. it will also stand out the perfect amount in front of the screen.

For when she is lying in dry ice.

We have chosen this because it flows and is the same colour as dry ice so hopefully will blend well with the misty feel.

For when the flutter glitter is falling. 

This was chosen because we want the dress to be the same colour as the glitter, so their is a re-occuring colour theme in this strand.

 PROPS:

Flutter glitter

We feel that glitter will give a soft mystical feel, suiting the song, as it is slow and calm and a bit magical. We will drop the glitter from above the band and singer while a double speed track is playing. This will mean that when it comes to the edit and we slow the track down to a normal pace we will be able to see the glitter falling more clearly, and it will give a surreal feel.

Sheer sheet 

The sheet will give her something to loosely dropped over her and will move everytime she moves, this gives a elegant feel to the strand.

Dry Ice

We are using dry ice because it gives a midnight and mystical feel which matches the feel of the song which is slow and calm and a bit magical ( also why we chose to use glitter).

Guitar and amp  

We need these for obvious reasons, as a guitar is the instrument being played in the song.

Microphone and stand 

The microphone stand is for the singer, this will hopefully make her a bit more comfortable and give her something to hold on to and play with giving more visual elements. We are also hoping of doing an extreme close up of her lips singing into the microphone.

Tracing Paper

We need this for the frame being delivered on the day and it has to be trace paper so the light can shine through it and we can create a silhouette.

Animatic Feed Back From Luke

Luke’s feed back from animatic:

He liked:

•       Close ups on the guitar, showing that they are actually playing the music that the    band is about the music.
•       The black and white fits with the song.
•       Showing emotions of the band, laughing, and certain looks. Etc.
•       Glitter falling, as it fits with the style of the song and the rest of the video. And  gives it an arty quality.
•       The fact that we brought in new elements later on in the track, as it would keep the interest of the audience.

Weaknesses:

•       The zooming towards the shadow, felt slightly pointless as people want to see  faces.
•       The flour bit doesn’t fit at all, but we already decided to cut that as soon as we  finished the animatic.

Conclusion:

• From both feedbacks, we now know we really need another element to keep interest. However it was clear people really liked the animatic and there are more strengths than weaknesses.

Animatic Feed Back From Class

Classes feed back from animatic:

Positives:

•       The lighting was well liked by the class, as they felt it created the correct mood that matched the song.
•       They all liked the strand where the glitter falls in slow motion. They thought it was very stylistic and even though it was slow it kept their attention, and was very pleasing to the eye. For our actual video we want to make the slow motion even slower so we get every little detail of the movement of the glitter.

Negatives:

•  Although the lighting worked well we need to pick just one colour.
• To prevent repetition we want to add in another stylistic element.
• We felt the scene where they are laying on a bed is completely random and doesn’t fit with the rest of the video. So we have now decided that we will just have the girl lying on the floor surrounded by dry ice and with a thin sheet being wafted above her for the Arial shots.

Changes:

•       Keep all the lighting similar colours
•       Cut the bed scene and replace with dry ice scene
•       Shoot the slow motion flutter glitter with a composite shot so the lip sync will match.
•       Create another stylistic element

Finalising the Set with Set Designer

We just met with the person who will be helping build and supply the set. We decided the specifics of the chinese window frame: There will be four squares going up and five across, each square is 2ft high and 3ft wide, the strips of wood being about 1 1/2 " wide. One our our team members knows a builder who can make this for us, we just have to cover it with trace paper. There are some examples of similar sets on my set design research blog...

http://leilamariatoulmin.blogspot.co.uk/2014/09/set-research-for-performance.html

 This is a sideways drawing of our plan for this set, the chinese window frame can be seen, there are more examples on my blog link above.

Our other sets are black and relies on lighting, dry ice, silver ticker tape and a thin slightly see through sheet. Therefore we didn't discuss this with her, as the studio already has black walls and will be cleared of junk, but currently looks something like this:

The Animatic

Copyright

As a copyright measure we sent this email to the people who have ownership of the song.

Designing our Set

Meeting with Lighting Supervisor

Today we met with the person who will be supplying the lighting for our video.

 We decided we will be making a large frame filled with trace paper and a warm orange/yellow light will be shining through and we will see the source of the light. This will create a silhouette of the two performers, and also a front light for when we want to see them. We will be using dry ice for the floor scene and a watery like shimmery light shining down on the her. Something like this:

There will also be a thin slightly see through sheet, that we will waft above her when we do the arial shot.

Emily Wyatt from Polydore Records

Emily Wyatt, the commissioning editor for media company Polydore Records, came in to talk about what her job entails.

She is given a budget, which can be large or small depending on how big the artist

is:

Big artist (such as The Arctic Monkeys)

£25,000

A smaller artist would be more along the lines of

£6000

After being given these, she has to think about how she can make an appropriate video with this money. If she was working with a unknown artist, she would have to use first time directors, as they would be a lot cheaper or even free (trying to fill up their CV). Very often these videos will be performance based, as this only includes one scene with the band, and no extra paid actors, again cutting costs, and it also introduces the artists more to the public. An example of this would be, Sex by The 1975.

After telling us about the initial part of the process, she told us about the treatment. They are more about the overall tone and feel of the video and is a way of briefly pitching the idea to the artist and their manager.

The treatment:

- Links concept and artist/genre

- Importance of the brief

- Performance/narrative

She then continued to talk about how most record companies distribute their videos online rather than immediately onto MTV etc. She said they mainly distribute on VEVO and YouTube. This is because music is generally targeted at a younger audience, and these are the places they go to find music.

On VEVO the more views they get, the more likely it is to be played on radio, as it gives stations the demographics already so they know if it worth playing or not. And when it is played on radio the artist gets paid. 

Thoughts on Costume and Makeup

We are working with the band to find something to that they and we feel embodies them. The lead singer wears a lot of dungarees in her live performances and she feels comfortable in them, so will perform well, so she will wear them for the lip sync. And for the band performance they will al be wearing black and white. 

Changes To Our Concept

We have decided to make all our strands studio shot. We feel we need the entire day and it would take an hour out of our day traveling to and from the location, our bus shots would also be costly as we would have to hire a bus for a couple of hundred pounds, which would be going over our budget. We also feel that there would not be enough shots at the location and therefore do not feel it is worth it. We have added on more studio strands:

• Lying down on a block covered in a sheet with smoke covering the rest of the floor
• A scene including black and white close ups of boys smiling ( mr nice guy)
• Glitter falling
• The performance with back lights
• The performance with the window screen 

Making an Animatic

What do we get out of creating an animatic? :

• It should include around 150 shots
• It helps you to visualise the shots
• It works as a test run, to find out it different elements will fit together
• And if it fits the music
• And most importantly do e have enough content.

Essentially this works as a pilot for the group to see whether the ideas work. 

 We have to think about using photos or drawings to create the animatic. Realistically photos are far easier and quicker to make, it also enables more experimentation with the shots.

There i also a possibility of using videos for it, which would include movement. It is very important that this movement matches the track so we can see whether or not it works.

It is a prototype: a test of the product which effect later production decisions.

The more accurate the prototype the higher quality of information gained.

Example or an accurately drawn animatic:

We will be creating a photo based animatic as we feel we will get the most out of it without it taking up too much time.

I am currently collecting images that are as similar as the shots we are trying to create, that I will put in an order that matches with the timeline.